P.J. FLECK – Page 15 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Minnesota RB Phenom Darius Taylor: ‘He’s a Beast’

Posted on December 27, 2023 by David Shama

What to know after Minnesota’s 30-24 Quick Lane Bowl win over Bowling Green yesterday in Detroit:

No Darius Taylor, no seventh straight bowl win for the Golden Gophers.

And guess what? No Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) earnings, no Darius.

Taylor ran 35 times for 208 yards, including a fourth quarter TD that proved to be the winning margin. The true freshman, who was limited to six games this year because of injury, carried the load for an offense that totaled 281 yards.

Coach P.J. Fleck said after the game “we put the team on his shoulders.” Quarterback Cole Kramer, also talking on the KFAN Radio postgame show, said of Taylor: “…He’s a beast. He can be someone that you can count on, and I am very proud of him.”

Gopher fans in the know might say: keep Phil Knight away from the phenom who is the Quick Lane Bowl MVP. Knight, the Nike founder, is a generous benefactor of Oregon athletics and NIL in Eugene.

Remember 2021 Gopher freshman running back Bucky Irving who left Dinkytown after one season? He reportedly received a sweet NIL deal at Oregon and was a star for the Ducks the last two seasons.

Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

A lot of Gophers fans still haven’t bought into NIL but it’s a reality. Without the efforts of local collective Dinkytown Athletes, Minnesota wouldn’t be retaining its better players starting with Taylor who likely tops the money list. The Gophers and their collective can’t match the money of many Power Five teams but there’s substantial progress being made by DA which launched less than 18 months ago.

In the uncertain environment of college football roster stability is more difficult than ever to maintain. Who is on board can change week to week during the periods when the transfer portal is open, but for now the Gophers can be thankful that Taylor has remained loyal to Minnesota.

Taylor, who humbly praised his teammates after yesterday’s performance, will be option No. 1 for the offense next season. Fleck even used him in the Wildcat offense for the first time in the bowl game. The Gophers practiced with Taylor throwing the ball, although he didn’t toss it yesterday.

A key question next season will be how to find balance between too many and too few carries per game for Taylor who excels with niftiness, strength and speed. Fleck’s offenses love to run the ball, go on long scoring drives, and eat up game time. When games are close in the fourth quarter, the tendency is to run the star tailback (see Mo Ibrahim film) over and over.

The Gophers will invite a high risk of Taylor becoming injured if they choose to duplicate his 35 carries yesterday in all 12 games next season. Ohio transfer Sieh Bangura, a preseason choice for All-MAC and 2022 MAC Freshman of the Year, presumably will receive a dozen or so carries per game.

Fleck will protect Taylor in the offseason including during spring football and preseason training camp. The Detroit native missed seven games but still led the team in rushing yards with 808 and average per game at 133.17. He was selected Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times.

Gophers Notes

Taylor’s returns will help sell tickets for next season as will one of the more attractive home schedules in recent memory. Iowa, North Carolina, Penn State and USC come to Minneapolis.

The Gophers trailed 10-9 at halftime but got much better production from the offensive line in the second half. All the unit’s starters are back next season except for center Nathan Boe.

Left tackle Aireontae Ersery is one of the nation’s highest graded run blockers. He was second team All-Big Ten in 2023 and should be an All-American candidate in 2024.

True freshman guard Greg Johnson, from Prior Lake, played a lot of minutes off the bench and is a future star.

Fleck is 5-0 in bowl games at Minnesota. He has a strategy and philosophy on how to approach those games but doesn’t offer details to the media.

Fleck’s attention now will be the interviewing process to hire a new defensive coordinator. It’s likely some candidates are with bowl teams. A new hire could be announced by around January 10.

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Football Gophers Make Merry with 2024 Recruiting Class

Posted on December 20, 2023December 25, 2023 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers football program today announced what could turn out to be the best recruiting class of the P.J. Fleck era that began in 2017. The 24-man class has that potential and breathes positivity into a program that experienced a disappointing 5-7 record last fall and saw the December departure of elite defensive coordinator Joe Rossi for Michigan State.

