Another solid crowd at Bierman for the Gophers third open practice of the fall. It was smaller than Saturday but that was expected for a 3:30 p.m. weekday practice. I would say 200-300 in attendance.
A couple injuries occurred today on the practice field and Minnesota may have lost one guy that they really can't afford to. I didn't see what happened, but Antoine Winfield Jr. was carted off the field early in practice after competing in red zone 7/7 drills. He tweaked his hamstring, not sure how long he will be out. Freshman wide receiver Chris Autman Bell also left practice early. I did not see why, however. One minute he was snatching a touchdown over the Minnesota defense in red zone drills and the next he was not on the practice field.
Non-Participants:
-OT Sam Schlueter was wearing a jersey and pants but no pads, undisclosed injury.
-WR Mark Williams had a walking boot on still.
-OT Garrison Wright in full pads but did not participate, should be ready to go next week.
-DE Noah Hickcox was in a walking boot.
Limited Participants:
-Coney Durr is running around a little bit but still has that big, bulky knee brace on. He was doing special teams work on the side with freshman corner Rey Estes and Florida transfer Chris Williamson, who just arrived in Minnesota and practiced today for the first time.
Today's practice was filled with many different situational drills and technique work by the position groups early on. The DB's and WR's did one on one's near the goal line, the offensive line was working on double teams/pulling/foot work and the LB and DL were practicing field goal blocks, pass rushing, etc.
Offense:
Rhoda and Croft split the 1st team QB reps today and it was almost perfectly even with how often they were able to work with the starters. There was a ton of mixing personnel though with the receivers and running backs on the first and second team. Coach Fleck must be trying to build the chemistry with the QB's and all the different receivers they will be throwing to this year. I can confirm neither Gentry or Register was on the practice field today.
1st Team:
QB: Croft/Rhoda
RB: Smith/Brooks
TE: Wozniak/Lingen
LT: Greene
LG: Olson
C: Weyler
RG: Calhoun
RT: Connelly
WR: Still
WR: Johnson
WR: Carter
2nd Team:
QB: Croft/Rhoda
RB: McCrary
TE: Kieft/Witham
LT: Sassack
LG: Davis
C: Dovich
RG: Oseland
RT: Andries
WR: Bell (pre-injury)/Reger
WR: Douglas
WR: Holland
Offensive Standouts:
I thought that Nate Wozniak had a really nice day today. He is obviously a huge target and showed excellent hands on a contested out route throw from Croft where he snatched it out of the air from Coughlin and rumbled in for a 26 yard touchdown much to the delight of the crowd. He is so strong on the line too and created several running lanes for the running backs with his ability to seal off the edge. Nate is a guy that has gotten better every year and impressed me today.
I liked what I saw from the second team offensive line today. Kyle Sassack is only a true freshman and because of the Schlueter injury got plenty of reps at left tackle today and held his own. Ben Davis had a beautiful block in full team drills when he was asked to pull on a running play for freshman Mo Ibrahim. During a full team drive at the end, the line gave Demry plenty of time as he scanned the field and lofted a perfect 25 yard fade to Matt Morse for a touchdown.
At wide receiver Tyler Johnson shined once again with his route running and ability to make touch catches in traffic. One time Croft hit him up the seam for 15 yards in tight coverage as he was hit by Jacob Huff but still held on. Melvin Holland also ran a terrific 15 yard dig route and Croft hit him in the middle of zone coverage for a big gain. Brandon Lingen and Ko Kieft made catches off of play action during today's practice. Kieft looks like he has put on some good weight from last season and is a legit 250 and runs well. Tight ends had a good day catching the ball.
Top Offensive Plays of the Day:
-During a 7/7 red zone drill early in practice, Tyler Johnson made an excellent catch on a pass in the endzone from Conor Rhoda. He outjumped his man and held on in traffic.
-Also during that same drill, Croft hit Autman Bell on a seam route over the middle and he beat his man to the ball, leaping high in the air for a difficult touchdown catch. The freshman continues to shine and consistently wins the one on one battles.
-Croft hits Tyler Johnson in traffic during full team drills for a 15 yard completion.
-Melvin Holland dig route for a big gain, Demry fits it into a tight window.
-Rhoda read option keeper on third and 10, defense is fooled and Conor runs for a 23 yard touchdown while offensive side of field erupts.
