Gophers football fall camp scrimmage showcases young talent

The Gophers football team's fall camp scrimmage last weekend didn't include all of the starters, but P.J. Fleck was impressed with quarterback Tanner Morgan and some younger players on both sides.

Morgan continued to develop his chemistry with his wide receivers minus veteran Chris Autman-Bell, who has been sidelined by a lower leg injury.

"I thought Tanner played well," Fleck said Monday about the scrimmage. "He was able to distribute the ball who he needed to distribute it to. Some of our young wideouts played really well."

Fleck praised junior offensive lineman Nathan Boe, who played six games last season, including one start at center. Texas A&M transfer Dylan Wright, one of the primary targets for Morgan in practice without Autman-Bell, has also emerged as a potential starting receiver in the Sept. 2 opener against Ohio State.

"I thought Dylan Wright had a really good scrimmage," Fleck said. "He just has to keep getting better."

On the defensive side, Fleck mentioned defensive linemen Austin Booker and Luther McCoy and linebacker Devon Williams and defensive back Darius Green — all four are freshmen — for turning heads in the scrimmage.

"Our freshman class is very talented," he said. "And we let them play a ton of snaps. There are a lot of guys who really did well. I liked where we were as a team and the execution on both sides."

Fleck said Autman-Bell has gone from "week-to-week" to "day-to-day," but the Gophers leading returning receiver is still questionable for the Ohio State game. The senior hurt his lower right leg and was helped off the field after being tackled during a one-on-one drill in practice Aug. 12.