It was a beautiful night at TCF Bank stadium. Not a huge crowd there to take in the football under the lights, but it was a fine crowd for an impromptu Thursday night practice. The practice didn't get out until about 9:50 PM, so I apologize for the late report. Feel free to ask any additional questions and your own observations if you were in attendance.
Quarterback:
Tanner Morgan led the one's all night, and he looked pretty solid throughout. There were a few times that he made some really nice throws, and a few times that he missed throws that I thought he should have made. He led a really nice drive that would have been 99 yards down to 1st and goal, but some problems with pass protection in close held them to a field goal. One thing I will say about Tanner is he is by far the most comfortable quarterback out there, and he should be. He has a nice command for the offense, and showed again tonight he can make some plays with his legs if he needs to. He missed on some deep balls today, but when he took a shot the defense didn't have a chance at the ball either. Cole Kramer had a solid day today. There was one point during one-on-one's that he threw two picks in three passes and the other got knocked away, but I don't put all the blame on him for that. I thought he had a good day, honestly. He has a better arm than I previously gave him credit for. One thing I think he needs to improve on is his pocket presence. He really hasn't had too much experience standing in a pocket with the offense he played in at Eden Prairie so that's something that can be built on in time. Jacob Clark is still learning the offense and getting comfortable. You see him right now and he's not quite there yet in terms of being consistent with every rep. Sometimes, though, he makes a throw and you see how good he can be. Today, his best throw was an over the shoulder pass that landed right in Seth Green's hands for a 20-yard gain and a first down.
Running Back:
You just see it in flashes right now, but I'm really excited to see Rodney Smith play football again. Gopher fans should be excited to see him out on the field one last season. Mo Ibrahim is running hard. Yards after contact is a stat that Mo excels at. Even when he hits a pile, he seems to take it 2-3-4 yards extra. With that, a 3-yard run can turn into 5 or 6. Bryce Williams got reps with the ones today during their short scrimmages, but they were passing situations for the most part and he only got a few touches. During individual drills, he looked more comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield than I saw last year. Trey Potts is going to redshirt this year, but I would really like to see him make the most of his four games. He looks dynamic with the ball in his hands. Whether it's catching the ball out of the backfield, taking a hand-off, or returning a kick, he's someone Gopher fans should be excited about. The other freshman back Cam Wiley is still raw, but he's got the size and speed of a legit Big Ten back. He's got a little bit further to go than Potts to getting on the field, but Minnesota has a great athlete in Wiley.
Wide Receiver:
Today was much of the same, in terms of Tyler Johnson getting what he wants. He's so good on his routes. He burned Antoine Winfield Jr. on one play in one-on-ones on such a clean route and it ended with a catch on the sideline. The slant was still giving the defenses fits today, but there was one in the end zone that fell through his hands. Coach Simon let him hear about that a little afterwards. It's fun to watch the progress Rashod Bateman is making. His feet are so quick in-and-out of his routes. Tyler Johnson will remain the alpha this year, but Bateman is not far behind at all. Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas are behind them as the three and four receivers, but they're the best third and fourth receivers that Minnesota has had in a very long time.
Tight End:
Not a whole lot of Tight End targets today. One did go for a touchdown from Jacob Clark to Brevyn Spann-Ford on a play-action dump up the seam for about 20 yards. They're used a lot on blocking situations in helping out the left tackle. It takes away from the tight end passing game when they need to help out one side of the line to stop the pass rush.
Offensive Line:
Left Tackle: Sam Schleuter, Jason Dickson, Ben Davis
Left Gaurd: Blaise Andries, Axel Ruschmeyer, Tyler Cooper
Center: Connor Olsen, John Michael-Schmitz, Nathan Boe
Right Guard: Curtis Dunlap, Austin Beier, Nate Umlor
Right Tackle: Daniel Faalele, Kyle Sassack, JJ Guedet
I'm worried about Left Tackle for Minnesota. Sam Schlueter got beat and so did Jason Dickson. If it's a battle, I'm going with Schlueter as the winner as of right now. Dickson's feet aren't great, and he often has a hard time kicking back far enough against speed rushers. Schlueter looks improved, but there were times that a good speed rush or good inside move just torched him. One, in particular, was on a beautiful outside fake, inside spin by Boye Mafe for a sack. Minnesota will be okay with Schlueter at LT, but I wonder if Andries is going to get any looks there to possibly maximize the line's potential.
Defensive Line:
DE: Tai'Yon Devers, Boye Mafe
DT: Sam Renner, Mayan Ahanotu or Keonte Schad
DT: Micah Dew-Treadway, Jamaal Teague
DE: Winston DeLattiboudere, Esezi Ottomewo
It's easy to see how far along the pass rush for Minnesota has come since last year. Credit Coach Panagos for his work with this group. One guy that's standing out in the absence of Carter Coughlin, who was in light pads doing work on the sidelines as he deals with tightness, is Tai'yon Devers. He's filled into his body really well and has maintained his speed. He along with Boye Mafe and Esezi Ottomewo should really add to a Minnesota pass rush that's needed reinforcements.
