P.J. FLECK – Page 60 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Takes Recruits from the ‘Big Boys’

Posted on December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 by David Shama

University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck announces on Wednesday names of players accepting scholarships for his 2020 recruiting class. Perhaps most meaningful to fans of the program is Minnesota persuaded expected signees to pass on offers from high profile teams like LSU and Texas, and verbally commit to become Gophers.

Linebacker Jaqwondis Burns, a Texas native from IMG Academy in Florida, switched his commitment from Mississippi to Minnesota this month. Beating out an SEC school like Ole Miss is impressive, but there’s more good news. Gopher recruiting authority Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners that last week the Texas Longhorns sent head coach Tom Herman and four assistants in pursuit of Jaqwondis.

“Anytime you are able to beat Texas for a Texas kid… it’s good. I mean it’s really good,” said Burns, publisher of GopherIllustrated.com.

Another recent commit is Florida wide receiver Douglas Emilien. Joe Brady, the passing game coordinator for No. 1 ranked LSU, said in the fall the Tigers wanted Emilien, according to Burns. Emilien, though, is expected to join the Gophers, a program that surprised college football this fall by going 10-2, and tying Wisconsin for first in the Big Ten West with 7-2 records.

“You don’t get him without 10 wins,” Burns said. “You don’t get him without (Gophers) Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson finishing No. 1 and No. 2 in the Big Ten in receiving (yards).”

Johnson, a senior, will be a big loss to the receiving corps next season but Bateman and Chris Autman-Bell will return as quality juniors. Filling a third spot might be Emilien, or another 2020 verbal commit, Daniel Jackson from Kansas who had offers from Wisconsin and Iowa State.

Linebacker Itayvion Brown from Missouri could have chosen a number of “helmet schools,” as Ryan Burns refers to the better programs in college football. He said Brown turned down LSU, Iowa, Missouri, TCU, and Texas A&M to commit to the Gophers.

Jaqwondis Burns is among a half dozen or so expected signees who Burns believes will enroll at Minnesota in January and have the benefit of winter football preparation and spring practice. Others may include New York City wide receiver Justin Bellido, Ohio defensive end Gage Keys, German native and defensive end Melle Kreuder, Anoka linebacker Cody Lindenberg, and Kansas running back Ky Thomas.

Thomas is last in the alphabetical listing above but he was the first name Burns mentioned when asked who among the 20-plus verbal Gopher recruits was most coveted. He refers to Thomas as “the real deal,” and he mentions the impressive stats of the Topeka, Kansas prospect, who is about 5-11, 200 pounds.

As a senior Thomas rushed for 3,027 yards, with 35 rushing touchdowns. Career totals included over 7,000 rushing yards and more than 90 touchdowns. The Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year is the only running back Fleck is taking in the 2020 recruiting class.

“What makes Ky really special is he is incredibly tough to bring down,” Burns said. “He doesn’t allow you to get good hits on him. He is really good at staying on his feet and going through contact. He is really good at making sure that he can make you miss in the open field, (and) he can make you miss at the line of scrimmage. He can get north and south, very, very quickly.”

Burns has a lot of praise for the playmaking ability of the other Gopher recruit from Kansas, Daniel Jackson who Burns said had 74 receptions for 1,500 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior. The Kansas City area prospect isn’t a big target at about 5-11 but he has quality hands and other skills. “He can make you really think about what route he is going to run next, and he is incredibly elusive in the open field, just like Kai is,” Burns said.

Thomas, like Jackson, could receive considerable playing time next season. The Gophers lose seniors Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks in their three-man running back rotation that does return Mohamed Ibrahim, who will be a junior next fall.

Minnesota’s lead recruiter on Thomas and Jackson was assistant coach Joe Harasymiak, who is assigned to the Kansas region. Harasymiak joined the Gophers in December of 2018 after leaving Maine where he had been head coach.

Other recruits in addition to Emilien, Jackson and Thomas who Burns mentioned might earn playing time next season include linebackers Brown, Jaqwondis Burns and Lindenberg, defensive linemen Keys and Danny Striggow (Orono). Lindenberg will be transitioning from safety and receiver at Anoka. He also might be the steal of the recruiting class, per Ryan Burns.