-Demry hits Matt Morse on double move for touchdown on perfectly placed fade down right sideline.
-Seth Green rolls out of pocket in offense/defense drills and hits Kieft for big gain down right sideline.
QB Battle:
-Both QB's had their ups and downs today. Didn't see any interceptions from either but Rhoda did throw a bad pitch to London during full team drills and the defense recovered the fumble.
-Demry was not as sharp as he was Saturday. During the first red zone drill he missed Howard on an outroute, overshot Kieft on a flag route, and had a pass for Holland get batted away by Ayinde.
-Seth Greene received limited reps today and Tanner Morgan didn't get any at all. I think the staff really wants to settle the QB battle and gave Rhoda and Croft a majority of the reps.
-Rhoda still didn't take many chances downfield. He is usually accurate on button hooks and short crossing routes but you can't help but ask why he isn't trying to let his receivers go up and make plays like Croft does.
-Demry performed better in the last couple drives of practice and finished with the passing TD to Morse and a 5 yard rushing touchdown as well.
Offensive Line:
-Same starters as last time, but one possession at the end Fleck called out Blaise Andries to replace Connelly at right tackle, just because he wanted to see the freshman go against first teamers. Loved to see his confidence in Andries and he held his own.
-Up and down day for these guys overall but it's still tough to judge when there isn't full tackling.
-Love the way Weyler and Olson were creating holes in the middle for the backs to get through.
Running Backs:
-The coaching staff knows what Smith and Brooks can do, and they didn't get too many reps today. Smith and Brooks each broke big runs through the middle early in practice though.
-McCrary has nice vision and showed that off today by making tight cuts during a couple zone read plays. Looks to be a step quicker than last year.
-Mo Ibrahim is higher up on the depth chart than Dominik London right now, but both got reps today. Ibrahim is a bit quicker than London and had a couple tough runs up the middle. Both will more than likely redshirt.
Tight Ends:
-I really like what Minnesota has at this position. Lingen, Wozniak, and Kieft have all shown the ability to affect the passing game. Witham and Paulson are right behind these guys, but Paulson didn't get a ton of reps today. He is still learning but will certainly be a very good player down the road. He was called out today by the coaching staff when he fumbled during the "ball is the program" drill.
Wide Receivers:
-Rashad Still didn't have a great day today. He really struggled to get open when guarded by Antonio Shenualt, which was basically the whole practice. He caught one drag route today but that was really it.
-Melvin Holland and Tyler Johnson had the best days catching the ball today and each made a couple big plays going down the field. Holland got first team reps when Still was asked to get off the field for having poor body language and also when Still got up limping one time after an imcomplete pass.
-Will Reger is a walk-on that got reps with the second team today while Bell was injured but didn't have anything thrown his way.
-Eric Carter is still running with the first team but didn't have any balls come his way today. He still isn't getting a ton of separation in his routes and Thomas was all over him today.
-Douglas continues to impress with his smooth routes and reliable hands. He also got reps with the first team and has been the guy getting the jet sweep attempts when he is put in motion.
Defense:
Lots of different bodies were rotating in on defense today and you can tell that had an affect on the productivity of the offense at times. Coach Fleck called out the "Tiger" package a few times and I think Gopher fans will love to see this. It comes on obvious passing situations and involves a ton of pass rushers. On one third and ten, I saw Cashman, Waters, Devers, Barber, Huff and Gibson all in the game and it was essentially a jailbreak blitz and Rhoda was sacked. They tried it again and he had to throw it away. This pressure from all of Minnesota's pass rushers will be huge to have on the field and to lighten the load on the secondary.
The 1st/2nd Team defenses were pretty fluid today with all the different packages being tried and trying to find the right combinations. Steve Richardson did not get many reps today as the staff knows what he can do. So no one is taking his place but the staff wanted to see other guys in there. Cody Poock also got almost all of the first team reps at linebacker next to Jon Celestin.
