Gophers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., in coach P.J. Fleck's estimation, is "one of the best players in the country." Winfield, however, won't play in Saturday's homecoming game against Iowa — or in any other contest this season — because of a foot injury suffered in the Big Ten opener.
In place of Winfield, who might be the most indispensable player on the team, the Gophers are turning to Jordan Howden, a true freshman walk-on from Las Vegas.
No pressure, kid.
"He's a gamer," said Tico Rodriguez, Howden's coach at Desert Pines High School, the reigning Nevada Class 3A state champion. "He pretty much locked everybody down that we put him against."
That Howden is with the Gophers is a story in itself. He didn't join the program until June after receiving a walk-on offer. He was an under-the-radar recruit, Rodriguez believes, because he transferred from Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Calif., to Desert Pines for his senior season after his parents moved to Las Vegas.
"He kind of got lost in the shuffle, but he dominated in Nevada," said Rodriguez, who used Howden in a Winfield-like role by matching him against the opponent's best player, be it as a safety or a cornerback. "I was shocked other schools didn't jump on him, because I've had guys go to the Pac-12. I thought he was better."
Howden — who, per team policy regarding true freshmen, can't speak to the media — had interest from FCS-level Idaho State before Gophers defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae saw film of him.
"They really liked his length," Rodriguez said of the 5-11, 185-pounder. "I thought the kid was a diamond in the rough."
