Preps – Page 18 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

22’s ‘Crib’ Source of Wisdom for New Minnesota Viking CB

Posted on August 1, 2023August 1, 2023 by David Shama

Enjoy a Tuesday notes column.

Faces change in the Vikings’ secondary from season to season except for one. Safety Harrison Smith, 34 and with 11 past seasons of NFL experience, provides continuity and leadership to a unit in flux.

As safeties and cornerbacks compete in training camp and beyond for playing time, they know Smith sets an example with his performance and leadership. It didn’t take long for new cornerback Joejuan Williams, a 2023 free agent signing, to seek out Smith who wears jersey No. 22. Williams is in competition to be one of the team’s two new starting cornerbacks.

Joejuan Williams photo courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

“Even though there’s a huge age difference, at the end of the day, that’s a leader right there,” the 25-year-old Williams told Sports Headliners. “I’ve picked his brain first time I went over to his crib. Everybody sittin’ (and) chillin’ having fun and I am asking him 20 questions. I felt like I was annoying him. Just asking him (about) his leadership skills, how he’s done it for so long. I love to pick people’s brains like that and so, yeah, he’s been a great help.”

Here’s what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said stands out about Williams, a second round pick of the Patriots in 2019 who stayed with New England through 2019: “First and foremost, his size (6-3, 212 pounds). I’ve always known as an offensive guy, you know those bigger corners, just because they’re long, they can play physical.

“I think he’s done a really…great job since he’s gotten here, physically preparing himself as a bigger corner. He’s a very strong player. He’ll cause a lot of problems for us around the line of scrimmage with reroutes and rhythm and timing of passing games. He’s savvy, a smart player, very instinctive. …”

Williams, the tallest of the Vikings’ safeties and corners, is part of a group that includes Andrew Booth Jr., the 2022 second round pick who has often been injured during his career. This could be a pivotal season for Booth.

Williams is taking a willing attitude to help with the 22-year-old Booth. “I know he’s coming out with a chip on his shoulder, and so I am going to help him every step of the way,” Williams said.

Who become the starters and first players off the bench in the secondary will be determined the way coaches always decide these things and regardless of the position they play, per Nick Mullens. The Vikings’ backup quarterback said it’s all about dependability and trust, disciplined play, who works hard and is a good teammate.

Mullens joined the Vikings via trade in late August of last year “Coming into year two is big,” he said regarding more knowledge and comfort with the offensive system.

Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said yesterday the competition to determine the starters on the offensive line at right tackle and left guard will be “the battle of camp.” Redshirt junior Martes Lewis and redshirt senior JJ Guedet are competing at right tackle, while hoping to start at left guard are sixth-year senior Karter Shaw and redshirt senior Tyler Cooper.

Minneapolis native and cornerback Craig McDonald is awaiting a waiver ruling from the NCAA to be eligible for the Gophers this season. The waiver approval is necessary because McDonald has transferred twice in his college career, having been first at Iowa State and later Auburn. McDonald would have three years of eligibility with the Gophers and Fleck is upbeat about his potential contribution.

The Gophers have started practice for their season opener against Nebraska at home Thursday, August 31. Two free open practices are available to fans, starting with this Saturday’s 7 p.m. event at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Tuesday, August 15 practice is also open to the public and starts at 3:30 p.m. at the team’s practice facility at the Athletes Village.

Saturday’s gathering is the annual Family Day Practice and will feature a fan fest on the West Plaza. Fans are encouraged to bring diapers and donate them to the Diaper Bank of Minnesota. Also, as in the past, fans can bring decorated oars to adorn the stadium hallway the Gophers travel from their locker room to the field on game days.

Former Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill turns 62 on August 24 and is healthy as he prepares his New Mexico State team for a second season under his leadership. The Aggies are picked for fifth in their new league home, Conference USA, but Kill teams have a way of surprising. Public season tickets to see the Aggies start at $70.

When Dawn Plitzuweit was considering becoming the women’s basketball coach for the Gophers earlier this year, she spoke with Richard Pitino about what it is like to work under Minnesota AD Mark Coyle. “I am not exactly sure how they got connected but I was surprised and also excited that she did talk to Richard because I knew she was interested (in Minnesota), and I knew Richard—how he felt about this place—that it would be a good conversation.”