1st Team:
DE: DeLattiboudere
DT: Richardson/Stelter
DT: Jackson
Rush End: Coughlin
LB: Poock
LB: Celestin
Nickel: Winfield (pre-injury)/Ayinde
CB: Shenault
CB: Thomas
S: Huff
S: McGhee
2nd Team:
DE: Gibson
DT: Moore
DT: Silver/O.J. Smith
Rush End: Devers/Martin
LB: Cashman
LB: Barber
Nickel: Harris
CB: Estes
CB: Craighton
S: Handy Holly
S: Calvin Swenson
Defensive Standouts:
-Number one has to be Antonio Shenault. It's like he is running the routes for Rashad Still at times. He constantly is going up against Rashad and I didn't see him lose one battle today, he also had multiple breakups. He is trending UP.
-Gary Moore had a nice day in the middle. He is playing with a high motor and getting in the backfield a good amount. He also burst through the line and batted a Rhoda pass right into the ground.
-Handy Holly had another solid day. He is covering well and had two breakups in red zone drills against the second team. He nearly picked off Croft with one hand in the end zone but couldn't hold on.
-Winston DeLattiboudere seems to be holding up well against the run and made a few plays in the backfield to stop the run.
-Duke McGhee continues to show improvement in coverage. He had two pass breakups on red zone 1/1's against the receivers and is showing great instincts from his safety spot. They will need his senior leadership this season.
-Chris Williamson only competed in 1/1 red zone drills and in his first one showed his athleticism and ball skills by coming down with an interception. Welcome to Minnesota, Chris.
Defensive Line:
-Lots of moving parts today but love that the coaching staff is getting tons of players reps. Jackson and Richardson are a dynamic duo in the middle and Winston/Devers have both gotten bigger to try and hold up in the run game. Gary Moore and Stelter provide depth at the second team and O.J. Smith impressed during his one series today by getting in the backfield and stuffing London on a second down run.
-No reps today for guys like freshmen Shirck, Otomewo, Mafe, or Robinson. All four will likely redshirt with Robinson probably being the most likely to play. Noah Hickcox was out with a foot injury.
-Devers is so quick off the line and has definitely added weight, especially in his upper body. Him and Kamal Martin are the two best pass rushers Minnesota has off the edge in my opinion.
Linebackers:
-Poock and Celestin are the first team guys and Gopher fans should feel very comfortable with that. Poock looked really fast today and seemed to be everywhere the ball was.
-Cashman, Barber, and Martin got a lot of run with the second team. It's difficult to tell at times who is playing linebacker and who is playing rush end. There are just athletes everywhere and Robb Smith loves to switch things up to keep the defense off balance.
-Julian Huff and Jaylen Waters each got reps in the "Tiger" package with all the pass rushers on the field. Waters was called out for offsides at one point in a crucial third and long, which the coaching staff was not happy about.
-Freshman Trenton Guthrie will most certainly redshirt with all the bodies Minnesota has there right now.
Cornerbacks:
-As I mentioned before, Shenault was elite today and Thomas was rarely tested on the other side of the field. Most passes completed today against the first team defense came up the seam to Tyler Johnson or on play action to the tight ends.
-I saw pass breakups from Craighton, Harris, McGhee, and Jacob Huff today. Right now Alonzo Craighton is Minnesota's third best corner with Durr still out and he will certainly see playing time this year.
-Rey Estes is a really good athlete but was burned badly on a double move by Morse for a Touchdown. He still needs to put on weight and could for sure use a redshirt, but he is pretty dang close to seeing playing time if injuries were to happen.
Safeties:
-McGhee had the best day of the first team safeties today, with Handy Holly continuing to impress with the second team.
-The injury to Winfield caused Ayinde to play the nickel today and he made a great play to bat away a slant to Holland during a red zone drill.
-Walk-on Calvin Swenson got all the second team reps with Handy Holly today and is one more injury away from seeing serious playing time.
Kicking:
-Throughout practice at random times, Coach Fleck will yell out the special teams has 25 seconds to get set to kick a field goal, and they all have to sprint to get into place for what is usually a 35-50 yard field goal.
-Last year's Big Ten kicker of the year Emmit Carpenter was probably 5/6 today and his miss came just left of the uprights from 40 yards out.
To end practice today after the "ball is the program" drill, Coach Fleck called Santoso out to punt to three different staff members individually. The first two could not catch the punt and the team had to do two extra sprints across the field. Finally, the third staff member caught one of the punts and practice ended. It was a fun way to end practice and the players didn't seem to mind as it got more staff members involved and the crowd loved it!
