TLDR: Mitch threw the ball extremely well today, but his decision making caused two picks during the scrimmages. At running back, Rodrick and Rodney looked great, and Brooks and JFC got more carries than yesterday. The receivers looked great and were maybe the highlight of the day for me. Tight end is the same old story where Lingen and Wozniak look great, Nick Hart is emerging, and Duke Anyanwu isn't seeing the field for some reason. The offensive line was allowed to hit today, and the first team looked good run blocking. Gaelin Elmore and Winston DeLattiboudere both had great days. The linebackers and defensive backs are obviously talented and deep.
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Today's visitors at practice were Marshall tackle Blaise Andries, who came with his family, and Sam Schlueter. Other visitors were Jeff Borchardt, Beth Goetz, and Chris Werle.
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Quarterbacks
Mitch threw the ball very well today, especially deep. The quarterbacks really hadn't worked much on deep passes until today, and man did Leidner impress. Just about every throw was catchable with many of them being right on the money or in stride. Timing was phenomenal for it being just the third day of camp. Very, very impressive. Mitch did throw two interceptions in the scrimmage portion, though. Those two picks can be put in the "decision making" category, rather than a bad throw. He threw the ball very well today. The thing with Mitch is that he never has a great spiral, but he can get the ball where he wants it to go. A lot of Mitch's bad throws in fall camp so far have come on the easiest throws. He was consistenly making excellent 35 yard throws today, but also was overthrew a running back on a 10 yard wheel route and yesterday wobbled a 15 yard pass into the dirt. It's those throws that make me think it's just a mental or focus issue. All in all, Mitch was impressive throwing the ball, though. Definitely his best day yet, and if he throws like he did today this year, Gopher fans will be happy. Decision making needs to take another step forward, but the accuracy was there today.
The rest of the quarterbacks were good as well. I like Jacques Perra right now more than Conor Rhoda. Perra has a bit tighter spiral and can get a bit more zip. He was a little bit more accurate today. Demry Croft had another good day and made the needed throws.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's the #2 QB this year if he's caught up to speed on the Xs and Os side. That being said, I'm sure the staff wants to keep a redshirt on him too.
Chris Streveler has looked good in drills three days in a row now. Today during the scrimmage portion, he stared down a receiver and didn't make the best pass, which caused a Duke McGhee pick six. But all in all, I didn't think it was a bad day for Chris. He has a strong arm and big legs. Of the four of five runs that could have gone all the way throughout the first three practices, Chris I think has had two of them. He also took a couple reps at receiver today but not many. I don't remember him playing receiver at all in 7v7s or 11v11s in any of the three practices. He's the #2 quarterback, and it doesn't really make sense to move him.
Running Backs
Rodrick had another good day, and I think he'll be the main back this season. Rodney Smith and Berkley Edwards will get their share of carries too, but through three practices, Rodrick looks the best. I'd like to see Rodney get some carries with the first string offensive line, though. A lot of times Rodney doesn't have anywhere to go once he gets the ball because the second team offensive line wasn't opening up any holes. David Cobb is a comparison that has been used a lot before for Rodney, and I think it's a good comparsion for many reasons. Today, Cobb came in my hand when Rodney kind of bounced of and eluded defenders. He has a knack for running around defenders, rather than through them. In the same way as David Cobb, he just kind of shakes them in a subtle way, so not with a jump cut or any big juke.
James Johannesson got the most reps yesterday, but today Shannon Brooks and Jonathan Femi-Cole got more carries. Brooks is quick and shifty, but pretty small. He has good hands, and I faintly remember him playing some slot, but I might be wrong about that. Femi-Cole is big, strong, and looks like a Big Ten back. He runs upright, similar to Adrian Peterson. I didn't get to see a whole to of Femi-Cole though because he wasn't getting big holes. Didn't get a chance to showcase much past the line of scrimmage.
