Preps – Page 44 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Recruiting: Trending to Top 25 Class

Posted on December 14, 2020December 14, 2020 by David Shama

University of Minnesota football recruiting authority Ryan Burns believes Wednesday’s national Signing Day will be special for the Golden Gophers.

Burns is publisher of the popular GopherIllustrated.com website affiliated with 247Sports. In the latest 247Sports major college recruiting rankings for the class of 2021 Minnesota is No. 22. The rankings are not to be confused with the 247 composite rankings that average out multiple recruiting sources and have Minnesota at No. 26 nationally.

The Gophers’ class expected to sign Letters of Intent Wednesday totals 18. “They have seven four-star commits as of today on 247Sports, which would be the highest number of four-stars that Minnesota has signed in the Internet era,” Burns told Sports Headliners today.

The highest ranked of the four-star players by 247Sports is Omaha cornerback Avante Dickerson, the No. 1 senior in the state of Nebraska. He is also the highest ranked Gopher recruit since Washburn running back Jeff Jones committed to Minnesota in 2014. “He (Dickerson) is everything athletically you would ever want in a corner,” Burns said earlier this year.

Burns expects all of Minnesota’s verbal commits to sign on Wednesday, including Dickerson who is the target of rumors he might not become a Gopher. “I think some of that is fabricated on the Nebraska end because they know what it looks like for that type of kid to go elsewhere,” Burns said. “I do think there is some smoke there but I will tell you what I have told people for weeks and months now. I expect Avante Dickerson to sign with Minnesota in 48 hours.”

The six other four-stars recruited by head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff are: defensive end Deven Eastern, Shakopee; running back Mar’Keise Irving, Country Club Hills, Illinois; offensive tackle Cameron James, Chicago; quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, Antioch, Illinois; cornerback Steven Ortiz, Goodyear, Arizona; and defensive tackle Jacob Schuster, Washington.

The total of four-star players could reach eight before Wednesday night. Davon Townley, the defensive end from Minneapolis North High School, is a coveted four-star who the Gophers want as part of their 2021 recruiting class.

“I don’t know what that kid is going to do,” Burns said. “If you put a gun to my head, I would say Minnesota or Arizona State (for his college choice). But there’s a lot of things that have to be figured out on Davon Townley’s end in the next 48 hours or so if he’s going to be able to sign anywhere Wednesday.”

Jaydon Hood is a four-star inside linebacker from Fort Lauderdale who is verbally committed to Michigan but his name is rumored with Minnesota. “I don’t think he is going to sign in December,” Burns said. “I think he is going to sign in February…(the second 2021 signing period).”

Burns said the Gophers “badly” want Hood but he isn’t prepared to predict Hood will flip the Wolverines for Minnesota. Hood hasn’t visited the U campus, but in this pandemic era committing to a school without seeing it isn’t unusual. Burns estimated about half of the 18 commits for 2021 haven’t been to the Minnesota campus.

Eastern is one of only two native Minnesotans in the 2021 scholarship class as currently comprised. The other is offensive tackle Logan Purcell of Annandale. Small numbers of players signing on with the Gophers has been the norm for many years. Review the recruiting lists for the Gophers dating back to 2014, for example, and you will see mostly totals of two, three, or four Minnesotans annually in the various recruiting classes.

The state is hardly a hot spot for prep football talent but there are quality players available each year, just not in large numbers. It’s not been for lack of effort by Gopher coaches that some of the state’s best preps over the years have chosen other college programs. This year the three highest ranked Minnesotans, per 247Sports, are Lakeville South offensive tackle Riley Mahlman, Eden Prairie defensive end Justice Sullivan and North’s Townley. Mahlman is headed to Wisconsin, Sullivan to Iowa.

What can reverse the trend of the Gophers losing good and even great in-state players? Rival programs Wisconsin and Iowa have been more successful in keeping talent within their borders. Burns said Wisconsin and Iowa preps stay home because those players grow up rooting for their winning teams, while Minnesotans for decades have mostly watched the Gophers be mediocre, or worse, although last year’s team earned the state’s favor with an 11-2 season.

“…You get an offer from them (Badgers or Hawkeyes), it’s why the heck would you go anywhere else? Whereas here in the state of Minnesota, it’s why the heck would you play for the Gophers? They stink.

“I think for the trend to change, the No. 1 thing that this Gopher football staff can do is…just win, and it’s not going to happen overnight. …You have to win this year and the next year and the year after that and you have to keep winning. And likely you’re going to have to do that with non-Minnesota players until the Minnesota kids can figure out maybe we should just stay here in-state and see what they can do in terms of developing me.”

