Tracy Claeys tabs Jonathan Celestin, Brandon Lingen and Rodney Smith as 2017 captains

Jonathan Celestin and Rodney Smith were teammates at Mundy's Mill High School in Jonesboro, Ga., before coming to Minnesota.

December 1, 2016 at 8:58PM
Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Brandon Lingen (86)
Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Brandon Lingen (86) (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers coach Tracy Claeys named three team co-captains for the 2017 season, picking linebacker Jonathan Celestin, tight end Brandon Lingen and running back Rodney Smith.

Celestin leads the Gophers with 79 tackles, heading into the bowl game. Lingen is a co-captain this year but has missed most of the season with injuries. Smith leads the team and ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 1,084 rushing yards.

Celestin and Smith were teammates at Mundy's Mill High School in Jonesboro, Ga., before coming to Minnesota. Lingen hails from Wayzata.

With one game still to go this season, the Gophers will learn their bowl destination and opponent on Sunday.

about the writer

about the writer

Joe Christensen

Sports team leader

Joe Christensen, a Minnesota Star Tribune sports team leader, graduated from the University of Minnesota and spent 15 years covering Major League Baseball, including stops at the Riverside Press-Enterprise and Baltimore Sun. He joined the Minnesota Star Tribune in 2005 and spent four years covering Gophers football.

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