Receivers
Wide receivers were probably the highlight of practice. Yesterday there were several drops on routine passes, but that certainly wasn't the case today. Like I said, Mitch gave the receivers a chance to make a play, and the receivers were coming down with the ball against the talented defensive backs.
All of the young receivers impressed today. Isaiah Gentry shook up Damarius Travis for a deep touchdown in drills today. Hunter Register had a spectacular catch where he caught a ball over his head while falling backwards on a pass that was heavily contested by Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and his helmet ended up popping off from all the contact. Jeff Jones has great hands and is just a playmaker. In two different instances today, he dragged his feet to finish the reception. Rashad Still is super thin, but he absorbs contact pretty well and is able to hang onto the ball despite a lot of contact. Good hands.
Louis Tuszynski was the impressive walk-on receiver the past two days, but today that honor goes to Brian Smith. Brian was great in the drills part of camp and was rewarded by getting a series with the first team in 11v11. EJ Sardinha is another walk-on that impressed. His routes looked good. Adam Mayer also made a couple plays today.
Eric Carter was another receiver who had a great day. He's quick, even if his straight-line speed isn't great. Hands have been a problem before for him, but they've looked good through three days. I can't remember any drops on catchable passes. He was being a leader and giving freshman some tips.
The young guys need to work on their routes. Anderson was working with Hunter Register on staying low in and out of his breaks. Kill got on Melvin Holland for running the wrong route. Just a couple things like that today that's expected from young players.
There's usually not a lot to say from cone drills, but one thing actually worth noting is the athleticism and agility of these freshman receivers. They all have quicker feet than a guy like Drew Wolitarsky, despite being several inches taller.
Tight Ends
At tight end, it's the same story that's been said in my first two practice reports. Brandon Lingen and Nate Wozniak have done really well. Lingen did several things last year, but in high school I think was more of a blocker. He's going to be a do-it-all tight end for the Gophers. His hands and routes have really come along. During the drill portion he actually tripped up Dior Johnson while running a route, which drew up a big reaction from the players watching. Nick Hart is getting a lot of reps and looks like he'll definitely be a contributor at some point.
Duke Anyanwu just looks like a beast physically. He's added weight and moves well, certainly looks like a Big Ten tight end.
Limegrover said after practice today that Lincoln Plsek hasn't been getting a lot of reps just because they already know what he can do.
Noah Scarver has a Big Ten-ready body, but is still pretty raw running routes. A couple of times today Reeves gave Scarver feedback on his routes.
Offensive Lineman
During the drill portion, Limegrover seems to be doing more teaching than the other coaches have been doing at their respective positions. Since the line is a collective effort, that makes sense. Need to get the freshman caught up to speed on technique, terminology, scheme, etc.
The lines got to hit today for the first time. I was expecting the defensive line to dominate because the defense is usually further along at this point. The first string offensive line more than held their own, though, especially in the run game. Pass protection struggled a bit, as there were quite a bit of sacks.
Tyler Moore is further along than the other freshman, just because he was here for spring practice. He's physical at the point of attack, but Limegrover got on him today for not running through and finishing his block.
Defensive Lineman
The two breakout guys on the line today were Gaelin Elmore and Winston DeLattiboudere. Elmore honestly still looks like a stronger-than-average receiver. Maybe I'm wrong, but his frame honestly looks like it could still add 20 pounds. Towards the end of practice, he was getting the best of Quinn Oseland and got pressure on the quarterback on just about every snap in that series.
After DeLattiboudere committed, I think we were all thinking "how could a guy with his production in high school slip away with no other power five offers?" I don't know. He's much bigger than the 215 pounds he was in high school. He's strong for 235 pounds as well -- laid Femi-Cole on his butt when he tried to block him. He caused quite a bit of havoc today.
Linebackers
The linebackers looked good today. Like I said, the first team offense was able to get some holes for Rodrick, but the linebackers always seemed to be there to clean things up. This group is just so stable and not a lot of mistakes are made, even from a sophomore like Everett Williams. Williams and Poock I think each got reps with the ones, but I think Williams spent the most time with the first team. Jack Lynn nearly jumped a Mitch Leidner pass and almost got a pick.