Pitino, who left his job as Minnesota’s men’s coach in March of 2021 to take over at New Mexico, has long had a solid relationship with Coyle. “…We just have a really good friendship and really thankful for that friendship,” Coyle said.

The Twins, who face the MLB trade deadline later today at 5 p.m., have lost five consecutive games including three straight over the weekend to the lowly Royals (.299 winning percentage). The two teams don’t play again until next season when they open the regular season March 28-31 in Kansas City. The Twins were 6-1 in Minneapolis against the Royals but only 3-3 in Kansas City.

Former Twin Luiz Arraez enters August hitting a gaudy .381 through 107 games for the Marlins. MLB.com points out today that after 107 games in 1941 and 82 fewer at bats Ted Williams was hitting .411 for the Red Sox. Williams, who once played for the Minneapolis Millers, was the last MLB hitter to average .400 for a season (he hit .406 in 1941).

Minnesota hockey icon Lou Nanne is spending a lot of time at his lake place near Balsam Lake, Wisconsin and not playing much golf. He just had a pickle ball court installed in his barn.

Jonathan Mekonnen, the Eastview class of 2024 basketball wing, verbally committed to Colorado State last week where the program is led by native Minnesotan Niko Medved.

The 2023-2024 season will be the first for a 35-second shot clock in Minnesota boys and girls high school basketball games.

Billy Robertson, the former WCHA and USHL commissioner, discussed his over four-decades career in sports on the latest episode of “Behind the Game.” He talked about his many memorable experiences including characters he has known over the years. You can see the show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfPHTGHLF_Y&t=4s

The fifth annual Taste Fore The Tour presented by Tradition Capital Bank at Interlachen Country Club last week was a sold-out fundraiser for Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), the Twin Cities’ largest food pantry. VEAP provides food, social services, and financial assistance to people in south Hennepin County. While dollars are still being counted from the event, donations are expected to allow VEAP to offer 800,000 new meals. To date, Taste Fore The Tour reports donating the equivalent of 3.2 million meals for local people.

Special hosts for the event July 24 included Michele Tafoya, Matt Birk and Ben Leber. Celebrities also included Rachel Banham, Bobby Bell, Matt Boldy, Devan Dubnyk, P.J. Fleck, Justin Gaard, Andre Hollins, Kent Hrbek, Ben Johnson, Glen Mason, Randall McDaniel, Zach Parise, Mark Parrish, John Randle, Laura Schara, Ron Schara, Drew Stafford, Scott Studwell, Darrell Thompson, Carrie Tollefson, and Jason Zucker.

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Gophers-Badgers Football Recruiting Rivalry Heats Up

Posted on July 9, 2023July 9, 2023 by David Shama

Two coveted high school offensive linemen have changed the recruiting storyline between the Gophers and Badgers. Minnesota’s recruiting class of 2024 has a verbal commitment from Nathan Roy of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, while Irondale High School’s Emerson Mandell has announced he will play for the Badgers.

For the Gophers and Badgers, trading off the No. 1 ranked recruits in their states is uncommon for sure. 247Sports has Roy as No. 1 in the state of Wisconsin in both its composite recruiting rankings and its own rankings. 247 has Mandell No. 3 in Minnesota in its rankings but No. 1 in the composite.

Although the Gophers have commitments from Roy and two other offensive linemen, they wanted Mandell who announced for Wisconsin a few days ago. The Badgers aren’t used to having the top players in Wisconsin say no to them and receiving a commitment from Mandell is something to crow about even though Roy is the more hyped prospect.

New Badgers coach Luke Fickell and his staff have seen their 2024 recruiting raise eyebrows so far. The 247Sports ranking of the state’s top five players show three commitments to Penn State, with one each to Minnesota and UCLA.

For about 30 years the Badgers have pretty much kept the state’s best players at home, but this year has been different with the program holding only two commitments so far among the 247Sports top 10 Wisconsin natives. The change in coaching staff may have had an impact, with relationships in the state starting over at Wisconsin high schools. Another change is the Badgers are abandoning their old-school meat grinder offense for an Air Raid attack.

Maybe this year is just a fluke for Badger recruiting in the state. Roy reportedly considered the Badgers, but he is relatively new to the state having lived elsewhere growing up. The Gophers, including respected offensive line coach Brian Callahan, capitalized on the opportunity to get Roy who 247 ranks as the No. 9 offensive line prospect nationally for the class of 2024. Mandell is No. 24.

