College football doesn't return in earnest for almost six months, but we'll be getting glimpses of the sport from spring practices in March and April. For the Gophers and second-year coach P.J. Fleck, that begins Tuesday, with the first of 15 sessions, including the April 14 spring game.
The Gophers — coming off a 5-7 season that featured major adjustments as Fleck installed his program and its "Row the Boat" culture — enter spring ball with momentum from a recruiting Class of 2018 that ranked among the top 25 on early signing day and hope that continued development will produce results. After closing the 2017 season with losses to Northwestern and Wisconsin by a combined 70-0, Minnesota faces a 2018 schedule that features games against seven bowl teams and five Big Ten road trips. A productive spring could help the team hit the ground running in training camp in August.
Fleck and his coaching staff will have plenty of questions to address with this team. Here are some of the biggest ones entering spring practice:
Who will be the quarterback?
This, of course, is the question that will determine much of the Gophers' success in 2018. Gone are last year's co-starters Demry Croft (transferred to Tennessee State) and Conor Rhoda (graduated). Neither Croft nor Rhoda was a difference-maker, with the Gophers ranking 122nd in FBS in passing offense (126.1 yards per game) and 123rd in total offense (308.5). The Gophers had only nine touchdown passes all year.
So, Minnesota's aim is to get much more productivity from under center, and the top two candidates to do so are Vic Viramontes of Riverside (Calif.) City College, the nation's top-ranked dual-threat junior college QB in the 2018 recruiting class, and Tanner Morgan, who redshirted for the Gophers last year. On his WCCO Radio appearance Sunday, Fleck also mentioned two others as in the mix: third-year sophomore Seth Green and freshman Zack Annexstad of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., who enrolled in January.
However, don't expect spring practice to determine the 2018 starter. "It's going to be a fun battle, all the way through spring, and it's going to go into training camp as well," Fleck said. "This isn't something where I'll name a starter after 15 spring practices."
Who will carry the ball?
The Gophers are in decent shape here, with seniors Rodney Smith (977 rushing yards in 2017) and Shannon Brooks (359 yards, five TDs) returning. Brooks was limited to six games last year because of a variety of injuries, but Fleck recently said he's ready to go. Bruising back Kobe McCrary used up his eligibility, but junior Jonathan Femi-Cole could take his place.
Who will catch the ball?
The Gophers found out how reliant they were on leading receiver Tyler Johnson, who broke a hand against Nebraska and missed the final two games, in which Minnesota had a combined five receptions for 83 yards. Johnson, who led the team with 35 catches for 677 yards and seven TDs, should build on that solid sophomore season. The return of freshmen Demetrius Douglas and Chris Autman-Bell from injuries should help. Fleck said he remains confident that Douglas, who played three games last year before being injured, will qualify for a medical redshirt from the NCAA.
