Jay Sawvel: Gophers secondary will go through early 'trial and error'

The Gophers released a standard depth chart this week, with two cornerbacks and two safeties, but they'll be spending a lot of time in the nickel defense (five DBs), too.

With starters in bold, the depth chart went:

CORNER: Ray Buford/Antonio Shenault

SAFETY: Damarius Travis/Jacob Huff or Antonio Winfield

SAFETY: Adekunle Ayinde/Duke McGhee

CORNER: Jalen Myrick/Kiondre Thomas or Coney Durr

KiAnte Hardin, a projected starting cornerback, had been out of practice for a couple days because of something he needed to do in the training room, defensive coordinator Jay Sawvel said. Nothing too serious, so it sounds like Hardin could play against Oregon State next Thursday.

"We'll have to see," Sawvel said. "Antonio Shenault's worked it, Antoine Winfield's worked it, Coney Durr's worked it. We know we can use Damarius [Travis] there; that's not where we really want to use him. Kunle has worked it, so we'll just have to see with that a little bit."

Sawvel noted that the Gophers have Myrick and then six cornerbacks who are freshmen or sophomores. He is very high on those young players, even true freshmen Thomas, Durr and Winfield. But it's going to take some patience.