Minnesota signed to National Letters of Intent the No. 1 rated players in the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin—a program rarity. Safety Koi Perich from Esko, Minnesota got a heavy recruiting rush from Ohio State this month but the state’s top ranked player by the 247Sports composite rankings chose the Gophers.

Perich is a superb athlete with a fluid running style and other skills that raise expectations he could follow in the steps of Minnesota All-American safeties Antoine Winfield Jr. (2019) and Tyler Nubin (2023). Fleck and assistant coach Danny Collins prioritized Perich for a couple of years. Fleck and previous Gopher coaches have been spurned too many times in the past by the state’s No. 1 recruit so today was a win worth celebrating.

Perich may have the potential to one day make a living playing football on Sundays. The same may work out for Wisconsin’s No. 1 player, offensive tackle Nathan Roy, and North Dakota’s No. 1, defensive lineman Riley Sunram. All three are four-stars, per 247Sports.

Perich, Roy and Sunram, along with Kansas offensive lineman Brett Carroll, have invitations to the prestigious All-American Bowl in San Antonio January 6. That’s the first time in the Fleck era four Gopher recruits have been invited to the game formerly known as the Army All-American Bowl, which showcases many of the best prep seniors in the country.

High school recruits who signed today include six Minnesota natives. None may have as much maroon and gold DNA as Detroit Lakes linebacker Mason Carrier. His brother Ethan, a defensive back, is already on the roster and Mason posted this on X a few days ago:

“…We would rather MAKE a better team than FIND a better team. Thanks coaches and those loving and loyal to MN. I am Mason Carrier. Get used to the name.”

The 2024 recruiting class is vital to future success and could prove historic to Gopher football. Minnesota was coming off nine wins or more in 2019, 2021 and 2022 before this season’s fall. Fleck wants a return to the norm and even better results in the future where rewards could include entry into the 12-team college football playoff coming in 2024-2025.

This class and the ones that follow need to provide talent and depth. The Gophers struggled last season when they ran out of both, including at linebacker and running back. Inconsistent quarterback play from Athan Kaliakmanis was a problem, too, and he left the program recently. Don’t be surprised if his transfer process leads him to Rutgers.

QB is the most important position for Big Ten football teams. Fleck’s signings aimed at delivering results this fall and into the future. It all starts with New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer, probably one of the top 10 quarterbacks available in the transfer portal. Brosmer was nearly flawless at times playing for the FCS Wildcats. The Gophers expect big things from him in accuracy, pocket presence, decision making and leadership.

Fresno State transfer Logan Fife is an experienced quarterback who has been both a key reserve and starter. He will have two seasons of eligibility and his presence will be reassuring if Brosmer misses time because of injury.

Freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey comes from a family with Arkansas Razorback roots. At about 6-6, the three-star Lindsey, whose grandfather Jim Lindsey played for the Vikings, will have no issues seeing receivers from the pocket and he could be the starter in two years.

It might be that the Gophers have more work to do in the recruitment of pass catchers between now and next summer, particularly targeting a wide out. Dropped passes and failure to get open bugged the wide receivers and tight ends last season. It’s been an issue for wide receivers dating back to 2019 when Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson were both named first team All-Big Ten.

The 2024 class includes two wide receivers and two tight ends. Among the promising preps is Mankato West’s Jalen Smith. He only had one other Power Five offer (Iowa State), per 247Sports, but he could be a sleeper in this class.

With 19 high school players and five college transfers, the Gophers rank No. 37 among recruiting classes across the country, according to 247. For a program that still doesn’t have the Name, Image and Likeness money of many other programs, and doesn’t cheat in recruiting like the blue-bloods and others allegedly do, that’s impressive.

The Gophers leave for Detroit and the Quick Lane Bowl on Friday in preparation for their day after Christmas game. After losing their final regular season game against Wisconsin, there is a want among the players to get a W for the seniors in their last go round.

