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Joe Christensen covered Major League Baseball for 15 years, including three seasons at the Baltimore Sun and eight at the Star Tribune, before switching to the college football beat. He’s a Faribault, Minn., native who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1996. He covered Jim Wacker’s Gophers for the Minnesota Daily and also wrote about USC, UCLA and the Rose Bowl for the Riverside Press-Enterprise before getting this chance to cover football again.
Email Joe to talk about the Gophers.
Posts about Gophers player capsules
Gophers player capsule: DT Cameron Botticelli
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: March 13, 2013 - 11:19 AM
Less than two weeks now, until the start of spring practice (March 26), let’s take a look at another returning starter on defense:
CAMERON BOTTICELLI
Number: 46
Position: Defensive lineman
Eligibility: Redshirt junior
Height/Weight: 6-5/284
High School: Milwaukee Marquette
Recruiting flashback: Botticelli was an All-State linebacker who helped lead Marquette University High School to a 2009 state championship. He was listed as a two-star recruit by Rivals.com, and walked-on with the Gophers.
Early college: He redshirted in 2010 and played in all 12 games in 2011, recording six tackles.
2012 rewind: Botticelli’s emergence was notable last spring, when defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys explained the appeal of having nimble 280-pound defensive tackles, especially with so many offenses moving to the spread. Botticelli started all 13 games at defensive tackle, playing next to Ra’Shede Hageman, and finished with 21 tackles.
2013 outlook: Outgoing senior D.L. Wilhite called Botticelli the “unsung hero of the defensive line. I know there are times I make a play just because he’s in his gap, doing his thing, keeping people occupied.” Now, along with Hageman and fellow returning starter Michael Amaefula, Botticelli will work to keep the D-line a strength of this team moving forward.
Gophers player capsule: OL Zac Epping
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: March 12, 2013 - 10:54 AMThe Gophers football team is starting it season-ticket renewals today, and this web page plays off the charged atmosphere at the Syracuse game last fall.
I was in Detroit covering the Twins that weekend but watched parts of the Gophers’ 17-10 win in a sports bar. People tell me it was the kind of night that reminds people what’s possible at TCF Bank Stadium.
When spring practice opens March 26, the Gophers will be without offensive linemen Ed Olson (ankle surgery) and Zach Mottla (broken leg). But the coaching staff is still excited about the depth of the O-line. Brian Bobek, Jonah Pirsig, Isaac Hayes and among those who'll get a chance to show what they can do.
And here’s a look at one of the linemen who played a key role last year:
ZAC EPPING
Number: 52
Position: Offensive lineman
Eligibility: Redshirt junior
Height/Weight: 6-2/306
High School: Kenosha (Wis.) Tremper
Recruiting flashback: Listed as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Epping had an offer from Jerry Kill’s staff at Northern Illinois, but committed to Tim Brewster and the Gophers. Epping was a Wisconsin All-State selection as a senior and actually was a standout defensive player in high school.
Early college: He redshirted in 2010 and played in all 12 games in 2011, starting eight.
2012 rewind: Epping and Josh Campion were the Gophers' only offensive linemen to start all 13 games. Epping moved from left guard to center, when the Gophers had to turn to their third option there after injuries to Zach Mottla and Jon Christenson.
2013 outlook: Epping’s intensity showed in the bowl game when he took back-to-back personal foul penalties. His versatility showed when he willingly moved to center, with his team in a pinch. And his accountability showed when he owned his mistakes with the media after two fumbled snaps against Northwestern. Throw in his durability, and the Gophers are glad to have him around for the next two seasons.
Gophers player capsule: WR Isaac Fruechte
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: March 8, 2013 - 9:53 AMI'll be back at Ridder Arena tonight to see if the Gophers women's hockey team can extend its 44-game winning streak, as they play Ohio State in the semifinals of the WCHA Final Face-Off.
Meanwhile, with 18 days remaining until spring practice, let's take a look at another returning member of the Gophers' receiving corps:
ISAAC FRUECHTE
Number: 14
Position: Wide Receiver
Eligibility: Redshirt junior
Height/Weight: 6-3/210
High School: Caledonia
Recruiting flashback: Fruechte (pronounced Freck-te) was a standout receiver for Caledonia but didn’t receive any D-I offers out of high school.