James Laurinaitis from Wayzata was going to play for the Gophers and head coach Glen Mason until he changed his mind more than 15 years ago. He went on to become a three-time consensus All-American linebacker at Ohio State. By contrast the Gophers have five Minnesota natives who made All-American teams in the last 50 years.

The Gophers listed 116 players on their preseason roster, but only 36 were state natives including many walk-ons trying to earn scholarships. This year’s starters are pretty much players from beyond the state’s borders except the interior offensive line where most positions are filled by Minnesotans.

BTN will have Signing Day Big Ten Conference coverage starting at 1 p.m. Wednesday with a three-hour program.

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NFL Insider: Kendricks Vital to Vikings

Posted on December 10, 2020December 10, 2020 by David Shama

Vikings veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks didn’t play last Sunday because of a calf injury. Former NFL executive Jeff Diamond thinks it’s all-important for the Vikings to have him available against the Tampa Bay Bucs next Sunday in a vital game to the playoff chances for both teams. Kendricks didn’t participate in practice yesterday.

“They’ve gotta have Eric Kendricks this week,” Diamond told Sports Headliners. “They got by without him last week, barely. I know (sub) Todd Davis played pretty well, but you’re talking about one of your best defensive players, if not your best defensive player, in Eric Kendricks.”

Diamond was Vikings general manager in the late 1990s and after the team’s 15-1 season in 1998 was named NFL Executive of the Year. He later was president of the Tennessee Titans. While living in the Minneapolis area now, he is involved with varied work assignments including senior consultant with the Institute for Athletes sports management firm that represents NFL players such as Adam Thielen of the Vikings.

Diamond offered a prediction on the outcome between the 6-6 Vikings and 7-5 Bucs. “I think it’s going to be a close game, but if I had to make a pick, I would pick Tampa by three. …I think the key (for the Vikings) is they’ve gotta get some pressure on (quarterback Tom) Brady. The pass rush has been just so-so, and in order to get pressure they’ve had to blitz. Brady is not exactly the guy you want to blitz because he sees things so fast.”

Not only is the (arguably) GOAT a challenge Sunday, but so, too, are his outstanding receivers. Diamond predicted the inexperienced Vikings cornerbacks are going to be “severely” tested. Rookie corner Jeff Gladney sustained a reported calf injury in last Sunday’s close win over the 1-11 Jaguars, and Diamond said the Vikings need him in Tampa. Otherwise, he believes the team is reaching too deep into its cornerback pool and that will send reserve corners on the field who he describes as “shaky.” Gladney was limited in what he did in practice yesterday.

Diamond likes the improvement of Gladney and Cameron Dantzler, another rookie corner showing development. They are part of the reason why Diamond is bullish on the club’s future.

Diamond said: “A team that I think is going to be better next year when you get Danielle Hunter back. You have these young players, the rookie class, that is looking like it could be outstanding with (Justin) Jefferson, (Ezra) Cleveland, Gladney and Dantzler already starting. (Rookie reserve) D.J. Wonnum making big contributions as a pass rusher.

“This (2020 draft) could wind up being one of the great Viking drafts of all-time. You get all those players in their second year (2021) where they are going to continue to improve and have a full off-season. … You get back Michael Pierce (who) sat out this year for COVID, as a run-stopper inside. And Anthony Barr (injured vet not playing this season), we will see what happens there. I think they may free up some cap space with him, and I am not sure he is going to be here next year. I think the future is very bright for this team, so I am excited for the future.”

The opinion of fans on head coach Mike Zimmer is varied but Diamond credits ownership for being smart in giving Zimmer a contract extension earlier in the year. Zimmer has been the team’s head coach since 2014 with highlights that include two NFC North Division titles and a 13-3 regular season that saw the Vikings advance to the NFC championship game. His record is 63-44-1, with total wins and winning percentage ranking third in franchise history behind Bud Grant and Dennis Green.

Diamond said the more successful NFL franchises have stability and continuity. The Pittsburgh Steelers have employed three head coaches in the last 50 years. The Vikings have had five head coaches in the last 25 years, including Zimmer.

This season no team has a better record than the 11-1 Steelers. The Steelers head coach is Mike Tomlin, the former Vikings defensive coordinator, who took over in Pittsburgh in 2007. He has won a Super Bowl and might win another in 2021.

There have been ups and downs for Tomlin in Pittsburgh but Diamond said the African-American coach can lead his team without fear of losing his job. The organization has a culture prioritizing stability and valuing longevity. The Steelers have been owned for generations by the Rooney family. Diamond knew the late Dan Rooney and present boss Art Rooney II. “They’re just sold guys that are going to give their coaches a chance, and they select the right coaches in the first place,” Diamond said.

