Preps – Page 52 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Looking for Twins TV Return in July

Posted on May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 by David Shama

Word is Major League Baseball will start the 2020 season in July. Sports Headliners was told by an authoritative source his understanding is an abbreviated schedule will be played with initially no fans in ballparks. If more control of the COVID-19 epidemic happens, fans could slowly be allowed into stadiums as the season develops.

To deal most effectively with the virus, it’s predicted MLB will be reorganized into three 10-team divisions representing the east, central and west regions of the country. Travel would be minimized with teams playing games only within their division. To start with, and perhaps continuing indefinitely, games could be played only at sites in Florida, Texas and Arizona.

MLB owners and players have yet to agree with a 2020 schedule plan. With the necessity to get a plan in place soon, the pressure is on for an agreement this month. Presuming agreement is reached, that would allow enough time for three or four weeks of training prior to an early July start of the schedule.

It makes sense that one of the details the two sides could agree on is an unprecedented expanded roster size. If illness or injury hit a team particularly hard, where does management source players without a deep roster? Usually when there is a roster need, MLB teams turn to their farm systems for help but at this time it’s uncertain what the status of minor league baseball is for 2020.

With so much pent up enthusiasm for baseball from the fans, TV viewership could be record setting in July both regionally and nationally. In a reorganized geographical central division, Twins fans wouldn’t see baseball’s best player, Mike Trout of the Angels. Nor would they watch the Twins against the Yankees and Red Sox, two blueblood clubs that have been coming to Minneapolis since 1961. But a division home in the midwest would have Minnesota playing American League traditional rivals in the Indians, Royals, Tigers and White Sox. Intriguing opponents from the National League in the Twins’ new division could include the Brewers, Cardinals and Cubs.

The Twins are expected to have one of baseball’s better teams and could be in some sort of revised playoff system that leads to a World Series winner in November. In these weird times, how strange would it be to play the Fall Classic in an empty stadium?

Worth Noting

MLB players are usually paid over a 162-game season, but would earn prorated amounts during the course of an abbreviated 2020 year.

Look for the NFL to announce its 2020 schedule within days. Each team will play the usual 16 regular season games, with no games outside the United States. Four games in London and one in Mexico City had previously been planned.

Among the familiar events of spring in recent years is Bud Grant’s garage sale from his Bloomington home. Well, the legendary former Vikings coach, who turns 93 later this month, is secluded at his Wisconsin cabin, and there won’t be a sale this year. In the past the sales have been promoted as the final one, but son Mike Grant has a wait and see approach. “Never say never on these garage sales,” Mike said.

As head coach of the Eden Prairie football team, Mike will have Justice Sullivan as one of his captains this fall. Sullivan, who projects as a college linebacker, lived in Iowa until a couple of years ago and has verbally committed to the University of Iowa as a four-star recruit. Grant said Sullivan could play inside or outside linebacker like Carter Coughlin, the former Eagle who was one of the Gophers’ best defenders at the end position last season.

“Outstanding young man, and good student, great kid,” Grant said of Sullivan, whose dad Jake Sullivan played collegiate basketball at Iowa State.

During this period of public health uncertainty, NBA owners, including the Timberwolves Glen Taylor, have been told to refer media requests to the league office.

Despite the coronavirus epidemic, metro golf courses are busy. An avid player told Sports Headliners public courses are only taking reservations about a week out.

More outdoor activity starts Saturday with the fishing season opening for a number of popular species including northern pike and trout. To many Minnesotans, though, it’s the “Walleye Opener.” Media reports say license sales are brisk.

It just might be that two of the finalists for commissioner of the new Central Collegiate Hockey Association are names with ties to the University of Minnesota. The new leader of the CCHA is expected to be announced soon and be in place by July 1.

The 2020 Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame honorees in the High School Division are Walter Hunting, Duluth Denfeld; Jeff Mumm, Thief River Falls; Mike Quist, Gaylord; and Karl Urbaniak, Mabel-Canton. Also joining the Hall of Fame from the Citation Division is Mike Turner of Varsity Photos.

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Gophers Picking Up 4-Star Momentum

Posted on April 28, 2020April 28, 2020 by David Shama

The football Gophers are trending toward their best recruiting class in more than a decade and this spring are picking up more four-star preps. Minnesota has four four-star players among 13 preps who have made verbal commitments for the class of 2021 that eventually may have about 20 scholarship freshmen.

In the latest rankings by 247Sports for 2021, Minnesota is No. 5 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten (behind Ohio State). When national Signing Day comes along in December it seems like this class could be as hyped (or more so) by recruiting authorities as coach Tim Brewster’s group in 2008 that 247Sports ranked No. 26 in America. None of Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck’s previous four recruiting classes have made it into the final 247Sports top 30 rankings.