Linebackers:
I didn't watch this group a whole lot today. Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin ran with the ones, Thomas Rush and Josh Aune were with the twos, and Sori-Marin and Braelen Oliver were with the threes. Thomas Rush and Sori-Marin both had interceptions today. Thomas Rush is legit and should fight for playing time. He's a good athlete and has the size to play right now. He could be tough to keep off the field. Something that I've been surprised by is the emergence of St. Paul star Josh Aune at the linebacker position. He had several sacks late in the night and seems comfortable in blitzing situations. Donald Willis and James Gordon are two that I'm really high on that will redshirt this year. Both look the part and have good speed. They're going to benefit a lot from being able to redshirt and watch a talented veteran group ahead of them.
Defensive backs:
CB: Terell Smith, Phillip Howard or Ben St. Juste
sCB: Chris Williamson, Justus Harris, Solomon Brown
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Calvin Swenson, CJ Smith
S: Jordan Howden, Benny Sapp or Tyler Nubin
CB: Coney Durr or Kiondre Thomas,
The top three corners are Durr, Thomas, and Smith so those are interchangeable. Howard got some reps with the one's but I think he's the number five guy. He's getting shots to earn a spot in the rotation but I think St. Juste is much better in man coverage. I was impressed with the Michigan transfer again, but not as much so as last time. He didn't have a bad day, but he really impressed last open period. Kiondre Thoams has been a big discussion as of late on the board. I've been very high on him in the past, and during the season he hasn't necessarily shown that. Well, we're back here again. I think Thomas could be the best Gopher corner if he stays consistent and translates his play to games. Minnesota will not see a better receivers group on their schedule than he sees every day in practice. That's one reason I'm more comfortable going in on him now. Tyler Nubin stole a few reps from Benny Sapp early in the day with the twos, but Sapp was with them for the rest of the time. Nubin is a great athlete with great instincts and ball skills. He looks like someone who's been here longer than he has. Antoine Winfield Jr. had a great interception on Tanner Morgan when he tried to go over the top to Tyler Johnson on the sidelines. Great play. Chris Williamson could be in for a big season also. He showed flashes at times, then was consistent when he stayed healthy the last third of last season. He does what he's been doing and he could be a future pro.
Special Teams:
PR: Douglas, Winfield, Johnson, Bateman,
KR: Douglas, CAB, Howard, Rodney Smith, Ibrahim
Quarterback:
Tanner Morgan led the one's all night, and he looked pretty solid throughout. There were a few times that he made some really nice throws, and a few times that he missed throws that I thought he should have made. He led a really nice drive that would have been 99 yards down to 1st and goal, but some problems with pass protection in close held them to a field goal. One thing I will say about Tanner is he is by far the most comfortable quarterback out there, and he should be. He has a nice command for the offense, and showed again tonight he can make some plays with his legs if he needs to. He missed on some deep balls today, but when he took a shot the defense didn't have a chance at the ball either. Cole Kramer had a solid day today. There was one point during one-on-one's that he threw two picks in three passes and the other got knocked away, but I don't put all the blame on him for that. I thought he had a good day, honestly. He has a better arm than I previously gave him credit for. One thing I think he needs to improve on is his pocket presence. He really hasn't had too much experience standing in a pocket with the offense he played in at Eden Prairie so that's something that can be built on in time. Jacob Clark is still learning the offense and getting comfortable. You see him right now and he's not quite there yet in terms of being consistent with every rep. Sometimes, though, he makes a throw and you see how good he can be. Today, his best throw was an over the shoulder pass that landed right in Seth Green's hands for a 20-yard gain and a first down.
Running Back:
You just see it in flashes right now, but I'm really excited to see Rodney Smith play football again. Gopher fans should be excited to see him out on the field one last season. Mo Ibrahim is running hard. Yards after contact is a stat that Mo excels at. Even when he hits a pile, he seems to take it 2-3-4 yards extra. With that, a 3-yard run can turn into 5 or 6. Bryce Williams got reps with the ones today during their short scrimmages, but they were passing situations for the most part and he only got a few touches. During individual drills, he looked more comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield than I saw last year. Trey Potts is going to redshirt this year, but I would really like to see him make the most of his four games. He looks dynamic with the ball in his hands. Whether it's catching the ball out of the backfield, taking a hand-off, or returning a kick, he's someone Gopher fans should be excited about. The other freshman back Cam Wiley is still raw, but he's got the size and speed of a legit Big Ten back. He's got a little bit further to go than Potts to getting on the field, but Minnesota has a great athlete in Wiley.
