Q&A with Gophers tight end Brandon Lingen

Tight end Brandon Lingen had a breakout sophomore season for the Gophers in 2015, catching 33 passes for 428 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games against Big Ten teams. Lingen, a 6-5, 247-pound Wayzata graduate, chatted this week with the Star Tribune's Michael Rand after one of the Gophers' spring practices:

Q What's different about spring ball as opposed to the practices you go through in-season?

A You definitely have time and opportunities to work on your individual game in the spring, including the fundamentals. In fall camp, you're working to get cohesive as a team. Now, in addition to that, we're also working on individual techniques, breaking things down to get better.

Q What are your individual aspirations going into next year?

A Next year my goals are to be the best player I can be for the team and help this team in any way I can each and every week.

Q There is a pretty good legacy of tight ends at Minnesota — from Maxx Williams recently back to other guys who have played in the NFL like Matt Spaeth and Ben Utecht. Can you be the next in the line of greats?

A There have been a lot of incredible tight ends to come through here, and it's an honor to be part of that. But I don't think my work here is done. I think I need to keep getting better and keep working to be able to put myself in that category one day. I'm definitely not there yet.

A It's been great. Coach Claeys, I love the guy. He's been a great coach and is really great at communicating with us. He's a great guy. I'll play as hard as I can every play for him.

Q How has your chemistry with Mitch Leidner grown over time?

A Every day with Mitch, after practice and getting in a few extra throws, and as I've been able to be here longer with him, that chemistry has definitely grown.

Q You have a reputation for being a very complete tight end: route-running, catching the ball, blocking, all the facets of the position. How do you become a complete player at that position, and do you take a lot of pride in that aspect of your game?

A Yeah, definitely to be a good tight end in general, but especially here you're going to have to be able to block really well. Whether it's pass blocking or run blocking, to be that complete tight end and do as much as I can physically on the field to help the team win, that's what I try to do.

A I definitely had great coaches at Wayzata, and they really showed me that it doesn't matter how good you are, it's how hard you work. That work ethic that they instilled within me there has helped me transition here to become a college tight end.

Q Off the field, what should I know about you?