The most coveted prep linebacker in the state is Minnehaha Academy’s Kaden Johnson, who likely will sign with Nebraska. “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he (Lindenberg) ends up better than Kaden Johnson…every time I have seen Cody he’s been incredibly impressive to me,” Burns said.

Burns expects the Gophers to sign in the range of 23 to 25 players for their 2020 class. As of earlier this week, he ranked Minnesota’s class No. 26 nationally, sixth in the Big Ten and third in the West Division behind Iowa and Wisconsin, two teams that have historically been the division’s leader.

“You have to be recruiting like Iowa and Wisconsin are, and I think Minnesota is finally at that tier,” Burns said.

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Leber: Need More from Vikings Defense

Posted on December 12, 2019December 12, 2019 by David Shama

A Thursday notes column starting with candid quotes from Ben Leber, the former Vikings linebacker who offers expert analysis during games on the team’s radio network.

Minnesota is 9-4 with intentions of winning its last three regular season games and advancing to the playoffs. With quarterback Kirk Cousins and others either meeting or exceeding expectations on offense, Leber is most concerned about the defense. “I just think they got to start generating more difference-making plays,” Leber said.

Leber wants the defense to force more turnovers and even turn those mistakes by opponents into points. Minnesota hasn’t been consistent enough with that this year and in the recent past, per Leber.

The defense is yielding 19.2 points per game, with only six of 31 other NFL teams doing better. The Vikings have given up only five rushing touchdowns but allowed 22 passing. Leber has a concern with the defensive secondary, not the line or other defenders.

The Vikings have to stop playing what he calls “safe” pass defense. “They need to go out there and take control of the pass defense and get their hands on the football,” Leber said. “Then it’s up to the offense to score some points off the turnovers.”

A focal point in the secondary remains cornerback Xavier Rhodes who is paid like an All-Pro but has been inconsistent this season and last. His misjudgments have placed him in hot water with head coach Mike Zimmer. As of late, Rhodes has sometimes been subbed out during games.

In the locker room yesterday Rhodes told reporters he doesn’t know how much he will play in Sunday’s game in Los Angeles against the Chargers. “I just gotta make plays when I’m in games,” he said. “That’s my mindset.”

Leber thinks the 29-year-old Rhodes can still play at a high level as the schedule closes but isn’t sure he will. “He has the ability to do it,” Leber said. “I’m guessing that taking some reps off of him (during games) will help him play a little bit faster.”

Rhodes has contended with an ankle injury this fall. He doesn’t expect the ankle will keep him out Sunday. “The ankle is pretty good,” he said. “It’s getting better day to day.”

Since week five of the NFL season Cousin has an NFL best 120.0 passer rating and he’s thrown a league high 21 touchdown passes. The nine-year veteran’s passing is in sharp contrast to what he has done in much of his pro career including a disappointing first season with the Vikings in 2018.

Former Vikings defensive lineman Bob Lurtsema, a close observer of the team, praises the work of the coaches including assistant head coach Gary Kubiak who was added to the staff during the last offseason. Lurtsema believes a change in philosophy has caused a Cousins turnaround, with the offense adjusted to prioritize the quarterback’s strengths. Lurtsema said he’s never seen the 31-year-old Cousins play so relaxed.

“I must give the coaches a lot of credit because they are coaching to the strength of the player and a lot of coaches coach to the strength of their system,” Lurtsema told Sports Headliners. “They are giving Cousins the flexibility to play to his strengths. “

Lurtsema also praised Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter for not only his physical skills but saying “his work ethic is second to none.” Hunter’s long arms enable the 25-year-old to keep blockers at a distance. “He plays the game smartly but more importantly he’s got a motor on him,” Lurtsema said.

Hunter was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week yesterday for his performance last Sunday against the Lions in Minnesota’s 20-7 win. He had three sacks and seven total tackles. He is the youngest player to reach 50 career sacks since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

Chargers special teams coordinator and assistant head coach George Stewart was the Vikings wide receivers coach from 2007-2016.

