Midweek Review: 2021 Gophers Spring Game

The important thing to remember is that spring games are far less important than we sometimes like to act like it is. There's just not much to go off of when a set of guys from one team faces another from the same team in one game with often janky rules and sometimes several significant players unavailable. There are plenty of spring game all-stars who don't amount to much, just as there are guys who don't perform in spring games who turn into major contributors. With this much noise, that's how it goes.

That doesn't mean Saturday's 24-17 Maroon victory over Gold can't inform any part of how we understand the 2021 Gophers. Consider many of the following thoughts related to the spring game and partly supported by points of evidence it provided, but generally not observations on the game specifically.

Note: All stats I cite from Saturday's game are unofficial.

1. Though they lost an elite receiver, the Gophers have considerable depth at the position.

P.J. Fleck's Minnesota offenses have tended to concentrate targets to one or two top-end wideouts. First it was Tyler Johnson. Then it was Johnson and Rashod Bateman. Then it was Bateman and Chris Autman-Bell. Phillip Howard, Demetrius Douglas, Daniel Jackson, and younger versions of Autman-Bell have all chipped in as viable third or fourth options, and the arrival of co-offensive coordinator Mike Sanford Jr. has resulted in more opportunities to the tight ends. But the way Fleck does things has been made clear since he was at Western Michigan: There are the top dogs, and then there's the supporting cast.

Entering 2021, the question becomes whether that will change. After Bateman's second opt-out, the passing game became a little more democratized; though Autman-Bell was Tanner Morgan's favorite option, his 15 targets over two games didn't significantly outpace Jackson's 13, and Clay Geary and Mike Brown-Stephens each got the ball in key moments.

Meanwhile, 2020 signees Douglas Emilien and Jonathan Mann are coming off of redshirt years, and the 2021 class included five new receivers, the headliner likely being Texas A&M transfer Dylan Wright. The depth chart is full of players either experienced or intriguing, which sets up serious competition for snaps and may tempt Fleck to use a larger rotation.

The one guarantee is that Autman-Bell will be a starter. That didn't need solidifying, but his performance Saturday reminded anyone who had forgotten that while he's no Bateman, he's a very fine receiver who will at least make an NFL camp next year. His four-catch, 100-yard day made him the game's offensive MVP. Here is a sample of his work.

Autman-Bell has spent more time in the slot since his freshman season but is still best suited on the outside. Who plays opposite him is the first point of contention. Jackson is the presumed incumbent, but Wright's pedigree as a former four-star recruit suggests he could challenge for the spot. And while it's unlikely he wins a starting job, early enrollee Brady Boyd made a compelling audition this weekend with two catches for 60 yards.

Emilien, Mann, and Lemeke Brockington could also figure into the discussion. We'll have to see if Nnamdi Adim-Madumere moves to tight end full-time after filling in there for the spring game, but at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, he's certainly no slot receiver. There's also Dylan Hilliard-McGill, seemingly Seth Green's successor as Wildcat quarterback but officially another big-bodied wideout.

Unless Autman-Bell starts seeing most of his time inside, the slot competition is between two somewhat game-tested players in Geary and Brown-Stephens. Geary made one catch in his first four seasons in the program but earned a scholarship in 2019 and made his biggest mark with a four-catch day at Nebraska in 2020. And if spring game performances play a big role in deciding playing time, then he couldn't have done much more, having helped fuel the Gold team's late comeback push. This catch didn't count, but as Fleck told him afterwards, it showed that Geary could make a big play. (This comment was recorded by the Big Ten Network.)

The overall point is this: There's too much receiving talent on this team, with an effective quarterback and an experienced offensive line, for the passing game to sputter. And it would be a mistake for the Gophers' offensive brain trust to not take advantage of this depth and throw the ball more often.

2. Minnesota is in good shape at defensive tackle with Nyles Pinckney's arrival.

Pinckney looked impressive in his first appearance in a maroon jersey. He was the spring game's most impactful defensive tackle, mostly playing 3-technique next to DeAngelo Carter but switching to nose from time to time. While his only stats were the below 4th-down tackle and a quarterback hurry, Pinckney gave Gold guard Curtis Dunlap Jr. problems throughout the day.

