Minnesota
Golden Gophers
Preview 2009 - Offense
-
2009 CFN Minnesota Preview |
2009 Minnesota
Offense
-
2009 Minnesota
Defense |
2009 Minnesota
Depth Chart
-
2008 UM Preview |
2007 UM Preview |
2006 UM Preview
What you need to know:
Gone is the spread and in comes the power. New offensive
coordinator Jedd Fisch wants to line up and bang the ball with
the hopes of improving the Big Ten’s worst rushing attack, and
he has the line to do it. With the addition of Notre Dame
transfer Matt Carufel at guard and 375-pound JUCO transfer Jeff
Wills at tackle, the line got a whole lot beefier and a whole
lot better overnight. There’s a quick group of young backs, led
by DeLeon Eskridge, who should finally be able to show what they
can do with a hole to run through. While the running game will
get the early focus, the offense will work around the
combination of QB Adam Weber and WR Eric Decker. Decker is an
All-America candidate who leads a very promising, and very big
receiving corps, while Weber, as good as he has been carrying
the team over the last two years, might have to share the
quarterback spotlight with MarQueis Gray, a superstar-in-waiting.
|
Returning
Leaders
Passing: Adam Weber
255-410, 2,761 yds, 15 TD, 8 INT
Rushing: DeLeon Eskridge
184 carries, 678 yds, 7 TD
Receiving: Eric Decker
84 catches, 1,074 yds, 7 TD
|
Star of the offense:
Senior WR Eric Decker
Player who has to step up and become a star:
Senior OT Matt Stommes
Unsung star on the rise:
Junior OT Jeff Wills
Best pro prospect: Decker
Top three all-star candidates:
1) Decker, 2) QB
Adam Weber, 3) OG Matt Carufel
Strength of the offense:
Quarterback, Eric Decker
Weakness of the offense:
Proven No. 2 Receiver,
Proven Running Game
Quarterbacks
Projected Starter:
After carrying the Gopher
offense two years ago, doing a little of everything with
a team-leading 617 rushing yards to go along with his
2,895 yards through the air,
Adam Weber took a minor step back running less, netting just 233
yards and four scores, and throwing for 2,761 yards and
15 scores. He struggled as the season wore on thanks to
better competition, no running game, and late in the
year, the injury to WR Eric Decker. After throwing just
two interceptions in the first seven games, he threw six
in a five-game span including the season-defining pick
six, that wasn’t his fault, to lose to Northwestern.
Even though 2008 wasn’t the banner year he had hoped
for, the 6-3, 217-pound junior was good enough to start
to show some pro potential, and now the new offense
should only help showcase his talents that much more. He
doesn’t have a huge arm, but it’s good enough, he’s
tremendously mobile, and very tough. Now he’ll have to
come back from offseason shoulder surgery, and will have
to step up his game to hold off the charge from O.J.
Gray, to be the team leader for the next two years.
Projected Top Reserves: Redshirt freshman
MarQueis "O.J." Gray is going to make the offense
very, very interesting. The superstar recruit of last
year, considered by most services as the top spread
prospect in the country, he was going to play a role
right away but missed last year due to academic issues.
He hasn’t played in two years, missing most of his
senior year of high school with a broken arm, but his
injury was Minnesota’s gain as several schools soured on
the Elite 11 Quarterback camper. Sensational in spring
ball, he looked like he’s ready to start right now with
tremendous speed and a huge arm to go along with his
6-4, 215-pound size.
Watch Out For ... Gray to see a lot of
time. This might be Weber’s team, but Gray is the better
player; he just doesn’t have the same experience. With a
bigger arm, more athleticism, and much-bigger upside,
Gray is too good to not see a little work.
Strength: Talent. Weber is becoming a
decent pro prospect with his size and skills, while Gray
is even more talented. Minnesota hasn’t had this much
quarterback talent in well over a decade.