Defensive Backs
There were several big plays from the defensive backs today. Jalen Myrick stripped Desmond Gant in Briean Boddy Calhoun vs. Nebraska fashion. It was a deep ball, Gant caught it, causing the offense to erupt, but then as they fell, Myrick ended up with it, and then it was the defensive sideline that hoot and hollered.
Boddy-Calhoun made an athletic deflection on what would have been a Melvin Holland touchdown about 30 yards down field. Holland had Boddy-Calhoun, but BBC was able to turn back at the perfect moment and had just enough reach to get away, kind of in a diving way. Briean's a leader too (I think he's a captain, can't remember for sure.). He was talking a lot on the field and sideline, and I saw him gong out of his way to talk with Antonio Shenault several times.
The story on Ace Rogers when he committed was that he was versatile and a sure tackler for a safety. But what impressed me today was his coverage skills. He locked everyone up. Duke McGhee was great in coverage as well.
Special Teams
2 parts of camp today were dedicated to special teams, when I think before there's just been one. Not a whole ton to say about special teams, as today it was just drills and mostly teaching.
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I know there was a lot of comments after my last practice report, and I'm sorry I didn't get to them. I'll answer your questions here.
My bad, missed Jalen Myrick. Yeah, I guess I'd say he's a second team guy at field corner but also gets time with the ones in certain packages.
Hasn't been getting a lot of reps. I think Kill told Sid and Dave, or someone, that Duke was a little banged up. It must not be anything too serious though, because he has been getting a few reps. Just not many and none during 11v11s.
I didn't think Leidner had the best day yesterday, and neither did the two other writers I talked to. Everyone sees the same Mitch in 11v11s, but in 7v7s, there are multiple position groups doing different things, and during the drill portion each position group does their own drills. So it's also possible that Burns saw Mitch when he was really clicking in drills/7v7s, while I and the others I talked to were watching a different position and vice versa.
A shot put motion isn't necessarily the nicest or best way to describe his motion, but yes, he still has the same throwing motion that he did in his senior year highlights. It is a little funky, but he does have a quick release.
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Today's visitors at practice were Marshall tackle Blaise Andries, who came with his family, and Sam Schlueter. Other visitors were Jeff Borchardt, Beth Goetz, and Chris Werle.
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Quarterbacks
Mitch threw the ball very well today, especially deep. The quarterbacks really hadn't worked much on deep passes until today, and man did Leidner impress. Just about every throw was catchable with many of them being right on the money or in stride. Timing was phenomenal for it being just the third day of camp. Very, very impressive. Mitch did throw two interceptions in the scrimmage portion, though. Those two picks can be put in the "decision making" category, rather than a bad throw. He threw the ball very well today. The thing with Mitch is that he never has a great spiral, but he can get the ball where he wants it to go. A lot of Mitch's bad throws in fall camp so far have come on the easiest throws. He was consistenly making excellent 35 yard throws today, but also was overthrew a running back on a 10 yard wheel route and yesterday wobbled a 15 yard pass into the dirt. It's those throws that make me think it's just a mental or focus issue. All in all, Mitch was impressive throwing the ball, though. Definitely his best day yet, and if he throws like he did today this year, Gopher fans will be happy. Decision making needs to take another step forward, but the accuracy was there today.
The rest of the quarterbacks were good as well. I like Jacques Perra right now more than Conor Rhoda. Perra has a bit tighter spiral and can get a bit more zip. He was a little bit more accurate today. Demry Croft had another good day and made the needed throws.
I wouldn't be surprised if he's the #2 QB this year if he's caught up to speed on the Xs and Os side. That being said, I'm sure the staff wants to keep a redshirt on him too.
