Strengths: effort blocking throughout the whistle, run blocking, getting to the second level
Weaknesses: pass blocking, explosion/pop
Tyler Cooper is a 6’5”, 275-pound offensive lineman from St. Croix, WI. Cooper committed to the Gophers over scholarship offers from Eastern Michigan, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, & Wyoming among others. Cooper plays center for the St. Croix Falls basketball team where he averaged 8.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. I had the chance to watch Tyler at one of the Gophers big man camps a couple months ago where he participated at guard instead of his normal tackle position, and that is where I believe he will be slotted going forward.
Most of Tyler’s Hudl film is of him run blocking from the tackle position. I really like his mentality as in every clip he is downfield blocking to the whistle and takes the defensive players for a ride. He has solid leverage when down blocking and gets to the second level well when required to. The Gophers are mostly a zone running team, but I believe Cooper has the athleticism to pull if he is asked upon down the road.
At the Big Man camp a couple months ago Cooper worked at guard where he had some difficulties adjusting to the position in pass protection. Given that with the lack of clips of him pass blocking, I believe that will be an area he will need to work on going forward. I also don’t see a ton of explosion or pop from him out of the stance. Once he gets his body into someone he takes them where he wants to go, but from an offensive lineman (especially interior) you really want to see an explosive first couple steps and pop from them to move the line of scrimmage a la Curtis Dunlap.
If Cooper is a maroon shirt as well, it gives him his whole freshman year to physically get himself where he needs to be and work on technique as he continues to progress himself to where he needs to go. Another low risk-high reward opportunity for Minnesota.
Weaknesses: pass blocking, explosion/pop
Tyler Cooper is a 6’5”, 275-pound offensive lineman from St. Croix, WI. Cooper committed to the Gophers over scholarship offers from Eastern Michigan, New Mexico, Northern Illinois, & Wyoming among others. Cooper plays center for the St. Croix Falls basketball team where he averaged 8.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. I had the chance to watch Tyler at one of the Gophers big man camps a couple months ago where he participated at guard instead of his normal tackle position, and that is where I believe he will be slotted going forward.
Most of Tyler’s Hudl film is of him run blocking from the tackle position. I really like his mentality as in every clip he is downfield blocking to the whistle and takes the defensive players for a ride. He has solid leverage when down blocking and gets to the second level well when required to. The Gophers are mostly a zone running team, but I believe Cooper has the athleticism to pull if he is asked upon down the road.
At the Big Man camp a couple months ago Cooper worked at guard where he had some difficulties adjusting to the position in pass protection. Given that with the lack of clips of him pass blocking, I believe that will be an area he will need to work on going forward. I also don’t see a ton of explosion or pop from him out of the stance. Once he gets his body into someone he takes them where he wants to go, but from an offensive lineman (especially interior) you really want to see an explosive first couple steps and pop from them to move the line of scrimmage a la Curtis Dunlap.
If Cooper is a maroon shirt as well, it gives him his whole freshman year to physically get himself where he needs to be and work on technique as he continues to progress himself to where he needs to go. Another low risk-high reward opportunity for Minnesota.