Let me know if there are any more questions about practice today and I will try to answer!
A couple injuries occurred today on the practice field and Minnesota may have lost one guy that they really can't afford to. I didn't see what happened, but Antoine Winfield Jr. was carted off the field early in practice after competing in red zone 7/7 drills. He tweaked his hamstring, not sure how long he will be out. Freshman wide receiver Chris Autman Bell also left practice early. I did not see why, however. One minute he was snatching a touchdown over the Minnesota defense in red zone drills and the next he was not on the practice field.
Non-Participants:
-OT Sam Schlueter was wearing a jersey and pants but no pads, undisclosed injury.
-WR Mark Williams had a walking boot on still.
-OT Garrison Wright in full pads but did not participate, should be ready to go next week.
-DE Noah Hickcox was in a walking boot.
Limited Participants:
-Coney Durr is running around a little bit but still has that big, bulky knee brace on. He was doing special teams work on the side with freshman corner Rey Estes and Florida transfer Chris Williamson, who just arrived in Minnesota and practiced today for the first time.
Today's practice was filled with many different situational drills and technique work by the position groups early on. The DB's and WR's did one on one's near the goal line, the offensive line was working on double teams/pulling/foot work and the LB and DL were practicing field goal blocks, pass rushing, etc.
Offense:
Rhoda and Croft split the 1st team QB reps today and it was almost perfectly even with how often they were able to work with the starters. There was a ton of mixing personnel though with the receivers and running backs on the first and second team. Coach Fleck must be trying to build the chemistry with the QB's and all the different receivers they will be throwing to this year. I can confirm neither Gentry or Register was on the practice field today.
1st Team:
QB: Croft/Rhoda
RB: Smith/Brooks
TE: Wozniak/Lingen
LT: Greene
LG: Olson
C: Weyler
RG: Calhoun
RT: Connelly
WR: Still
WR: Johnson
WR: Carter
2nd Team:
QB: Croft/Rhoda
RB: McCrary
TE: Kieft/Witham
LT: Sassack
LG: Davis
C: Dovich
RG: Oseland
RT: Andries
WR: Bell (pre-injury)/Reger
WR: Douglas
WR: Holland
Offensive Standouts:
I thought that Nate Wozniak had a really nice day today. He is obviously a huge target and showed excellent hands on a contested out route throw from Croft where he snatched it out of the air from Coughlin and rumbled in for a 26 yard touchdown much to the delight of the crowd. He is so strong on the line too and created several running lanes for the running backs with his ability to seal off the edge. Nate is a guy that has gotten better every year and impressed me today.
I liked what I saw from the second team offensive line today. Kyle Sassack is only a true freshman and because of the Schlueter injury got plenty of reps at left tackle today and held his own. Ben Davis had a beautiful block in full team drills when he was asked to pull on a running play for freshman Mo Ibrahim. During a full team drive at the end, the line gave Demry plenty of time as he scanned the field and lofted a perfect 25 yard fade to Matt Morse for a touchdown.
At wide receiver Tyler Johnson shined once again with his route running and ability to make touch catches in traffic. One time Croft hit him up the seam for 15 yards in tight coverage as he was hit by Jacob Huff but still held on. Melvin Holland also ran a terrific 15 yard dig route and Croft hit him in the middle of zone coverage for a big gain. Brandon Lingen and Ko Kieft made catches off of play action during today's practice. Kieft looks like he has put on some good weight from last season and is a legit 250 and runs well. Tight ends had a good day catching the ball.
Top Offensive Plays of the Day:
-During a 7/7 red zone drill early in practice, Tyler Johnson made an excellent catch on a pass in the endzone from Conor Rhoda. He outjumped his man and held on in traffic.
-Also during that same drill, Croft hit Autman Bell on a seam route over the middle and he beat his man to the ball, leaping high in the air for a difficult touchdown catch. The freshman continues to shine and consistently wins the one on one battles.
-Croft hits Tyler Johnson in traffic during full team drills for a 15 yard completion.
-Melvin Holland dig route for a big gain, Demry fits it into a tight window.
-Rhoda read option keeper on third and 10, defense is fooled and Conor runs for a 23 yard touchdown while offensive side of field erupts.