Weakness: A potential controversy. What will
happen if Weber struggles? What if Gray doesn’t get much
playing time early on? It doesn’t seem like the
situation is anywhere near an issue yet, but these two
are too good to not want the job if there isn’t a
rotation.
Outlook: Adam Weber should be able to
handle the change in offensive philosophy quicker than
MarQueis Gray, but each will see action and each will be
able to run the ball when needed. This is a terrific
situation with each player good enough to not just
start, but to shine. These two are tremendously talented
and could blow up if they finally get a little more help
around them.
Rating: 8
Running Backs
Projected Starters:
The Minnesota running game
struggled, but now-sophomore
DeLeon Eskridge
did what he could in his true freshman season. He
led the team with 678 yards and seven touchdowns, but he
had a hard time finding room to move averaging just 3.7
yards per carry. 114 yards and three scores came against
Montana State, but he ran for 124 yards and two
touchdowns against Illinois before being bottled up for
most of the rest of the year. Extremely quick with good
hands, the 5-11, 189-pounder caught 29 passes for 181
yards, but now he has to be able to break off more big
plays once he gets in the clear.
The Gophers plan on using the fullbacks more meaning
there’s a place for
Jon Hoese.
The 6-2, 230-pound junior is a former safety who
switched over to the offensive side early last year.
However, in the spread offense he wasn’t needed much and
spent most of his time on special teams. Smart, he’s an
academic All-Big Ten performer, he doesn’t miss any
assignment and is a decent blocker. He’ll get the ball
more after running four times for five yards.
Projected Top Reserves: Somewhere in the
mix, trying to get his job back, will be sophomore
Duane Bennett,
the main man going into last year before suffering a
knee injury. On the plus side, the injury happened so
early last year that he was able to redshirt and it gave
him almost a year to heal up. He ran for 442 yards and
three scores in a nice freshman year and ran for 140
yards and two scores last year before getting hurt. The
5-9, 204-pound scooter of a back can also catch with 30
career grabs for 270 yards and two touchdowns, including
12 in the first two games of last year alone. He’s a
quick, tough runner who can produce inside or out.
Redshirt freshman
Kevin Whaley was supposed to be a part of the
running mix right away last year, but he was shot in the
leg coming out of a nightclub and ended up taking the
year off. The 5-9, 179-pounder is back and healthy with
next-level quickness and a great high school résumé
rushing for 6,301 yards and 85 touchdowns in Virginia.
5-10, 202-pound sophomore
Shady Salamon
had a few decent moment running 49 times for 181 yards
and three touchdowns, while catching nine passes for 91
yards and a score, providing a little more speed to the
backfield. The 5-10, 202-pounder missed time this
offseason getting over a concussion, but he’s expected
to play a key backup role again by the time the season
starts.
Watch Out For ... a fullback. Not needed
in the spread offense, at least not as much, now the
offense will use more of a traditional set and more
power running. All of a sudden, Jon Hoese becomes a key
part of the offense.
Strength: Quick backs. Brewster is a
master at getting production out of smallish, quick
backs who can make one cut and go. There wasn’t much in
the way of big plays out of last year’s group, partly
because of the line, but the backs should be far better
with more of an emphasis on the ground game.
Weakness: Production against anyone with a
pulse. That goes for most areas on the team, but the
lack of a running game really stood out last year once
the better part of the schedule kicked in. After
Eskridge, who got most of his yards in two games, the
No. 2 back was Salamon and he only pieced together 181
yards.
Outlook: The line hasn’t given much in the
way of help for the backs to show what they can do.
There might not be an all-star in the backfield, but
there are four good runners with DeLeon Eskridge the
best of the lot. Thick, quick backs are the norm with
the ability to run inside and catch. Now the team needs
more production and more big plays when the
opportunities are there.
Rating: 6
Receivers
Projected Starters:
Senior Eric Decker has grown into a special,
NFL-caliber receiver following up a team-leading
67-catch season by making 84 grabs for 1,074 yards and
seven scores. He was one of the nation’s hottest
receivers throughout the first half of the season with
ten catches against Northern Illinois and 13 against
Indiana, but everything turned on one ill-fated play.