The Gophers and Callahan have recent successes to pitch at recruits. John Michael Schmitz, a 2022 All-American center, was drafted in the second round by the Giants in last April’s NFL Draft. Daniel Faalele, a fourth-round pick by the Ravens in 2022, was the first Gopher offensive lineman to be drafted since 2006 when both Greg Eslinger and Mark Setterstrom were selected.

The pledge by Mandell to become a Badger is the third time in the last five classes that Wisconsin has taken the No. 1 player in Minnesota (offensive lineman Riley Mahlman from Lakeville South in 2021, linebacker Kaden Johnson of Minnehaha Academy in 2020). The Gophers haven’t secured the No. 1 player out of Wisconsin in maybe forever. In 2013 tight end Gaelin Elmore, the No. 6 player in Wisconsin per 247, joined the Gophers and had a successful career but usually Minnesota doesn’t even come close to a Roy or even an Elmore.

The Gophers have won three of their last five games against Wisconsin. More success in the rivalry could mean more recruiting “wins” in Dairyland.

Worth Noting

Stewart Mandell recently named his “they’re still playing college football team” for The Athletic. The team has players whose careers started as far back as 2016 and includes Gophers wide-receiver Chris Autman-Bell who has been in Minneapolis since 2017. “He has been at Minnesota for so long that he was part of P.J. Fleck’s first recruiting class.” Mandell wrote.

Fleck, who is taking vacation time this month, speaks July 27 at Big Ten football Media Days in Indianapolis. Watch for coverage of Media Days July 26 and 27 on the Big Ten Network.

Tom Swain (Photo credit University of Minnesota)

Tom Swain, the first academic advisor for athletics with the Gophers, turned 102 on July 4. Happy birthday, my friend.

Sports Headliners has learned that unlike the last two summers The Meadows at Mystic Lake will not host a Legends of the LPGA tournament. The Legends was founded in 2000 and is the official senior tour of the LPGA, showcasing former LPGA Tour players ages 45 and older. LPGA and World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster won the first two tournaments at The Meadows in Prior Lake.

“We really enjoyed hosting the LPGA Legends golf tournament in 2021 and 2022. We decided to pause on hosting any professional tournaments this year but are pursuing potential LPGA opportunities for next year.” Mike Luckcraft, director of The Meadows at Mystic Lake, said in a statement to Sports Headliners.

There are many circle the date prep football games this fall and one is October 18 when Rogers plays at Mankato West. The past two seasons, Rogers has lost to West in the state Class 5A semifinals.

It was only six years ago that Miguel Sano, now 30 and out of baseball, represented the Twins in the MLB All-Star Game. In 2017 he hit .264 with 28 home runs and 77 RBI. Last season in 60 at bats with Minnesota his numbers were .083, 1 HR and 3 RBI.

It’s getting to the point where baseball fans may want to tell their grandchildren they saw Shohei Ohtaini. His Angels will be at Target Field once this season, playing a three-game series against the Twins September 22, 23 and 24. Ohtani’s pitching and designated hitting have prompted comparisons with the great Babe Ruth who not only was a fabled slugger but spent part of his career on the mound.

Twins radio voice Cory Provus said on Friday night’s broadcast that Brandon Hyde, the Orioles manager, was a finalist for the Twins’ managerial job in 2018 before Rocco Baldelli was hired. The Orioles play for a three-game sweep of the Twins today at Target Field.

Long time Twins fans will remember the name Johnny Sain who after his post-pitching career was a MLB pitching coach for multiple teams including the Twins. He was outspoken but is regarded as one of the better pitching coaches of all time. Among his students was Hall of Famer Jim Kaat who learned from Sain with the Twins in 1965 and 1966 (won 25 games) and with the White Sox 1974 and 1975 (21 and 20 wins).

“We just were a good fit,” Kaat told Sports Headliners. “He wasn’t a power pitcher during his career, but he really taught me a lot about pitching. Changing speeds, about control, learning to control your fast ball. He meant a lot to me. He’s the one that when the Twins did let me go he sort of suggested I make a change with my motion and all of a sudden that became very effective and I had a couple 20 game seasons doing that.”