Chris Streveler has looked good in drills three days in a row now. Today during the scrimmage portion, he stared down a receiver and didn't make the best pass, which caused a Duke McGhee pick six. But all in all, I didn't think it was a bad day for Chris. He has a strong arm and big legs. Of the four of five runs that could have gone all the way throughout the first three practices, Chris I think has had two of them. He also took a couple reps at receiver today but not many. I don't remember him playing receiver at all in 7v7s or 11v11s in any of the three practices. He's the #2 quarterback, and it doesn't really make sense to move him.
Running Backs
Rodrick had another good day, and I think he'll be the main back this season. Rodney Smith and Berkley Edwards will get their share of carries too, but through three practices, Rodrick looks the best. I'd like to see Rodney get some carries with the first string offensive line, though. A lot of times Rodney doesn't have anywhere to go once he gets the ball because the second team offensive line wasn't opening up any holes. David Cobb is a comparison that has been used a lot before for Rodney, and I think it's a good comparsion for many reasons. Today, Cobb came in my hand when Rodney kind of bounced of and eluded defenders. He has a knack for running around defenders, rather than through them. In the same way as David Cobb, he just kind of shakes them in a subtle way, so not with a jump cut or any big juke.
James Johannesson got the most reps yesterday, but today Shannon Brooks and Jonathan Femi-Cole got more carries. Brooks is quick and shifty, but pretty small. He has good hands, and I faintly remember him playing some slot, but I might be wrong about that. Femi-Cole is big, strong, and looks like a Big Ten back. He runs upright, similar to Adrian Peterson. I didn't get to see a whole to of Femi-Cole though because he wasn't getting big holes. Didn't get a chance to showcase much past the line of scrimmage.
Receivers
Wide receivers were probably the highlight of practice. Yesterday there were several drops on routine passes, but that certainly wasn't the case today. Like I said, Mitch gave the receivers a chance to make a play, and the receivers were coming down with the ball against the talented defensive backs.
All of the young receivers impressed today. Isaiah Gentry shook up Damarius Travis for a deep touchdown in drills today. Hunter Register had a spectacular catch where he caught a ball over his head while falling backwards on a pass that was heavily contested by Briean Boddy-Calhoun, and his helmet ended up popping off from all the contact. Jeff Jones has great hands and is just a playmaker. In two different instances today, he dragged his feet to finish the reception. Rashad Still is super thin, but he absorbs contact pretty well and is able to hang onto the ball despite a lot of contact. Good hands.
Louis Tuszynski was the impressive walk-on receiver the past two days, but today that honor goes to Brian Smith. Brian was great in the drills part of camp and was rewarded by getting a series with the first team in 11v11. EJ Sardinha is another walk-on that impressed. His routes looked good. Adam Mayer also made a couple plays today.
Eric Carter was another receiver who had a great day. He's quick, even if his straight-line speed isn't great. Hands have been a problem before for him, but they've looked good through three days. I can't remember any drops on catchable passes. He was being a leader and giving freshman some tips.
The young guys need to work on their routes. Anderson was working with Hunter Register on staying low in and out of his breaks. Kill got on Melvin Holland for running the wrong route. Just a couple things like that today that's expected from young players.
There's usually not a lot to say from cone drills, but one thing actually worth noting is the athleticism and agility of these freshman receivers. They all have quicker feet than a guy like Drew Wolitarsky, despite being several inches taller.
Tight Ends
At tight end, it's the same story that's been said in my first two practice reports. Brandon Lingen and Nate Wozniak have done really well. Lingen did several things last year, but in high school I think was more of a blocker. He's going to be a do-it-all tight end for the Gophers. His hands and routes have really come along. During the drill portion he actually tripped up Dior Johnson while running a route, which drew up a big reaction from the players watching. Nick Hart is getting a lot of reps and looks like he'll definitely be a contributor at some point.
Duke Anyanwu just looks like a beast physically. He's added weight and moves well, certainly looks like a Big Ten tight end.
Limegrover said after practice today that Lincoln Plsek hasn't been getting a lot of reps just because they already know what he can do.