Ryan Burns, the publisher of GopherIllustrated.com affiliated with 247Sports, believes Fleck and his staff could pick up three or four additional four-star players to go with a load of three-star recruits. “That wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” Burns told Sports Headliners.

The Minneapolis-based recruiting authority sees a possibility that two more four-star targets could commit in the next 30 days. Running back Mar’Keise Irving from Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois and Chicago Simeon offensive lineman Cameron James both have strong interest in Minnesota despite the COVID-19 epidemic preventing them from visiting campus.

Burns said Minnesota also has commitments from players currently ranked with three-stars who could move up to four-star status (next highest from five stars) if a fall high school season is played and they excelled. He mentioned Shakopee defensive end Devin Eastern is on the edge of moving up because of his on the field skills and also his impressive offseason training.

It doesn’t look like Minnesota will land two of the state’s top rated players in the class of 2021, per Burns. Four-stars Justice Sullivan from Eden Prairie and Riley Mahlman of Lakeville South appear headed to Iowa and Wisconsin respectively. Justice is labeled an “athlete” whose college position appears undecided, while Mahlman could add to the Badger legacy of great offensive linemen.

As of today, 247Sports ranks Iowa’s 2021 class No. 6 nationally, with the Hawkeyes having 12 recruits including four four-star players. Wisconsin is No. 13 in the rankings, with 10 commits including three four-star prospects.

The list of Gopher four-star commits so far is comprised of cornerback Avante Dickerson, Omaha; quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, Antioch, Illinois; cornerback Steven Ortiz, Goodyear, Arizona; and “athlete” Sam Jackson, Naperville, Illinois. All but Athan Kaliakmanis verbally committed to Minnesota this spring.

Burns doesn’t foresee any of them dumping Minnesota to attend other schools, although he will remind a listener “18 year olds” are unpredictable.

Dickerson is 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.

It’s almost unheard of for the Gophers to receive a pledge from a Nebraska recruit. Not only are the Nebraska Cornhuskers a legendary team in the state, many of college football’s blueblood programs were also in pursuit of the 6-foot, 165-pound Dickerson who many observers think is the best prospect in the state. Burns believes it’s nearly a lock Dickerson comes to Minnesota and doesn’t give in to the pressure of Big Red Nation.

Why?

Because Dickerson highly values his relationships with coaches and the Gophers won him over led by assistant Joe Harasymiak, according to Burns. He said “Nebraska didn’t put in the work that Minnesota did” to land the gifted prep cornerback. While the Husker staff is likely to try “catch up,” Burns believes Minnesota’s investment in time and effort will keep Dickerson committed until he can sign a National Letter of Intent.

“I think his (recruiting) ranking is warranted,” Burns said. “I think the ceiling is incredibly, incredibly high for him.”

Kaliakmanis gave Minnesota a verbal pledge more than a year ago, per 247Sports. Burns said an indication that Kaliakmanis will keep his commitment is the dual-threat quarterback is recruiting others to become Gophers.

Ortiz committed earlier this month and Blair Angulo of 247Sports predicts an 80 percent likelihood he becomes a Gopher. The University of Washington has a 20 percent chance of having the cornerback eventually land in Seattle. Burns said Ortiz intends to enroll at Minnesota in January and could see playing time in 2021 as a nickel coverage man.

Jacknson was offered a scholarship by Notre Dame to become a defensive back, a position he has never played. He was a sophomore wide receiver before switching to quarterback as a junior last year. “All I know is he is truly one of the most dynamic athletes in the Midwest and that’s why he was so highly sought after,” said Burns who expects Jackson to play wide receiver or QB at Minnesota.

Burns believes Jackson’s intentions toward Minnesota are solid. Jackson de-committed from the Gophers awhile back, and Burns said it would be unusual for a recruit to do that twice with the same school.

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Zim Looks for New WR to Play Now

Posted on April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 by David Shama

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer made known his expectations for first round draft choice Justin Jefferson last night on KFAN Radio. “He’ll be able to come in and should be able to play right away.”

The Vikings selected the former LSU wide receiver at No. 22 in last night’s NFL Draft. Zimmer praised Jefferson’s ability to play inside and outside in an offense. He also mentioned Jefferson’s work ethic in practice, competitive nature and intelligence.

Jefferson has a reputation for making difficult catches and the Vikings considered him one of the best wide receivers in the draft. “Quite honestly, we tried to move up and were hoping that he would be there,” Zimmer said.

Minnesota acquired another first rounder in TCU cornerback Jeff Gladney at No. 31. Zimmer told KFAN the 5-foot-10 Gladney needs improvement with his playing technique but expressed enthusiasm about his new defensive player.