-Demry hits Matt Morse on double move for touchdown on perfectly placed fade down right sideline.
-Seth Green rolls out of pocket in offense/defense drills and hits Kieft for big gain down right sideline.
QB Battle:
-Both QB's had their ups and downs today. Didn't see any interceptions from either but Rhoda did throw a bad pitch to London during full team drills and the defense recovered the fumble.
-Demry was not as sharp as he was Saturday. During the first red zone drill he missed Howard on an outroute, overshot Kieft on a flag route, and had a pass for Holland get batted away by Ayinde.
-Seth Greene received limited reps today and Tanner Morgan didn't get any at all. I think the staff really wants to settle the QB battle and gave Rhoda and Croft a majority of the reps.
-Rhoda still didn't take many chances downfield. He is usually accurate on button hooks and short crossing routes but you can't help but ask why he isn't trying to let his receivers go up and make plays like Croft does.
-Demry performed better in the last couple drives of practice and finished with the passing TD to Morse and a 5 yard rushing touchdown as well.
Offensive Line:
-Same starters as last time, but one possession at the end Fleck called out Blaise Andries to replace Connelly at right tackle, just because he wanted to see the freshman go against first teamers. Loved to see his confidence in Andries and he held his own.
-Up and down day for these guys overall but it's still tough to judge when there isn't full tackling.
-Love the way Weyler and Olson were creating holes in the middle for the backs to get through.
Running Backs:
-The coaching staff knows what Smith and Brooks can do, and they didn't get too many reps today. Smith and Brooks each broke big runs through the middle early in practice though.
-McCrary has nice vision and showed that off today by making tight cuts during a couple zone read plays. Looks to be a step quicker than last year.
-Mo Ibrahim is higher up on the depth chart than Dominik London right now, but both got reps today. Ibrahim is a bit quicker than London and had a couple tough runs up the middle. Both will more than likely redshirt.
Tight Ends:
-I really like what Minnesota has at this position. Lingen, Wozniak, and Kieft have all shown the ability to affect the passing game. Witham and Paulson are right behind these guys, but Paulson didn't get a ton of reps today. He is still learning but will certainly be a very good player down the road. He was called out today by the coaching staff when he fumbled during the "ball is the program" drill.
Wide Receivers:
-Rashad Still didn't have a great day today. He really struggled to get open when guarded by Antonio Shenualt, which was basically the whole practice. He caught one drag route today but that was really it.
-Melvin Holland and Tyler Johnson had the best days catching the ball today and each made a couple big plays going down the field. Holland got first team reps when Still was asked to get off the field for having poor body language and also when Still got up limping one time after an imcomplete pass.
-Will Reger is a walk-on that got reps with the second team today while Bell was injured but didn't have anything thrown his way.
-Eric Carter is still running with the first team but didn't have any balls come his way today. He still isn't getting a ton of separation in his routes and Thomas was all over him today.
-Douglas continues to impress with his smooth routes and reliable hands. He also got reps with the first team and has been the guy getting the jet sweep attempts when he is put in motion.
Defense:
Lots of different bodies were rotating in on defense today and you can tell that had an affect on the productivity of the offense at times. Coach Fleck called out the "Tiger" package a few times and I think Gopher fans will love to see this. It comes on obvious passing situations and involves a ton of pass rushers. On one third and ten, I saw Cashman, Waters, Devers, Barber, Huff and Gibson all in the game and it was essentially a jailbreak blitz and Rhoda was sacked. They tried it again and he had to throw it away. This pressure from all of Minnesota's pass rushers will be huge to have on the field and to lighten the load on the secondary.
The 1st/2nd Team defenses were pretty fluid today with all the different packages being tried and trying to find the right combinations. Steve Richardson did not get many reps today as the staff knows what he can do. So no one is taking his place but the staff wanted to see other guys in there. Cody Poock also got almost all of the first team reps at linebacker next to Jon Celestin.
