Minnesota Gophers: True Freshmen To Watch in 2020

Every February (and now December) college football teams sign a new class of football players to join their program. It’s exciting to dream about what a prospect can become in the future but come September, some of those freshman will redshirt and wait for their opportunity to shine, while a few will be given the chance to make an immediate impact this season. In this series we will take a team by team look at the true freshman who could be given the opportunity to make a name for themselves in 2020. Today we will look at the Minnesota Gophers true freshmen to watch in 2020.

Daniel Jackson – WR

The departure of Tyler Johnson leaves an opening in the Minnesota wide receiver corps that one player likely won’t be able to fill. Of course the Gophers still have all everything wide receiver Rashod Bateman (#2 WR in our player rankings) who will be the top receiver for the team. He will be joined in the starting lineup by Chris Autman-Bell and Demetrius Douglas, who both showed promise last year. There were no other receivers on the team last year who caught more than one pass for the season. The Gopher’s offense returns some top talent and should be explosive in 2020 but there is a need for receivers to step up and provide quality depth. Jackson and fellow freshmen Jonathan Mann and Douglas Emilien will have an opportunity to crack the two deep and provide depth in 2020.

Jackson was a high school star in Kansas at Bishop Miege High School. Jackson has good speed and acceleration which allows him to create easy separation with his routes. He does a good job of tracking the ball, and though he is not a big player, he high points the ball well when catching. Once he has the ball Jackson is an elusive runner with enough strength and balance to break tackles and create big yardage after the catch. He will need time to acclimate to the increased competition level, but Jackson is a talented receiver who can play inside or outside at the college level. He will represent himself well on the football field and provide good depth for the Gophers in 2020.

Ky Thomas – RB

With both Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks no longer carrying the ball for the Gophers the running back position will have a new look in 2020. Smith and Brooks combined for over 6,000 rushing yards at Minnesota. Mohamed Ibrahim (#24 RB in our player rankings) will be the likely starter for the Gophers and he is a talented and powerful running back. No matter how good Ibrahim is Minnesota will need other running backs to help shoulder the burden. There are a few talented options available who have been in the program like Cam Wiley, Bryce Williams, Jason Williamson, and Trey Potts. While all four are talented players and have had some level of success, they have not had enough success to prevent Thomas from finding his way into the mix.

Thomas ran for over 3,000 yards and 35 TD in his senior season at Topeka High School in Kansas. Thomas plays the game with good balance and patience, keeping himself under control while waiting for the hole to appear then bursting through it with good acceleration. Once into the second level, Thomas has the lateral agility to make a player miss and the speed to finish the play in the end zone. He has the size to play at the Big Ten level and should get some opportunities early in his career. There are a lot of running backs vying for playing time, but Thomas will play this year and if he plays well he will continue to get opportunities. We think he will be able to get in the rotation at running back and become a contributor in 2020.

Gage Keys – SDE

The Gophers no longer have strongside defensive end Winston DeLattiboudere who played the majority of the snaps at the position in 2019. They also lost reserve Mayan Ahanotu to the transfer portal, he wasn’t going to be a starter but could have provided depth this year. Esezi Otomewo will be the starter and has been a contributor for the Gophers but there isn’t much depth left behind him. MJ Anderson is a talented redshirt freshman and will likely be the first reserve listed at the position, beyond that the Gophers will need someone else to provide depth. Keys enrolled early and despite the Corona virus shutdown of spring ball, did go through winter conditioning with the team. Now he has a chance to provide depth and get playing time at strongside defensive end this season.

Keys played his high school ball for Hilliard Davidson High School in Ohio, where he was in impact defensive player. The 6’5″ 250 lb Keys has great length and a good frame to add weight. Keys moves well and has the ability to close on the ball carrier quickly. He uses his hands well for a young player which should pay off at the collegiate level. As Keys improves his technique his size and speed combination will become a bigger factor and he should become an impressive player on the defensive line. Keys will play in 2020 as a depth player but should provide quality reps when called upon. He should see time as a rotational player this year and will put himself in the mix for more time going forward.

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