Regis Eller, son of legendary former Vikings defensive end Carl Eller, is assistant director of pro scouting for the Chargers.

Steve and Dorothy Erban’s Stillwater-based Creative Charters has sold out two Boeing airplanes for the Outback Bowl in Tampa and is looking at adding another plane based on demand.

No word from sources yet on which, if any, senior Gophers football players may sit out the Outback Bowl game against Auburn to protect their health and professional prospects. Linebacker Blake Cashman skipped Minnesota’s Quick Lane Bowl game last year.

Not many coaches can put on their resumes the achievement of taking teams to January bowl games prior to turning 40 years old. Among those who can is Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck who has Minnesota in the January 1 Outback Bowl and three years ago led Western Michigan to the Cotton Bowl.

ESPN.com’s ranking this week, of the 150 greatest college football coaches ever, listed former Gopher player Bud Wilkinson No. 6 for the dynasty he built at Oklahoma. The Minneapolis native was listed after Paul Bear Bryant and Nick Saban, both from Alabama, Notre Dame’s Knute Rockne, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne and Grambling’s Eddie Robinson.

An ESPN panel of media, administrators, and former coaches and players, ranked St. John’s coach John Gagliardi No. 16, with Lou Holtz (multiple schools including Minnesota and Notre Dame) No. 23, Fritz Crisler (Minnesota, Princeton and Michigan) No 42. Former Gopher player Biggie Munn, who gained coaching fame at Michigan State, ranked No. 47, and Minneapolis native Sid Gillman (Miami of Ohio and Cincinnati) No. 54.

Bernie Bierman (multiple schools including Minnesota) was ranked No. 65. He won five national championships at Minnesota and his ranking is too low. Henry Williams, for whom Williams Arena is named, is No. 106 based on his coaching career at Army and Minnesota. Left off the list was former Gophers coach Murray Warmath, who had a career record at Minnesota of 87-78-7, but won a national championship and had two co-Big Ten title teams. He was also a pioneer in his commitment to using black players in big time college football.

Jashon Cornell, the Minnesota native from Cretin-Derham Hall and fifth-year Ohio State defensive tackle, was named Big Ten honorable mention last week in voting from league coaches.

ESPN’s Sunday night baseball schedule for the first half of next season not only didn’t include the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins but also passed on the World Series champion Washington Nationals.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli got engaged to girl friend Allie Genoa this fall at Yosemite National Park.

Although seven schools in the 10-member men’s Western Conference Hockey Association plan to form a new league to start play in two years, it’s possible the WCHA may reorganize with new teams, perhaps including St. Thomas if the Tommies are successful in gaining approval of Division I status in athletics.

Illinois remains a possibility to some day join the Big Ten in hockey.

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Wild Close on 2021 NHL Winter Classic

Posted on December 5, 2019December 5, 2019 by David Shama

Target Field could be the playing site for the 2021 NHL Winter Classic. The Twins and Wild would host the prestigious annual game that has never been played in Minnesota, and a January 1, 2021 date could help commemorate the 20th anniversary of the local NHL team.

Wild owner Craig Leipold acknowledged to Sports Headliners yesterday that his franchise is competing with one other NHL city for the Winter Classic, but the league has yet to inform him of its decision. An announcement of the 2021 playing site for the outdoor game is likely to come January 1, 2020.

Known as the “State of Hockey,” the NHL Winter Classic seems overdue for a Minnesota date. “It should be us,” Leipold said. “We think that we’ve got exciting players. We think that we have a good team, and a very competitive team, and we have a great market. No one will ever question that. Our fans are fantastic. So I think we check most of the boxes, and…we hope it’s our time.”

Local interest in attracting the nationally televised event has been ongoing for a long time by the Twins and Wild. Twins president Dave St. Peter spoke of his interest in the game as recently as August of this year. The Wild hosted a successful NHL Stadium Series game at TCF Bank Stadium in 2016, but that event is less coveted than the Winter Classic that last January was played at Notre Dame Stadium, and January 1, 2020 lands in the Cotton Bowl.