“He’s very quick. Good accelerator, has a lot of speed,” Zimmer said. “He’s a little on the shorter side. (But) of some of the other guys (in the draft) he had longer arms and longer wing span. But he’s a very competitive kid… .”

Will Jefferson and Gladney ultimately be judged as productive players for the franchise? General manager Rick Spielman is in his ninth season with the Vikings and led last night’s opening round decisions. Looking at his eight previous drafts, Spielman hit the success button more often than not, but a few misses standout now when the Vikings have needs at cornerback and wide receiver.

Cornerback Trae Waynes and wide receiver Laquon Treadwell were first round selections in 2015 and 2016. Neither is with the team and they didn’t even come close to being impact contributors for Minnesota. Spielman drafted cornerback Mike Hughes No. 1 in 2018 and while opportunity waits in 2020, Hughes has struggled with injuries and has made only five career starts at a position of ongoing need.

Those three players haven’t benefitted Minnesota much, but five others have from earlier drafts. That includes last year when the Vikings made Garrett Bradbury the highest drafted center in franchise history at No. 18 in the first round. He was a starter in his rookie year and while evaluators say he has lots to improve on, he’s a first round success story right now.

The Vikings didn’t have a No. 1 pick in 2017 but let’s count running back Dalvin Cook to Spielman’s credit. At No. 41 in the second round he was the first player chosen by the Vikings that year, and he is the team’s best weapon on offense.

Spielman had two first rounders in 2014, linebacker Anthony Barr and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. At No. 9 in the first round of the draft, Barr was the second highest linebacker the franchise ever drafted and has been a Pro Bowler. Bridgewater was on track to become the club’s starting quarterback for years until a devastating knee injury in 2016 eventually caused the Vikings to move on.

Spielman maneuvered for three first rounders in 2013 in this order: defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd, cornerback Xavier Rhodes and receiver-kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. All three gave the Vikings help, with Rhodes becoming (at times) a shutdown cornerback playing one of the most important positions in the NFL.

The Vikings didn’t hit a homerun with their No. 4 pick in 2012, selecting offensive tackle Matt Kalil, but no one will deny Spielman a gold star for choosing safety Harrison Smith with the No. 29 selection of the first round. Smith is still a starter and has consistently been rated among the NFL’s better defensive players. In 2017 Pro Football Focus ranked him the third best player in the league.

From 2012-2015 Kalil started 64 consecutive games for Minnesota but is no longer with the team, and he never fulfilled the expectations of a No. 4 overall pick.

Worth Noting

With NFL teams done with the draft after Saturday, they will focus even more on college free agents and veteran NFL free agents. It could be a telling week for 32-year-old Everson Griffen who was once an All-Pro defensive end and opted for free agent status last month. Probably a long shot the Vikings will re-sign him.

Former Gopher All-American safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will likely be chosen in the second round of tonight’s continuing NFL Draft. Dan O’Brien, now head football coach at St. Thomas Academy, was a Gophers assistant coach when Minnesota recruited him. Winfield was only a three-star recruit out of high school in Texas but O’Brien said the Gopher coaches knew after the first couple of practices the freshman was going to be an impact player.

“He just had fantastic instincts,” O’Brien said. “It seemed like he would read the quarterback as good as any kid we had, even though he was just a freshman. He was one of those players that just was always in the right spot.”

With 13 verbal commits, including four four-star players, the 2021 Gophers football recruiting class is second in the Big Ten and No. 5 nationally in the latest 247Sports rankings.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gopher and Viking star lineman Milt Sunde from Bloomington, who died this week. Sunde, the Gopher team captain, played his last college game on the surprise date of Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1963. The game against Wisconsin at old Memorial Stadium had been moved from the original playing date of November 24 following the November 22 assassination of President John Kennedy. The Vikings drafted Sunde in the 20th round of the 1964 NFL Draft but he had a surprisingly successful career playing for 11 seasons for his hometown team.

Kerwin Walton, the four-star wing from Hopkins, is expected to announce his college choice Saturday. It’s believed his finalists are Arizona, Creighton, Minnesota and North Carolina. After following Walton’s recruiting, the guess here is Arizona will be the choice because of the Wildcats profile as a college heavyweight and the positive experience Zeke Nnjai, a former Hopkins teammate, had this season with the Pac-12 program.

This week NBAdraft.net projected Nnaji, a power forward, being selected at No. 22 in the first round. Gopher center Daniel Oturu is projected at No. 10, with Apple Valley point guard alum Tre Jones a second round pick at No. 41.

The NCAA has pushed its vote back to June regarding a new policy allowing a one-time immediate eligibility for athletes transferring from one school to another. Even if the policy is approved, it seems likely not to be implemented until the 2021-2022 school year given the late timing and upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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