Late against Northwestern, with the score tied, Decker
missed a catch, it bounced into the defender’s hands,
and the Gophers lost on a pick six. Decker was never the
same with an ankle injury keeping him to just three
grabs over the final three regular season games. At a
rock-solid 6-2 and 215 pounds with good speed and great
hands, he’s the Big Ten’s premier target and he should
be on everyone’s All-America short list. The big
question over the next year will be whether or not he
wants to be a football player or go off to play
baseball; he’s a star left fielder who was drafted by
the Milwaukee Brewers.
6-0, 179-pound
Brandon Green was counted on to come through as a true freshman, and
he did with 21 catches for 306 yards and a touchdown
highlighted by a breakout five-catch, 100-yard day
against Purdue. The team’s most athletic receiver, he
could be used as a return man if needed and could get a
few cracks as a runner. He’s a playmaker who should be
able to grow into a big producer in three-wide sets and
as Eric Decker’s backup.
Senior Nick
Tow-Arnett is a willing blocker, but the former
walk-on is mostly a receiver with a surprising ten
catches for 211 yards and a touchdown highlighted by a
40-yard play against Indiana. He’s athletic and can be
used as a field stretcher, and now he should make a
bigger impact for the offense and be a key special
teamer as well.
Projected Top Reserves:
Da’Jon McKnight
had a great off-season and showed he’s ready to get
the ball on a regular basis. Still learning on the fly,
after spending most of his high school career on the
defensive side, the 6-3, 200-pound sophomore made three
catches for 38 yards with a 22-yard score against Ohio
State. His other two catches came against Kansas in the
Insight Bowl. Very raw but with all the skills, he has
the size and the potential to become a breakout player.
Is Hayo Carpenter the real
deal? Considered to be the nation's No. 1 JUCO
wideout, the 5-11, 185-pounder has sub-4.4
wheels and the ability to stretch the field as a
devastating deep threat. Also able to return
kicks and punts, and used potentially as a
runner out of the backfield, the coaching staff
will come up with several ways to get him the
ball.
Originally a quarterback, former JUCO transfer
David Pittman came to Minnesota to challenge for a job and was
considered one of the team’s top recruits. A tremendous
spread quarterback prospect, he’s not going to get any
action under center with Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray
already in place, he’s phenomenally quick and has the
potential to be a good slot receiver. A senior, he has
to produce now in his last chance to make something
happen after showing so much promise as a JUCO
All-American after throwing for 6,346 yards and 61
touchdowns at Pasadena City College.
6-4, 245-pound sophomore
Curtis Hughes
has the size and the hands to be a receiving tight end,
but he’ll only be used as a blocker. A special teamer
and a strong blaster in two tight end sets, the walk-on
should start to see a few passes come his way.
Watch Out For ... McKnight. Still emerging
as a polished wide receiver, he needs a bit more work
and is still just scratching the surface on what he can
become. After a terrific spring, he might be too good to
keep off the field.
Strength: Size. This is a tall, tough
corps that should be able to beat up secondaries and
won’t have problems with blocking down the field. All
the top players are around 6-2ish and 200 pounds.
Weakness: A proven No. 2 receiver. Decker caught
84 passes for 1,074 yards and seven scores, but the
second most productive wide receiver, Brandon Green,
caught 20 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown. There
are plenty of good prospects, but the receiving corps
went into the tank once Decker went down and has to
prove it can produce on a consistent basis.
Outlook: This could be a major bright spot
as the season goes on. Having an All-American like Eric
Decker certainly helps to anchor the corps, but it’s the
emergence of big, young prospects like Da’Jon McKnight
and Hayo Carpenter that could make the passing game
shine. If a second target emerges as a major playmaker
on the other side of Decker, there should be a good
overall leap in passing game production.