The Winter Classic was first played in 2008 to evoke the outdoor roots of hockey. The event uses football and baseball stadiums, with one game drawing over 100,000 fans to Michigan Stadium. A Sports Headliners hockey source said the NHL and TV rights holder NBC prefer historic league teams from the United States like the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. Planners also want winning teams that can attract a large TV audience.

The Wild has been a mediocre team for years and that’s been a factor in the NHL not granting the Winter Classic to Minnesota. But the team has been impressive of late and with the franchise’s 20th anniversary looming since its inception for the 2000-2001 season, and the fact so many other cities have already hosted the game, Minnesota’s lobbying efforts could finally pay off.

The Wild’s opponent might be the Blackhawks because of the rivalry between the two teams and the size of the huge Chicago TV market. The Dallas Stars, the team once based in Minnesota as the North Stars, may well be another possibility. Activities surrounding a Minneapolis Winter Classic could include an alumni game between former Wild and Blackhawks or Stars players.

The Wild is undefeated in its last 10 games, going 7-0-3. Leipold said the team is showing skill and depth, referring to the third and fourth lines as playing “fantastic.” With three goalies and a sound defense, he is excited after the Wild had a slow start to the season. “We don’t have any weaknesses,” he said.

New general manager Bill Guerin has had time to evaluate the personnel but Leipold doesn’t think there are any trades in the works right now. “But I think the next month, and month-and-a-half, is going to tell a lot as to where we think this team can go,” Leipold said.

Worth Noting

It will be interesting to see if Gophers athletics director Mark Coyle is rewarded with increased compensation this month, or shortly after the first of the year. Coyle’s work since being hired in 2016 is highly regarded, but his annual compensation of $850,000 remains unchanged from the original contract—although he did receive a three-year extension last October taking his deal through 2024.

There are many major college athletic directors earning well over $1 million including some of Coyle’s colleagues in the Big Ten. An increase of $150,000, taking Coyle to $1 million, could make sense to new University of Minnesota president Joan Gabel after the breakthrough season in football under the direction of coach P.J. Fleck who Coyle hired in 2017.

The University regents meet December 12 and 13 in Minneapolis but the agenda for the meeting is as yet unknown. Possibly blocking a Coyle increase is this week’s announcement of faculty layoffs at UMD. Although Coyle’s compensation comes from the largely self-supporting Gophers athletic department, a University system perception problem could arise because of the fiscal challenges at UMD.

Coyle’s success at Minnesota, including popular hires of hockey coach Bob Motzko and basketball coach Lindsay Whalen, is noticed by other universities. There was speculation earlier this fall USC was interested in Coyle for its AD opening. Coyle, an Iowa native who first worked for the U athletic department about 18 years ago before taking AD jobs at Boise State and Syracuse, has often expressed his liking for working at Minnesota and living in the Twin Cities with his family.

Sid Hartman’s 100th birthday will be March 15 of next year, and that day just happens to be a Sunday. It’s perfect timing to celebrate the milestone on WCCO Radio where Hartman has been heard for decades on the Sunday morning “Sports Huddle” program.

Show co-host Dave Mona told Sports Headliners the station will do a “Sidtennial” celebration. A list of about 50 potential celebrity guests for telephone interviews is being reviewed to reach a smaller total. The Sid salute March 15, Mona said, will continue during a WCCO Radio Twins spring training broadcast in the afternoon and on into the evening with more interviews, stories and tributes to the legendary radio personality and Minneapolis newspaper columnist.

The Twin Cities Dunkers organization that supports Minnesota professional and amateur sports has provided $690,500 in combined gifts to the athletic departments of the Minneapolis and St. Paul high schools over the past eight years. The organization was originally known as the Minneapolis Dunkers and dates back to 1948.

Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman was named the Big Ten’s wide receiver of the year Wednesday (Richter-Howard Award). Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck raved about Bateman recently, describing him as “incredibly talented.” But Fleck also praised the sophomore for his work ethic and selflessness. “When you start combining the skill with that, that’s an inferno, that’s a bonfire, instead of the fire in your fireplace with one log,” Fleck said.

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