Among the seniors is quarterback Cole Kramer who will make his first college career start. He is the ultimate loyalist who has stayed with the program through minimal playing time and changes in offensive coordinators.

Gopher linebacker Cody Lindenberg said Kramer never complained, just “put his head down and worked.” Lindenberg described it as “awesome” to see the former Eden Prairie star get his opportunity.

Kramer said “it means the world” to be leading the Gophers in the bowl game. He is an ultimate legacy player with his grandfather Tom Moe, uncle Bob Coughlin and cousin Carter Coughlin all being former Gophers.

Grandpa Moe began the legacy playing for the Gophers in the 1950s and was named team MVP in 1959, but he likely won’t be attending the bowl game. “I don’t think he’s going to make it,” Cole said. “He’s going through some things right now. But my dad’s side…my grandma and grandpa will be there. My fiancé and her family will be there, and my mom and my dad and my brother will be there as well.”

The Gophers are about a 4-point favorite to defeat Bowling Green, a team with a 7-5 record that closed fast winning five of its last six games. Fleck is 4-0 in bowl games but his struggling offense (averaged 20.2 points) and defense (uncharacteristic 26.2 points) need to show up with improved play.

The optics are such that the Gophers, playing against a non-Power Five team, must not only win but be impressive doing it. That will add to the juice of positivity created by today’s signing day and maybe ease the sting of losing coordinator Joe Rossi.

Rossi had more credibility than any assistant coach in the Fleck era. Fans and players had watched him turn Minnesota’s defense around in 2019 and beyond, with his units excelling in top 10 categories nationally. Last fall wasn’t Rossi-like but no one questioned his coaching chops even then.

The players referred to Rossi as a “guru” and it’s a painful departure that surprised them. Lindenberg and others felt they were blessed to play for a man with so much wisdom who also cared deeply about them. “…Yeah, just a lot to be grateful for that he’s been able to teach me,” Lindenberg said.

Why did Rossi leave? Maybe he thought Michigan State, with superior Name, Image and Likeness resources, offered the opportunity to coach for a bigger winner. For now his shadow hangs over the program but today’s recruiting class, a bowl win next week and the announcement of a high quality replacement in the days ahead can sooth the loss.

BTW: Stillwater-based Creative Charters is in the holiday spirit donating 20 airline seats for Bolder Options mentors and youth to attend the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit between the Gophers and Bowling Green on December 26. Creative has a sold-out plane doing a same day trip for the game and company owners Steve and Dorothy Erban are taking care of the game tickets, too!

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‘Critical’ Offseason Ahead for Fleck & Golden Gophers

Posted on November 26, 2023November 26, 2023 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers 2023 football team lacked talent and quality depth at too many positions. The result was a 5-7 overall record and 3-6 mark in the Big Ten that left them in a four-way tie for last place in the West Division.

Now coach P.J. Fleck and his staff face the challenge of upgrading the personnel and depth as the Big Ten transitions in 2024 to 18 football teams with no divisional play. And in the new world of college football Minnesota and other Power Five programs will try to figure out how to retain players and add players in the transfer portal who can contribute next fall while stockpiling incoming freshmen for development. The portal is open most immediately from December 4 through January 3, 2024.

The Gophers had experienced players at many positions, but they didn’t play consistent football. When things mattered the most—late in the season—they lost four consecutive games including Saturday’s finale with Wisconsin. A run of key injuries was problematic all season.

Minnesota could return most of its offensive and defensive starters, and special team regulars in 2024. The most significant losses are defensive tackle Kyler Baugh, center Nathan Boe, receiver Corey Crooms Jr., corner Tre’Von Jones, safety Tyler Nubin and tight end Brevyn-Spann Ford.

The best college teams excel at quarterback and along the line of scrimmage, offensively and defensively. QB Athan Kaliakmanis started all 12 games and was up and down in performance. Not only was his passing inconsistent but he made minimal plays with his legs. The offensive line blocking couldn’t match the performance of three recent seasons when Minnesota won nine games or more. Defensively, too often Minnesota’s line and linebackers were gashed with big runs, and the old nemesis of a poor pass rush continued.