Pinckney shed blocks and penetrated the backfield a good bit, suggesting he, Carter, and NC State transfer Val Martin (who didn't play Saturday) could form a formidable rotation at 3-technique. The fact that Pinckney and Carter can play nose in spots also gives coordinator Joe Rossi some flexibility. Having two starting-caliber tackles that are mobile enough to rush the passer but stout enough to plug holes is valuable. They can pair together for pass rush packages without losing much when Micah Dew-Treadway, a "truer" nose and incumbent starter, needs to leave the field, or they can move around to present different looks. In any case, Pinckney looks like a player who can contribute.

3. Minnesota has an abundance of capable running backs.

You're probably sensing a theme with this Gophers team: For various reasons, there's a lot of experience and subsequently no shortage of viable backups. That theme applies to the running backs as well.

Mohamed Ibrahim didn't play in the spring game so he could safely observe Ramadan, Ky Thomas was one of a handful of unspecified absentees, and four-star freshman Mar'Keise Irving isn't on campus yet. That still left four tailbacks with game experience available for the game. Two of them, Treyson Potts and Cam Wiley, averaged more than 6.0 yards per carry in limited time last season, and a third, Bryce Williams, has rushed for 502 yards as a freshman. None of the three (nor Preston Jelen) put up great numbers Saturday, but they've proven their abilities in games that have counted.

Because of that, I feel quite comfortable with the running back group both now and after Ibrahim finishes his Minnesota career. Ibrahim is going to get the most carries by far, but he doesn't need to do so. There are a lot of capable backs behind him to make his workload smaller, likely without much of a drop-off in production. And if Ibrahim misses any games in 2021, the rushing attack will be in good hands in his absence.

4. The linebacker group should benefit from a plethora of experienced options.

Following the graduations of Thomas Barber and Kamal Martin, Minnesota had to break in some new starters at linebacker in 2020. With Mariano Sori-Marin and Braelen Oliver each getting some rotation before stepping into the lineup, it seemed like with a bit of refining, they would each be ready to at least be passable replacements for the two departing Minnesota natives.

But then the pandemic happened, taking away valuable practice time, and when the Big Ten started its season in October, Oliver was unable to play due to injury. As a result, Sori-Marin was the most experienced linebacker available, and even he wasn't ready. The Gophers got torched on the ground a few times before improving to passability by the end of the season.

The good news: There are now five linebackers on the team who saw substantial amounts of playing time in 2020 to go with a returning Oliver, Abilene Christian transfer Jack Gibbens, and highly-regarded redshirt freshman Jaqwondis Burns. A former area of weakness should become a position of at least competence, if not strength.

Gibbens is unlikely to be a starter, coming from an average-at-best FCS team into a group of players established in the program, but it is worth noting he showed a nose for the ball in the early goings of the spring game. On the below play, he did well to cut through traffic and assist with the stop. There's a reason he made 125.5 tackles and 22.5 TFLs in three years as a regular at ACU.

That said, it doesn't look like he has the speed to make up for if he gets rerouted by a chipping blocker. That's what happened to him on this gain by Potts.

Cody Lindenberg, meanwhile, played like a more decisive and responsible player than he was in the fall. His 3.0 tackles (all solo) tied Gibbens for most among Maroon linebackers. One of those tackles was was a stuff of Williams.

As a group, the Gophers' linebackers still might still be a little undisciplined facing play-action. But they at least showed some presence of mind to bat down passes at the line, as Burns did here.

It's hard to tell just how good the Minnesota linebackers will be, but the sheer number of candidates for playing time tells me the team should find the right combinations of players.

5. Morgan's spring game performance gave no reason for concern.

Going into 2020, Morgan was rather unjustifiably being talked up as an NFL prospect, and when his season was a relative disappointment, he was talked about as a worse quarterback than he actually is. Morgan hasn't had a season where the narrative has matched his actual ability: that of a solid Big Ten starting quarterback, albeit a limited one. He's even among the conference's best, though that admittedly has much to do with the rest of the field's flaws.

Saturday, Morgan was sharper than his 9-of-17, 148-yard, 1-touchdown line suggests. Three Maroon receivers dropped passes (no Gold receivers did), which was worth a 17-point swing in completion rate in such a small sample. He was poised in the face of the rush and accurate with his throws, even on the run.