Early college: He landed at Rochester Community and Technical College, where he caught 30 passes for 800 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman in 2010. Fruechte sat out the 2011 season and transferred to Minnesota in time for spring practice last year.
2012 rewind: Fruechte is deceptively fast and started making his mark in spring practice. While other receivers higher on the depth chart fell off the grid, he started nine of the team’s last 11 games and finished with 19 catches for 256 yards and two touchdowns. His production did trail off over the final three games, however, as he combined for just one catch for four yards against Nebraska, Michigan State and Texas Tech.
2013 outlook: Of Minnesota’s returning receivers, only Derrick Engel had more yards (375) last season. Fruechte still has two years of eligibility remaining and will look to build off 2012. Jamel Harbison should be back from his knee injury, but Andre McDonald will miss spring practice while working through some personal issues. Fruechte will get more chances to show what he can do at the Division I level.
Gophers player capsule: WR Derrick Engel
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: March 6, 2013 - 11:01 AMI started this player capsule series determined to find some of the best stories on the Gophers roster. Here's another good one:
DERRICK ENGEL
Number: 18
Position: Wide Receiver
Eligibility: Fifth-year senior
Height/Weight: 6-2/182
High School: Chaska
Recruiting flashback: Engel was an honorable mention All-State selection at Chaska and had preferred walk-on offers at Minnesota, Wisconsin and Nebraska. Rivals.com listed him as a two-star recruit.
Early college: He picked Winona State, where he made an immediate impact as a freshman. As a sophomore in 2010, he was an All-NSIC selection. He transferred to Minnesota and sat out the 2011 season, under NCAA rules.
2012 rewind: Engel started just one game (at Nebraska) but played in 12 and finished with 18 catches for 375 yards and one touchdown. He kept climbing the ladder as the Gophers lost other receivers through attrition. Jamel Harbison tore an ACL, A.J. Barker quit and Andre McDonald was suspended from the bowl game for violating team rules. Against Texas Tech, Engel was a go-to guy for Philip Nelson, catching four passes for 108 yards. Engel also was an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
2013 outlook: Engel is the Gophers’ leading returning receiver. Granted, we’re only talking about 375 yards, but his career is a testament to determination, so it’ll be fun seeing how he finishes.
Gophers player capsule: WR Jamel Harbison
Posted by: Joe Christensen Updated: March 5, 2013 - 10:38 AMI spent a few hours inside the Gibson-Nagurski Football Complex at Minnesota's Pro Day on Monday and took heart knowing the weather should be considerably better once spring practice begins for the Gophers, on March 26.
Here's a look at one of the players the coaching staff can't wait to see back out on the field:
JAMEL HARBISON
Number: 16
Position: Wide receiver
Eligibility: Redshirt freshman
Height/Weight: 5-11/195
High School: Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek
Recruiting flashback: He scored 21 touchdowns as a high school senior in 2011, and drew a four-star rating from ESPN.com, which ranked him as the nation’s No. 32 receiving recruit. Rivals.com listed him as a three-star recruit, with other offers from West Virginia, Vanderbilt, Virginia and North Carolina State.
2012 rewind: Harbison had a terrific fall camp and started the season opener against UNLV. But in the second quarter, he was tackled hard on a running play and tore the ACL in his right knee. The only salvation for the Gophers was knowing it happened early enough for Haribson to qualify for a medical redshirt. “The good Lord is probably telling us we need to redshirt him anyway,” Coach Jerry Kill said that week. “Am I disappointed? Yeah, I think Jamel had a chance to be one of our premier offensive players. At the same time, I know I’ve got him for four years.”
2013 outlook: Harbison’s rehab is said to be going well. It sounds like he’ll be ready for spring practice, though the Gophers will be careful not to push him too hard only six months out of surgery. The focus will be on getting Harbison ready for the Aug. 29 season opener against UNLV. With A.J. Barker’s departure, Derrick Engel (375 yards) and Isaac Fruechte (256 yards) are the team’s top returning receivers. That unit could take a big step forward once Harbison returns to full speed.
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