Typically, Power Five teams lose a dozen or more players to the portal. Who those players will be on the Minnesota roster will be known over the next 30 days or so.

Where do the Gophers need help in the transfer portal? “Pick your position,” Ryan Burns said.

Burns, the local recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated, listed quarterback, receiver, running back and offensive and defensive lines as areas of need. If pressed for his top three he prioritizes corner, tailback and “probably quarterback.”

Burns predicts Fleck and his staff will prioritize Name, Image and Likeness money for players already on the roster. Retaining talents like RB Darius Taylor, offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery and end defensive Jah Joyner will be vital for next year’s team.

Burns said creating competition for Kaliakmanis is desirable but the Gophers are likely to find such a QB from the FCS or Group of Five level. Why? Because big name Power Five quarterbacks can command $250,000 and more in the portal.

Fleck, who has a 49-34 record at Minnesota and is fifth all-time in wins, starts his eighth season in 2024. He will have to sort out issues with the program including possible changes needed in coaching philosophy and schemes, and perhaps shaking up the staff.

Burns and others predict this offseason will be different. “Most critical one Fleck’s had, I would say,” Burns said. “It didn’t go their way this year—the breaks they probably weren’t anticipating, but still should have won two games, Illinois and Northwestern, and sitting at six or seven wins going into the Wisconsin game.

“If that’s the case I don’t know that there is as much fan reaction as there has been this season. …Being able to look short term and long term at the same time is going to be critical for him trying to figure out what the best thing is to adapt going into that 2024 new Big Ten world.”

Worth Noting

I am so sorry to write that my friend Jim Carter, the captain of the 1969 football Gophers, passed away on Thanksgiving evening in Palm Springs, California. I knew Jim for more than 50 years and he was a fiery competitor in sports, business and life. He was a loyal friend who cared deeply for the University of Minnesota where he also played hockey.

A great prep football player at South St. Paul High School, Jim could have opted for Notre Dame but instead chose the hometown Gophers. He was a star player and important contributor as the fullback on the 1967 Minnesota Big Ten championship team. The Green Bay Packers made a linebacker out of him and his NFL career lasted through the 1978 season.

Known to friends as “Hurricane,” Jim was challenged much of his life by emotions and addictions. He had been in recovery for about 20 years and devoted a lot of his free time to helping others with their addictions.

Jim passed away at age 75 after battling metastatic melanoma. Longtime friend, confidant and Gopher teammate Jim Brunzell wrote via email how he will miss their lunches, football get togethers and phone calls.

“Jimmy was a man’s man and called his life accordingly,” Brunzell wrote. “…May he rest in peace, ‘till we hug again.”

Former Gophers head football coach Tim Brewster has resigned as Colorado’s tight ends coach, per internet reports today.

Mike Conley, 36, is the poised point guard whose leadership is indispensable to the fast-starting Timberwolves. He has been in the NBA since the 2007-2008 season and an indication of his self-control is never receiving a technical foul.

Chet Holmgren, the 7-1 Minneapolis native in his first NBA season, is averaging 18 points and eight rebounds per game for the Thunder who play the Wolves at Target Center Tuesday night.

Tom Reid, the former NHL player and radio analyst for the Wild since the franchise’s inception in 2000, is the latest guest on “Behind the Game” with longtime host Patrick Klinger. Topics include how the recent death of Minnesotan Adam Johnson may influence safety new safety measures in the game. The show is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPvNXskdASI&si=uLHbbftPajzUeD8W

Golfweek’s 2023 rankings of the best private courses in the state starts with Interlachen at No. 1 followed by Spring Hill, Minikahda and White Bear Yacht Club (tied at No. 3) and Hazeltine National. The next five are Windsong Farm, Somerset, Northland, Minneapolis and Golden Valley.

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