And while Zack Annexstad had the longest completions of the game, Morgan still connected with his receivers  downfield. He made his best throw of the day to convert a 3rd-and-22 in the fourth quarter, leading Autman-Bell to a space just behind Oliver and getting it just over the linebackers' arms.

You can't ask for a better placed throw than that.

6. Jah Joyner and M.J. Anderson had impressive days.

Boye Mafe and Esezi Otomewo are the likely starters at the two defensive end spots, but Joyner and Anderson gave a lot of reason for optimism for their backups. Joyner made a couple of sacks, but he also contributed against the run. The Gophers' running backs were looking for cutback lanes and reversing field all day; here, Joyner maintained his gap and tackled Potts for a minimal gain.

In addition to a run stuff, Anderson had the game's most pressures: two hurries and a sack. He showed a quickness and dip unexpected for a man weighing 280 pounds.

The two have nine years of eligibility remaining between them, so if this year's spring game is any indication, they could feature in the Gophers' lineup for a long time.

7. Unfortunately, it seems that goal-line fades were not scrapped from the playbook.

We're still doing this, huh?

Matt Simon was (presumably) the Gold playcaller, which isn't his job during the season, so it's best not to be too alarmed by this decision. Still, when the game ends in a make-or-break 4th-and-goal fade from the 3-yard line, that's at the very least an ugly way to end the dress rehearsal.

8. Minnesota might be developing a new utility player.

My earlier discussion of the receiver position neglected to mention another candidate for snaps: true freshman cornerback Justin Walley. He did have a reception on Saturday, and he turned it into a decent gain.

Of course, it was just one pop pass at the beginning of the game. Still, Bateman took the ball on this play a few times last season, and Johnson did the year before that. Walley also fielded kicks. This suggests the coaches think Walley could play three ways in his time as a Gopher.

9. A handful of depth defenders played real roles in the spring game.

Derik LeCaptain, Bishop McDonald, Danny Striggow, and Calvin Swenson are unlikely to factor much in the 2021 regular sesason. Though McDonald recently was placed on scholarship, he hasn't played a lot outside of special teams; the only player of the four who has received significant playing time is Swenson, who has been an occasional fill-in at safety since 2017.

But in their very literal day in the sun, the four reserves took advantage of their snaps. LeCaptain broke up a pass and forced a fumble, which McDonald recovered to go with his 5.0 tackles (5 solo). Striggow combined with Carter for a tackle for loss. And Swenson led the game in tackles with 6.0 (6 solo), cleaning up for the Gold team when the play reached the third level.

No, these numbers don't "count" — they aren't even officially kept; I had to count them up myself — but the fact that a handful of reserve players can meaningfully contribute in a game setting is one of the cool things about the event.

10. The Gophers made sure to throw in a few crowd-pleasers throughout the day.

Exhibitions like the spring game are good for the viewer. There are no stakes, there's no enemy, there's no charge to attend, there are limited breaks and review-triggered delays, and the weather is nice. It's all so carefree. Sports feel impossibly Important all the time, and having days to enjoy them without consequence is refreshing. Your team's spring game is a celebration of that team, being a fan, and of the joy of college football.

The coaches may not put it in all those terms, but they clearly make efforts to lean into the whimsy of the day. Washington State, for example, let the long snappers decide the coin toss with a "duel." In 2013, Nebraska gave a 7-year-old cancer patient the ball to run for a 69-yard touchdown.

Minnesota's contribution to the spring game bit library was a trick play mandate. (There was also a pregame shooting contest between Lindsay Whalen and Ben Johnson.) Maroon opened with the fun surprise of a Brown-Stephens touchdown pass, but the reason we're here isn't for that. It's lineman touchdowns.

I don't need to explain why linemen scoring or creating touchdowns will never get old. The reasons are self-evident.

But I do want to thank spring games for existing and providing an environment for ridiculous stuff. On no other occasion in this sport is anyone capable of self-awareness, or willing to subvert the very idea of football — big, manly, aggressive, revenue-generating football — in the name of good fun. The sport is better for this institution.