Rating: 7
Offensive
Linemen
Projected Starters:
Why will the offensive line be better? The right
side should be much improved with the addition of
Matt Carufel,
a 6-5, 303-pound junior who started out his career at
Notre Dame, didn’t play, transferred, and now appears to
be fully matured and ready to become a major factor at
right tackle. Extremely strong with good feet to go
along with his size, he should be a rock for the running
game.
Also emerging as a key new
starter will be
Jeff Wills, a massive,
massive 6-7,
375-pound road grater who blots out the sun. The JUCO
transfer out of New York isn’t going to do much in pass
protection, but he’ll flatten everyone on the right side
in the running game. While he’s too heavy, he has the
frame to support it, to a point, and will be a great
upgrade at right tackle.
With Willis stepping up at right tackle, sophomore
Ryan Wynn will move inside after starting every game. After starting
every game in the regular season at right tackle, he
moved to right guard in the bowl game. A great prospect
who’s still improving, he’ll be a natural at center
where he’ll be able to use his 6-5, 291-pound size and
decent athleticism to pound away.
Senior Matt
Stommes is a smart, tough player who spent last year
trying to figure out what he was doing after moving over
from the defensive line. He saw a little bit of action,
but now he’s ready to be a steady starter at left tackle
with 6-7, 296-pound size and long arms to keep pass
rushers at bay. Can he handle speed rushers? That could
be one of the big keys to the team’s offensive success.
Able to play either guard or tackle, 6-3, 332-pound
junior Dominic Alford spend most of his time at
left guard. At 6-3 and 332 pounds, he has good
athleticism for his size and started out at left tackle
with average results. If needed, he could be used at
either left or right tackle again, where he was too
inconsistent, but he should be at home on the inside
where he can use his bulk to plow over blockers.
Projected Top Reserves: Pushing hard for
the starting left guard job is
D.J. Burris,
one of the team’s strongest players and one of the most
versatile with the ability to play either guard spot or
at center. He’s been a key part-time starter over the
last two years and saw time over the second half of the
season starting three straight games at right guard. He
had a hard time staying healthy as a freshman, but he
showed big-time promise. Now he might get his chance.
At 6-2 and 320 pounds,
senior Ned Tavale
is a huge blocker who started most of 2007 at left
guard and split time as a starter at right guard. While
he’s not quite the athlete who fit the spread offense,
he should see more time and be better now that there’s
more of an emphasis on pounding away.
One of the most experienced backups is 6-5, 278-pound
junior Ryan Ruckdashel, a career spot starter and
key reserve who can play either guard spot and is a key
special teamer. While he’s not a pounder, he’s decent on
the move and can slide to left tackle without a problem,
he’ll work behind Matt Stommes as a pas protector.
6-2, 276-pound sophomore
Trey Davis
can play guard if needed but is a pure center. While
he’s not huge, he’s physical and has tremendous upside.
A great recruit for the program, he had several offers
to go to other schools but has yet to shine through as
anything more than a spot starter. He starters the final
three games of the year, and two games early on, but he
didn’t beat anyone up.
Watch Out For ... the right side. With the
addition of Wills and Carufel, the line got an immediate
infusion of talent to upgrade 2/5th of the
line. They’re big, they’re powerful, and they’re ready
to be major factors.
Strength: Experience. For good and bad,
the line went through a lot of shifting last season to
try to find a combination that worked. Now there’s
veteran depth, battles for a few spots, and a good
combination of talent and experience.
Weakness: Consistency. There wasn’t much of it
over the last few years for the running game, while the
pass protection became a problem after leading the Big
Ten in sacks allowed in 2006 and 2007. There was rarely
the same starting combination two games in a row.
Outlook: After struggling to find anything
that worked and doing nothing for the running game, the
line should be far better thanks to the addition of Jeff
Wills and Matt Carufel on the right side. With those two
taking over, the line goes from shaky and a concern to
deep and talented with several players ready to emerge
as steady blockers. With the spread gone, this big group
will get to line up and pound away on someone … and
they’ll love it.
Rating: 6.5