1st Team:
DE: DeLattiboudere
DT: Richardson/Stelter
DT: Jackson
Rush End: Coughlin
LB: Poock
LB: Celestin
Nickel: Winfield (pre-injury)/Ayinde
CB: Shenault
CB: Thomas
S: Huff
S: McGhee
2nd Team:
DE: Gibson
DT: Moore
DT: Silver/O.J. Smith
Rush End: Devers/Martin
LB: Cashman
LB: Barber
Nickel: Harris
CB: Estes
CB: Craighton
S: Handy Holly
S: Calvin Swenson
Defensive Standouts:
-Number one has to be Antonio Shenault. It's like he is running the routes for Rashad Still at times. He constantly is going up against Rashad and I didn't see him lose one battle today, he also had multiple breakups. He is trending UP.
-Gary Moore had a nice day in the middle. He is playing with a high motor and getting in the backfield a good amount. He also burst through the line and batted a Rhoda pass right into the ground.
-Handy Holly had another solid day. He is covering well and had two breakups in red zone drills against the second team. He nearly picked off Croft with one hand in the end zone but couldn't hold on.
-Winston DeLattiboudere seems to be holding up well against the run and made a few plays in the backfield to stop the run.
-Duke McGhee continues to show improvement in coverage. He had two pass breakups on red zone 1/1's against the receivers and is showing great instincts from his safety spot. They will need his senior leadership this season.
-Chris Williamson only competed in 1/1 red zone drills and in his first one showed his athleticism and ball skills by coming down with an interception. Welcome to Minnesota, Chris.
Defensive Line:
-Lots of moving parts today but love that the coaching staff is getting tons of players reps. Jackson and Richardson are a dynamic duo in the middle and Winston/Devers have both gotten bigger to try and hold up in the run game. Gary Moore and Stelter provide depth at the second team and O.J. Smith impressed during his one series today by getting in the backfield and stuffing London on a second down run.
-No reps today for guys like freshmen Shirck, Otomewo, Mafe, or Robinson. All four will likely redshirt with Robinson probably being the most likely to play. Noah Hickcox was out with a foot injury.
-Devers is so quick off the line and has definitely added weight, especially in his upper body. Him and Kamal Martin are the two best pass rushers Minnesota has off the edge in my opinion.
Linebackers:
-Poock and Celestin are the first team guys and Gopher fans should feel very comfortable with that. Poock looked really fast today and seemed to be everywhere the ball was.
-Cashman, Barber, and Martin got a lot of run with the second team. It's difficult to tell at times who is playing linebacker and who is playing rush end. There are just athletes everywhere and Robb Smith loves to switch things up to keep the defense off balance.
-Julian Huff and Jaylen Waters each got reps in the "Tiger" package with all the pass rushers on the field. Waters was called out for offsides at one point in a crucial third and long, which the coaching staff was not happy about.
-Freshman Trenton Guthrie will most certainly redshirt with all the bodies Minnesota has there right now.
Cornerbacks:
-As I mentioned before, Shenault was elite today and Thomas was rarely tested on the other side of the field. Most passes completed today against the first team defense came up the seam to Tyler Johnson or on play action to the tight ends.
-I saw pass breakups from Craighton, Harris, McGhee, and Jacob Huff today. Right now Alonzo Craighton is Minnesota's third best corner with Durr still out and he will certainly see playing time this year.
-Rey Estes is a really good athlete but was burned badly on a double move by Morse for a Touchdown. He still needs to put on weight and could for sure use a redshirt, but he is pretty dang close to seeing playing time if injuries were to happen.
Safeties:
-McGhee had the best day of the first team safeties today, with Handy Holly continuing to impress with the second team.
-The injury to Winfield caused Ayinde to play the nickel today and he made a great play to bat away a slant to Holland during a red zone drill.
-Walk-on Calvin Swenson got all the second team reps with Handy Holly today and is one more injury away from seeing serious playing time.
Kicking:
-Throughout practice at random times, Coach Fleck will yell out the special teams has 25 seconds to get set to kick a field goal, and they all have to sprint to get into place for what is usually a 35-50 yard field goal.
-Last year's Big Ten kicker of the year Emmit Carpenter was probably 5/6 today and his miss came just left of the uprights from 40 yards out.
To end practice today after the "ball is the program" drill, Coach Fleck called Santoso out to punt to three different staff members individually. The first two could not catch the punt and the team had to do two extra sprints across the field. Finally, the third staff member caught one of the punts and practice ended. It was a fun way to end practice and the players didn't seem to mind as it got more staff members involved and the crowd loved it!
Let me know if there are any more questions about practice today and I will try to answer!
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