Worth Noting

Diamond’s varied activities include assignments for WCCO Radio, and speaking to college and business audiences about his NFL career and other subjects such as leadership, negotiation and sports management. He is working with Richfield native Michael Clements who is commissioner of the startup Minneapolis-based National Rugby Football League expected to be operational in two years.

Eric Kendricks is the Vikings’ nominee for the 2020 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field. Each of the league’s 32 nominees were announced today.

In the last three weeks Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins ranks second in the NFL with nine touchdown passes. He ranks third with 926 passing yards. In each of his last three games, Cousins has produced at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes.

With at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes next Sunday against the Bucs, Cousins will tie Patrick Mahomes (four consecutive games in 2018) and Peyton Manning (four straight games in 2012) for the second-longest streak of games with those numbers in a single NFL season. Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young (five consecutive games in 1998) has a longer streak.

Rumors persist that Twins DH extraordinaire Nelson Cruz might use his free agent status to join the White Sox who could emerge from the off-season as the favorite to win the AL Central. MLB.com named Cruz second team All-MLB today at DH. Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda also is on the second team.

As mentioned in this space recently, it could be multi-positional Kiké Hernández of the Dodgers remains a potential free agent signing by the Twins.

Hopkins is No. 1 in ESPN’s top 25 national rankings of girls high school basketball teams. ESPN has Royals junior forward Maya Nnaji as the No. 7 prep prospect in the class of 2022.

The Vikings and Minnesota Football Coaches Association sponsor the Mr. Football Award and the ten 2020 finalists are: Shea Albrecht, Orono; Joe Alt, Totino-Grace; Cameron Anderson, Blue Earth Area; Trey Feeney, Moorhead; Nick Flaskamp, Minneapolis Southwest; Marcus Hansen, Waseca; Eli Mau, Chanhassen; Jake Ratzlaff, Rosemount, Garrison Solliday, St. Thomas Academy; Adam Tonsfeldt, Barnesville. An announcement date disclosing the winner has yet to be made public.

Charley Walters, the newsy Pioneer Press columnist with thousands of sports world contacts, is the latest “Behind the Game” guest with co-hosts Patrick Klinger and Bill Robertson. The program is available for viewing on the “Behind the Game” YouTube Channel and via cable access throughout the state.

Klinger is organizer of the membership-only Capital Club that will hear from Vikings chief operating officer Andrew Miller via Zoom next Wednesday.

Sign of the times: the New Mexico Bowl is relocating for one year from Albuquerque to Frisco, Texas.

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Zimmer “Tired” of Special Teams Woes

Posted on November 17, 2020November 17, 2020 by David Shama

Mike Zimmer expressed frustration with the Vikings’ special teams after last night’s 19-13 win over the Bears in Chicago. Cordarrelle Patterson ran a kickoff back for a 104-yard touchdown to give the Bears a 13-7 third quarter lead. In Minnesota’s previous game against the Lions, Zimmer saw his team have two punts blocked.

“We weren’t very good tonight (on special teams),” Zimmer said on KFAN. “We weren’t supposed to kick the ball to Patterson and we did, and that was bad. We’re going to have to really look at our personnel on that. See if we can change some things up. This is not good. It’s been bad the last two weeks, and quite honestly I am tired of it.”

Patterson, the ex-Viking who goes by the nickname “Flash,” might be the best kickoff returner in NFL history. He just whizzed by defenders on his long run, with the last potential tackler Viking kicker Dan Bailey—a total mismatch. As Zimmer watched on the sidelines he was livid.

Without the kickoff touchdown, the game wouldn’t have been close. The Bears produced two field goals with their inept offense that relies on replacement players because of injuries. A first down was worthy of high-fives from Chicago fans.

Zimmer took advantage of the incompetent Bears with blitzes. He wasn’t hesitant to ask his inexperienced secondary to cover one-on-one. He said after the game on the radio those players and the entire improving defense is gaining confidence as the Vikings earned their third consecutive win.

Nobody on the Vikings looked more excited toward the game’s end than quarterback Kirk Cousins who for the first time in his career was on the winning team for television’s Monday Night Football. He was pumping a fist and showing thumbs up as the Vikings kept playoff ambitions alive while his MNF record improved to 1-9. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns (both to Adam Thielen).

The 4-5 Vikings play their next three games in Minneapolis against the Cowboys (2-7), Panthers (3-7) and Jaguars (1-8). After last night Minnesota clearly has momentum and a favorable path to a 7-5 record by early December.

“We’ve got three in a row. Keep it stacking, and get back to it,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said on KFAN last night.

St. Paul Saints Deal Pricey

After talking with sources, it looks like the Minnesota Twins might have to write at least one large check to make the St. Paul Saints their Triple-A affiliate starting in 2021. Sports Headliners speculates a deal could be finished by January 1, with the Saints ownership holding most of the leverage in negotiations that may see ownership transferred to the Twins.

