Freshman QB Seth Green shows Gophers he's a quick learner

Gophers offensive coordinator Jay Johnson noted Thursday that freshman quarterback Seth Green should be getting ready for his high school prom.

Instead, Green graduated from high school early, enrolled at the university in January and is competing in his first spring football practice. Johnson said Green "has done tremendous."

With Mitch Leidner recovering from foot surgery, Demry Croft and Conor Rhoda have received most of the reps with the first-team offense. Green is getting reps, though.

Green's throwing motion is a bit unorthodox, with a delivery more to the side than over the top.

"It's something we continue to work on," Johnson said. "I think it's improving each and every day. The ball really comes out well. He has an unbelievably strong arm, but I think we can clean up some fundamental things, trying to get the ball out quicker and more efficiently.

"But throwing — that's just like shooting a basketball or anything. That's going to be a process. I mean, that could be a year or two. But he's taken steps, and with all the video technology, he can really learn."

In an expected move, the Gophers have shifted junior college transfer Garrison Wright from guard to left tackle.

Wright worked with the second-string offensive line Thursday but is a likely starter this fall with Connor Mayes at left guard, Tyler Moore at center, Vincent Calhoun at right guard and Jonah Pirsig at right tackle.

The Gophers feel good about their linebacker corps and know they need to improve at defensive end, especially with the pass rush.

Last year, they used linebacker Julian Huff as a pass-rushing end, and they continue to experiment this spring.

"You've got to look at it based on the players you have, and the players you maybe have coming in," defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel said, referring to incoming linebacker recruits Carter Coughlin and Kamal Martin. "What are our strengths, and what could be our strengths? What were our weaknesses?

"So there's going to be some tweaks, some things that maybe are a bit different than we've done before."

• Leidner (foot surgery) has progressed to the point where he's doing 7-on-7 passing drills, but that will be the extent of what he does this spring, Johnson said.

• Croft is listed at 6-5 and 200 pounds. "I want him to be a little bit more [heavy] for durability sake, but I also want him to be able to run," Johnson said. "So I think if we can legitimately get up to 210-215 and his movement skills aren't hindered, that's what we'll try to get to."