Rashod Bateman Opts Out: What It Means For Minnesota

News broke on Tuesday that star wide receiver Rashod Bateman would opt out of the 2020 season and instead focus on the 2021 NFL Draft. Bateman is one of the best receivers in all of college football and will be missed by the Gophers and college football fans everywhere. We look at the impact his decision has on the Minnesota football team and how the Gophers will attempt to fill in for the superstar receiver.

The Loss Of An Elite Playmaker

Minnesota lost leading 2019 receiver Tyler Johnson after the 2019 season and was counting on Bateman to be the lead receiver in 2020. Bateman was the #2 ranked receiver in our initial 2020 WR Rankings and was expected to have a big season. With Johnson gone, QB Tanner Morgan was expected to lean on Bateman as his go-to option this coming season. Bateman has the requisite skills to be a true number one option who opens the field up for his teammates.

Bateman has a good combination of size and speed which allowed him to make big plays week to week. There is little on the football field that he does not do well. Bateman has the speed and acceleration to run past defenders and score from anywhere on the field, but also is a physical player who uses his size and strength to win in contested situations. Bateman is excellent at high pointing the ball and has the catch radius to make incredible catches look routine. His talent and ability make him one of the best receivers in the country.

In Bateman, Minnesota is losing their most productive returning receiver with 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 TD. As is often the case, the stats alone do not tell the whole story, Bateman created a mismatch with most defensive backs just by lining up, and forced the defense to account for him which opened up the field for other players to make plays. He was the Gophers best big play threat, but was also a reliable receiver who could be counted on to move the chains consistently. There are few players in the country that can do what Bateman does, making it a tremendous challenge to replace him.

Stepping Into A Lead Role

Chris Autman-Bell was the third leading receiver for the Gophers in 2019 with 28 catches for 371 yards and 5 TD. Autman-Bell has been productive in his first two seasons but had the luxury of playing with Johnson and Bateman who took the lion’s share of the defense’s attention. He was supposed to step into the number two role in 2020 but those plans have now changed and Autman-Bell will need to be the lead receiver for Minnesota. He has three years of experience in the program and the talent to be a key contributor in 2020.

Autman-Bell will be asked to do more than ever and will need to prove he is up to the challenge. In 2019, he did not have a single game with over 100 yards receiving and only exceeded 50 yards receiving in two games. Obviously it was difficult to get opportunities playing with Tyler Johnson and Bateman who received most of the targets last season. In 2020, Autman-Bell will be asked to be the go to receiver, which means more targets but it also means being the focus of the defense. He has shown flashes of his talent over the past two seasons and is a promising player.

Chris Autman-Bell has good size and strength at the receiver position making him an asset in jump-ball situations. He combines that physicality with good speed and burst that allows him to create separation and make big plays after the catch. He has good hands and body control, adjusting to the football well and catching it naturally. The physical tools are exciting and should allow Autman-Bell to prosper in his new role, but it would be unfair to expect him produce at the level Bateman was expected to in 2020. Other players will need to step up and help Autman-Bell makeup for the loss of Bateman.

The Time Is Now

Demetrius Douglas arrived at Minnesota in 2017 with Autman-Bell, but has yet to establish himself as a key contributor for the Gophers. He has played some over the past three seasons but 2019 was his most productive season and he only had 14 catches for 157 yards on the season. He will need to make major strides in 2020 to help make up for the loss of Bateman. Douglas has good physical tools and could be a breakout candidate this coming season.

Douglas is a good athlete who has the speed to be a game breaker in the Big Ten. He shows good change of direction skills and can make defenders miss in the open field. He has made big plays from time to time as a receiver and in the return game but has yet to find any consistency. Douglas was in the poll position to be a starter in 2020 anyway, but the need for him to become a steady contributor has increased significantly. It’s time to find out if Douglas just needed an opportunity or if the Gophers need to look elsewhere at the receiver position.

A Promising Youngster

Daniel Jackson is a highly thought of recruit who could make an impact in 2020. We always expected him to be a contributor as a true freshman, but the loss of Bateman may speed up the timetable. Instead of being brought along slowly and getting opportunities to learn and show what he can do, Jackson may be needed sooner than expected and asked to be a real contributor quickly. Fortunately he is a talented prospect and may have the highest ceiling of any receiver on the team other than Bateman.

Jackson has the speed and burst to create easy separation against defensive backs. He tracks the football well and high points to make the catch. He is a big play threat with the ball in his hands who has a good elusiveness and strength. He has the versatility to be an inside receiver or to play on the outside. He will be able to contribute in many ways for the Gophers and should become a key player in 2020. The talent is evident so if he can pick up the offense quickly and adjust to the college game, it will go a long way towards filling the void left by Bateman.

Conclusion

There are other receivers who will be given the opportunity to help mitigate the loss of Bateman. Seth Green is a fifth year senior and has carved out a role as a wildcat quarterback but has the size and athleticism to be a threat as a pass catcher. PJ Fleck has recruited better athletes to Minnesota over the past few recruiting classes and there are other talented players who have not yet been able to show what they can do. It will take more than one player to fill in for a player as talented as Bateman meaning the opportunity is there for several players to step up in 2020.

In the end, Bateman is a rare talent and it will be nearly impossible to not miss his production at all. But the true damage of him opting out will be determined by how well the players replacing him perform. If Autman-Bell, Douglas, Jackson and others can elevate their game the Gophers could minimize the damage of what at this time seems to be a devastating loss. The road to the Big Ten title game may have gotten tougher, but there is still a path for the Gophers to make it to the Big Ten Championship Game.

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TCF Bank Stadium 2 image taken by minnemom is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.