The Gophers have already lost one player who opted out of the season, and coach P.J. Fleck "can't predict" whether there will be more.
But he does know he won't judge them if they do.
"You give them a choice," Fleck said. "… If a player decides he's going to play, he's going to have support from me. But what I've also told my team is: It's your decision. Don't influence someone else to play if you're going to play. … We all have our own circumstances, and we have our own families, and we all have our own choices to make. But if you're not going to play, don't influence somebody who wants to play."
So far, Rashod Bateman, Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2019, is the only Gophers player sitting out the season, focusing on the 2021 NFL draft. About 30 players from across Division I have made similar decisions.
Zack is back
Quarterback Zack Annexstad will return healthy this season, Fleck said Friday. Annexstad was the starter in 2018 before injuries halfway through the season sidelined him and Tanner Morgan took over. Morgan then started all of last season, setting a handful of single-season passing records, after Annexstad had foot surgery early in training camp.
"The addition of Mike Sanford [Jr., new offensive coordinator] has continued to help Zack's development as well as all the quarterbacks," Fleck said. "Cole [Kramer] and Jacob [Clark] have come on strong. You can tell they were working on their own when they were away."
'Grasshoppers' excite
Always a fan of analogies, Fleck compared some of his defensive players to grasshoppers trapped in a jar, bouncing around and hitting the lid.
Well, now the lid is off — senior starters ahead of them have left.