Will Gophers get a second chance with former top in-state recruit Jaxon Howard?

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The Gophers football program missed out on defensive end Jaxon Howard, the top in-state recruit in the 2023 class, when the Robbinsdale Cooper product committed to LSU in July 2022.

The U now might get a second chance.

After one season in the SEC, Howard is expected to enter the NCAA transfer portal when it opens on Monday.

The Pioneer Press understands the Gophers will seek adding at least one defensive lineman via the portal, and the U will see if Howard’s desires and the U’s opportunities align this time around.

Howard, the son of former Stanford and Vikings lineman Willie Howard, had two tackles in five games last season, including one stop against Wisconsin in the ReliaQuest Bowl.

The Gophers had success in re-recruiting Quinn Carroll, the Edina offensive lineman who initially went to Notre Dame before coming back to Minnesota in 2022. He was the top player in the state in the 2019 class and has been a mainstay on the Gophers’ offensive line for the last two seasons.

The transfer portal will remain open until April 30. The U’s needs will shift considering which players on the current roster might leave.

“I don’t know,” head coach P.J. Fleck said about specific roster objectives. “It depends on what happens with if we lose players or things like that.”

Less than passing grade

It’s still spring ball, but the Gophers passing game looked in need of a lot of work during its open-to-fans practice Thursday.

New quarterback Max Brosmer is three weeks into the learning curve from FCS-level New Hampshire to the speed and size that comes within a Big Ten program.

“There is just small nuances,” Fleck said about Brosmer’s need to adjust. “Lineman are bigger, windows close faster, shape of the ball matters more.”

Brosmer didn’t have enough zip on one pass and it was intercepted during a team section of…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/gophers-second-chance-former-top-014000709.html

Author : Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.

Publish date : 2024-04-12 01:40:00

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