Although a deal is not for sure, it’s a perfect move for the Twins to have their highest minor league affiliate located within a bike ride from Target Field. Saints Triple-A call-ups could arrive at the big league ball park within 25 minutes from downtown St. Paul. The Saints are presently members of the American Association, a league that has long operated without MLB affiliation.

Any new Saints owner would project continued sellouts at CHS Field where offerings include low price tickets, quirky promotions, sun-splashed beer-drinking and baseball players (cheap payroll) not wanted by big league clubs. A wise move by the Twins, if they become new owners, will be keeping prices for tickets and concessions at 2020 levels.

Throw in creative promotions and a big upgrade in baseball talent where Twins fans can see the organization’s future stars, and it seems the Saints could continue to be profitable. And that doesn’t begin to factor in the business synergy of having two franchises with the same ownership in the same market where there can be crossover ties in ticket sales, radio-TV rights, corporate sponsorships, promotions and advertising.

But what’s in this for the Saints ownership whose public face is Mike Veeck? He is 69 now and “Mr. Fun Is Good” has worked hard building the Saints into a model minor league franchise. Veeck has been at this since 1993 and hit a “home run” convincing St. Paul and other public officials to build CHS Field, allowing them to abandon archaic Midway Stadium.

It’s logical to believe Veeck and partners will walk away from their ownership stake if the Twins or someone else will meet their price. A sports industry source told Sports Headliners the Saints ownership paid about $1 million for a franchise startup fee in the independent Northern League back in 1993. Today he thinks the franchise, despite losing a lot of money because of the pandemic this summer, could command $20 million as a sales price.

That’s a big number but check writing doesn’t stop there if the Saints are to transition from their status of a baseball independent in the American Association to a MLB affiliated Triple-A operation. There is a cost that MiLB (Minor League Baseball) and MLB are working out for franchises to switch from independent status to affiliation with a big league club. An estimate right now is $10 to $20 million. It seems preposterous to think the Saints present ownership would be interested in paying $10 million or more for that status and continuing to operate the St. Paul franchise.

MLB teams do own minor league franchises so a Twins operation in St. Paul wouldn’t be unprecedented. But the move to St. Paul (the Twins have severed ties with their Triple-A Rochester, New York team) could be predicated on a spending spree by the Twins Pohlad ownership group that might total $30 million or more.

Maybe there’s a buyer other than the Twins for the Saints. In that scenario it would be prudent for the Twins to cover much of the franchise fee needed for the transition of the Saints to Triple A.

Worth Noting

Last fall after the Vikings lost 16-6 to the Bears in Chicago, star wide receiver Stefon Diggs made news expressing public frustration with the offense. Now, following an offseason trade to the Bills, Diggs is playing with a hot quarterback in Josh Allen and could finish the season leading the NFL in receptions and receiving yards.

In Wednesday night’s NBA draft the Timberwolves, with the first overall choice, will take Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards and then with their 17^th pick in the first round will acquire Memphis forward-center Precious Achiuwa, per yesterday’s SI.com mock draft. With their second round choice at No. 33, the Wolves are projected to choose former Hopkins standout Zeke Nnaji, the forward-center who was a freshman last season at Arizona.

The Nets, with the No. 19 pick in the first round, will take former DeLaSalle star Tyrell Terry, a freshman guard at Stanford last season. Former Apple Valley and Duke point guard Tre Jones is projected at No. 35 in the second round, going to the Sacramento Kings. Daniel Oturu, the ex-Cretin Derham-Hall and Gopher center, will be drafted at No. 42 in the second round by the New Orleans Pelicans, per SI.com.

The cell phone mailbox of David Holmgren is full and not accepting messages these days. His son, Chet Holmgren, is the nation’s No. 1 or 2 senior prep basketball prospect while playing for Minnehaha Academy. Chet is waiting until next year to announce a college choice, with minimal likelihood (my opinion) he plays at dad’s alma mater, the University of Minnesota.

Because of COVID-19 don’t expect Monster Jam and AMA Super Cross, two popular events scheduled at U.S. Bank Stadium in February, to take place.

Also because of the pandemic no season media passes are being issued for Gophers men’s hockey; only single game requests on a restricted basis are being granted.

Today (Tuesday) is the deadline for WCHA men’s hockey members to announce opting out for the coming season because of the pandemic. Alaska Anchorage isn’t competing in any winter sports including hockey, leaving the WCHA as of now a nine-member league for 2020-2021. Could the University of Alaska also opt out?

Don’t expect regular coverage of this “sport” here, but a Belgian racing pigeon was auctioned off for $1.9 million Sunday, per the Associated Press.

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