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Gophers Could Land Historic Football Recruiting Class

Posted on June 20, 2023June 20, 2023 by David Shama

The 2024 University of Minnesota football recruiting class already includes verbal commitments from seven of the top nine players in the state, per 247Sports. That’s Minnesota’s best total since the 2012 class that ultimately signed up seven to letters of intent, according to the 247 archives.

The Gophers have a commitment from the 247 No. 2 player in Minnesota, safety Koi Perich from Esko. Coach P.J. Fleck and staff are awaiting decisions from No.1 Wyatt Gilmore and No. 3 Emerson Mandell.

“If you’re able to land just one of those guys, Fleck would be doing something that historically has been very tough to do no matter who the Gopher coach has been,” Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners while referencing Minnesota’s recruiting in the Internet era. (Note: the Gophers apparently aren’t recruiting the state’s No. 10 ranked player, Coon Rapids High School athlete Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman).

Burns is the experienced recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated and 247Sports. In the next “three, four weeks” he expects decisions from Gilmore and Mandell regarding their college choices.

Gilmore, listed by 247 at 6-4, 240-pounds, is a four-star edge rusher from Rogers. Mandell, 6-5, 295-pounds, is a three-star offensive line prospect from St. Paul and Irondale High School. Who is more likely to become a Gopher?

“I think I am more optimistic about Mandell coming to Minnesota,” Burns said last Friday. “I think it will be either them or Iowa State right now. We’ll see how the Iowa State visit goes…(last) weekend.”

Mandell has made many visits to the Minnesota campus, a solid indication of his interest. Burns believes that because Minnesota and Iowa State appear to be his favorites, that shows a preference to stay close to home.

Burns believes the Gophers “still have a shot” at Gilmore who visited Oklahoma last weekend. Best guess by Burns is Gilmore will commit to a “helmet school” like Miami, Oklahoma, or Oregon.

Rogers head coach Marc Franz told Sports Headliners Gilmore has enjoyed the recruiting process but it’s demanding. “It is weighing on him. It’s a lot of time and energy going into the decision,” said Franz about his star player who plans to enroll in college in January.

Mandell and Gilmore have received encouragement to stay home from in-state players who are committed to the Gophers, including Perich. “It’s part of the reason Koi committed is he wanted to be someone who can help get players,” Burns said.

“He knows he’s a four-star. He knows he’s really good. He knows he’s turned down Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin among others. And I can confirm he’s got Wyatt Gilmore’s number; he’s got Emerson Mandell’s number. He’s been texting them for a long time. He’s spent time with both of them. …”

Recruiting is a competitive business in college football, partially because there are schools using the enticement of Name, Image and Likeness money as an inducement. That’s an illegal practice and something Minnesota wants no part of.

“Minnesota will not extend NIL to recruits…so if that’s what it comes down to is guaranteed promises in recruiting, Minnesota is never going to win that battle,” Burns said. He added “God speed” in getting the NCAA, the Division I enforcement agency, to police NIL infractions.

Burns wants to see the Gophers successful in recruiting and on the field but he’s not going to fault either Gilmore or Mandell if they decide on schools other than Minnesota. “They’re both good kids. I think they both have got good support systems around them, and they’ll make the best decisions they feel for them.”

Still, it’s tantalizing to think about signing both Gilmore and Mandell, or at least one. Burns believes the talent in the state’s 2024 recruiting class is above average and having nine of the top 10 rated players committed to the Gophers would be unprecedented this millennium. “…If Fleck really wants to put a stamp on it, he’s got to land at least one of these guys,” Burns said about Gilmore and Mandell.

The Gophers have been impressive, too, in building their 2024 recruiting class with out-of-state players. The class totals 23 verbal commits, per 247Sports, with the highest ranked player offensive lineman Nathan Roy from Mukwonago, Wisconsin. He’s the No. 1 ranked player in his state and the first time in memory the Gophers have a commitment from the best recruit in Badger land.

The 2024 247Sports team recruiting rankings have Minnesota No. 10 in the country. As of today, the Gophers have more total pledges than any Division I school, but eventually others will catch up and Minnesota’s lofty ranking won’t last. But commitments from Gilmore and Mandell will help ensure an impressive spot in the final national rankings for 2024 recruiting.

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