Noah Scarver has a Big Ten-ready body, but is still pretty raw running routes. A couple of times today Reeves gave Scarver feedback on his routes.
Offensive Lineman
During the drill portion, Limegrover seems to be doing more teaching than the other coaches have been doing at their respective positions. Since the line is a collective effort, that makes sense. Need to get the freshman caught up to speed on technique, terminology, scheme, etc.
The lines got to hit today for the first time. I was expecting the defensive line to dominate because the defense is usually further along at this point. The first string offensive line more than held their own, though, especially in the run game. Pass protection struggled a bit, as there were quite a bit of sacks.
Tyler Moore is further along than the other freshman, just because he was here for spring practice. He's physical at the point of attack, but Limegrover got on him today for not running through and finishing his block.
Defensive Lineman
The two breakout guys on the line today were Gaelin Elmore and Winston DeLattiboudere. Elmore honestly still looks like a stronger-than-average receiver. Maybe I'm wrong, but his frame honestly looks like it could still add 20 pounds. Towards the end of practice, he was getting the best of Quinn Oseland and got pressure on the quarterback on just about every snap in that series.
After DeLattiboudere committed, I think we were all thinking "how could a guy with his production in high school slip away with no other power five offers?" I don't know. He's much bigger than the 215 pounds he was in high school. He's strong for 235 pounds as well -- laid Femi-Cole on his butt when he tried to block him. He caused quite a bit of havoc today.
Linebackers
The linebackers looked good today. Like I said, the first team offense was able to get some holes for Rodrick, but the linebackers always seemed to be there to clean things up. This group is just so stable and not a lot of mistakes are made, even from a sophomore like Everett Williams. Williams and Poock I think each got reps with the ones, but I think Williams spent the most time with the first team. Jack Lynn nearly jumped a Mitch Leidner pass and almost got a pick.
Defensive Backs
There were several big plays from the defensive backs today. Jalen Myrick stripped Desmond Gant in Briean Boddy Calhoun vs. Nebraska fashion. It was a deep ball, Gant caught it, causing the offense to erupt, but then as they fell, Myrick ended up with it, and then it was the defensive sideline that hoot and hollered.
Boddy-Calhoun made an athletic deflection on what would have been a Melvin Holland touchdown about 30 yards down field. Holland had Boddy-Calhoun, but BBC was able to turn back at the perfect moment and had just enough reach to get away, kind of in a diving way. Briean's a leader too (I think he's a captain, can't remember for sure.). He was talking a lot on the field and sideline, and I saw him gong out of his way to talk with Antonio Shenault several times.
The story on Ace Rogers when he committed was that he was versatile and a sure tackler for a safety. But what impressed me today was his coverage skills. He locked everyone up. Duke McGhee was great in coverage as well.
Special Teams
2 parts of camp today were dedicated to special teams, when I think before there's just been one. Not a whole ton to say about special teams, as today it was just drills and mostly teaching.
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I know there was a lot of comments after my last practice report, and I'm sorry I didn't get to them. I'll answer your questions here.
My bad, missed Jalen Myrick. Yeah, I guess I'd say he's a second team guy at field corner but also gets time with the ones in certain packages.
Hasn't been getting a lot of reps. I think Kill told Sid and Dave, or someone, that Duke was a little banged up. It must not be anything too serious though, because he has been getting a few reps. Just not many and none during 11v11s.
I didn't think Leidner had the best day yesterday, and neither did the two other writers I talked to. Everyone sees the same Mitch in 11v11s, but in 7v7s, there are multiple position groups doing different things, and during the drill portion each position group does their own drills. So it's also possible that Burns saw Mitch when he was really clicking in drills/7v7s, while I and the others I talked to were watching a different position and vice versa.
A shot put motion isn't necessarily the nicest or best way to describe his motion, but yes, he still has the same throwing motion that he did in his senior year highlights. It is a little funky, but he does have a quick release.
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