In the spirit of Opening Day, let's draw a quick analogy between the Gophers football team and the Twins.

Both fan bases have been hearing about help on the horizon. With the Twins, it's Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano, Alex Meyer, etc. These are some of the most promising prospects in baseball, but they're still in the minors, so who knows how good they'll eventually be?

With the Gophers, it's the trio of redshirt freshmen receivers: Isaiah Gentry, Melvin Holland Jr., and Desmond Gant. All three certainly look promising. Gentry is 6-4, 205 pounds. Holland is 6-3, 196. Gant is 6-3, 214.

All three have made plays this spring. Gentry has that extra gear, so to speak. Holland might be the most polished. Gant is a little more raw, but you can see the upside. With the spring game coming this Saturday, fans have been looking forward to seeing this trio.

But Gentry missed the past two practices with hamstring tightness, and Gant has been out with concussion symptoms. It's unclear how much, if any, they'll be able to do in the spring game.

So it's worth remembering the other returning receivers. KJ Maye (16 Rec, 298 yds) is back for his senior year and clearly a leader now. Drew Wolitarsky (10 Rec, 106 Yds), a junior, is back to full health after missing four games last November with a sprained ankle.

Then there's Eric Carter. The 5-11, 189-pound Florida native managed just one catch last season as a redshirt freshman, but he's taken a step in his development this spring.

"He's done a nice job, he really has," Gophers coach Jerry Kill said. "He's improved a bunch, probably as much as anybody."

The Gophers are using Jeff Jones as a slot receiver in addition to tailback. Add it up, and there should be plenty of intriguing receiving options to watch at the spring game.