Wide Receiver:
Today was much of the same, in terms of Tyler Johnson getting what he wants. He's so good on his routes. He burned Antoine Winfield Jr. on one play in one-on-ones on such a clean route and it ended with a catch on the sideline. The slant was still giving the defenses fits today, but there was one in the end zone that fell through his hands. Coach Simon let him hear about that a little afterwards. It's fun to watch the progress Rashod Bateman is making. His feet are so quick in-and-out of his routes. Tyler Johnson will remain the alpha this year, but Bateman is not far behind at all. Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas are behind them as the three and four receivers, but they're the best third and fourth receivers that Minnesota has had in a very long time.
Tight End:
Not a whole lot of Tight End targets today. One did go for a touchdown from Jacob Clark to Brevyn Spann-Ford on a play-action dump up the seam for about 20 yards. They're used a lot on blocking situations in helping out the left tackle. It takes away from the tight end passing game when they need to help out one side of the line to stop the pass rush.
Offensive Line:
Left Tackle: Sam Schleuter, Jason Dickson, Ben Davis
Left Gaurd: Blaise Andries, Axel Ruschmeyer, Tyler Cooper
Center: Connor Olsen, John Michael-Schmitz, Nathan Boe
Right Guard: Curtis Dunlap, Austin Beier, Nate Umlor
Right Tackle: Daniel Faalele, Kyle Sassack, JJ Guedet
I'm worried about Left Tackle for Minnesota. Sam Schlueter got beat and so did Jason Dickson. If it's a battle, I'm going with Schlueter as the winner as of right now. Dickson's feet aren't great, and he often has a hard time kicking back far enough against speed rushers. Schlueter looks improved, but there were times that a good speed rush or good inside move just torched him. One, in particular, was on a beautiful outside fake, inside spin by Boye Mafe for a sack. Minnesota will be okay with Schlueter at LT, but I wonder if Andries is going to get any looks there to possibly maximize the line's potential.
Defensive Line:
DE: Tai'Yon Devers, Boye Mafe
DT: Sam Renner, Mayan Ahanotu or Keonte Schad
DT: Micah Dew-Treadway, Jamaal Teague
DE: Winston DeLattiboudere, Esezi Ottomewo
It's easy to see how far along the pass rush for Minnesota has come since last year. Credit Coach Panagos for his work with this group. One guy that's standing out in the absence of Carter Coughlin, who was in light pads doing work on the sidelines as he deals with tightness, is Tai'yon Devers. He's filled into his body really well and has maintained his speed. He along with Boye Mafe and Esezi Ottomewo should really add to a Minnesota pass rush that's needed reinforcements.
Linebackers:
I didn't watch this group a whole lot today. Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin ran with the ones, Thomas Rush and Josh Aune were with the twos, and Sori-Marin and Braelen Oliver were with the threes. Thomas Rush and Sori-Marin both had interceptions today. Thomas Rush is legit and should fight for playing time. He's a good athlete and has the size to play right now. He could be tough to keep off the field. Something that I've been surprised by is the emergence of St. Paul star Josh Aune at the linebacker position. He had several sacks late in the night and seems comfortable in blitzing situations. Donald Willis and James Gordon are two that I'm really high on that will redshirt this year. Both look the part and have good speed. They're going to benefit a lot from being able to redshirt and watch a talented veteran group ahead of them.
Defensive backs:
CB: Terell Smith, Phillip Howard or Ben St. Juste
sCB: Chris Williamson, Justus Harris, Solomon Brown
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Calvin Swenson, CJ Smith
S: Jordan Howden, Benny Sapp or Tyler Nubin
CB: Coney Durr or Kiondre Thomas,
The top three corners are Durr, Thomas, and Smith so those are interchangeable. Howard got some reps with the one's but I think he's the number five guy. He's getting shots to earn a spot in the rotation but I think St. Juste is much better in man coverage. I was impressed with the Michigan transfer again, but not as much so as last time. He didn't have a bad day, but he really impressed last open period. Kiondre Thoams has been a big discussion as of late on the board. I've been very high on him in the past, and during the season he hasn't necessarily shown that. Well, we're back here again. I think Thomas could be the best Gopher corner if he stays consistent and translates his play to games. Minnesota will not see a better receivers group on their schedule than he sees every day in practice. That's one reason I'm more comfortable going in on him now. Tyler Nubin stole a few reps from Benny Sapp early in the day with the twos, but Sapp was with them for the rest of the time. Nubin is a great athlete with great instincts and ball skills. He looks like someone who's been here longer than he has. Antoine Winfield Jr. had a great interception on Tanner Morgan when he tried to go over the top to Tyler Johnson on the sidelines. Great play. Chris Williamson could be in for a big season also. He showed flashes at times, then was consistent when he stayed healthy the last third of last season. He does what he's been doing and he could be a future pro.
Special Teams:
PR: Douglas, Winfield, Johnson, Bateman,
KR: Douglas, CAB, Howard, Rodney Smith, Ibrahim
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