29 August 2023
During the Gophers football team’s open practices in preseason, it was sometimes hard to find defensive line coach Winston DeLattiboudere among his pupils.
While DeLattiboudere played 51 games for the U from 2016-19, the current Gophers D-line make their new position coach look small.
DeLattiboudere stands 6-foot-2 and played defensive end at roughly 250 pounds, but the Gophers now have a trio of specimens at that end spot — Jah Joyner (6-5, 265), Jalen Logan-Redding (6-4, 285) and Anthony Smith (6-6, 285).
“This is no disrespect to our tremendous defensive line coach,” head coach P.J. Fleck said about the discrepancy during his FOX 9 show last week.
Fleck has often said it’s his job to out-recruit his current players, and that rangy and bulky trio is maybe the best example yet. The five-technique defensive end spot is arguably the deepest position on the U’s full roster this season.
The Gophers defense has been one of the nation’s best in every full season since 2019, but it has often done so without a consistent pass rush from just the D-line. It was a focal point in hiring DeLattiboudere after the 2022 season as well as bringing in Dennis Dottin-Carter as a senior defensive analyst. Pass rush was a big emphasis in spring practices, with more periods dedicated to its finer points.
“I definitely think we are better,” Fleck said before Thursday’s season opener against Nebraska. “We are going to find that out come game day. Game day is the ultimate test and judgement of where we are at.”
The Gophers produced only 19 sacks in 13 games in 2022; that ranked tied for 111th in the country. Joyner led the team with 32 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, but only 1 1/2 sacks. Logan-Redding had 16 pressures and one sack. Rush end Danny Striggow had 11 pressures and 3 1/2 sacks.
“The biggest emphasis this offseason was on learning the depth of the quarterback,” Joyner explained. “Learning how to get to the top of my rush, bending more, finishing on the quarterback. … We had some hits on the quarterback. We just didn’t finish.”
If the Gophers can create more pressure and sacks on the quarterback with their front four linemen, it will help ease the load on a secondary in transition. The U welcomes back star safety Tyler Nubin and standout cornerback Justin Walley but have to replace safety Jordan Howden and Terell Smith, who are now in the NFL.
Darius Green, who stepped in for an injured Nubin in the Pinstripe Bowl, will now start alongside Nubin. The other cornerback spot is not so clear-cut with a trio of players in the mix against the Cornhuskers.
The middle of the Gophers defense is also trying to reload. Linebacker Cody Lindenberg appears to be an all-Big Ten-type performer, but last year’s leading tackler, Mariano Sori-Marin, is gone. Devon Williams had a strong camp, Fleck said. He is competing with Western Michigan transfer Ryan Selig and Maverick Baronowski for playing time.
Gophers two-deep depth chart
Position — Name (years remaining)
DE — Jah Joyner (3); Jalen Logan-Redding (3)
DT — Darnell Jefferies (1); Devin Eastern (3);
DT — Kyler Baugh (1); Logan Richter (2)
DL — Danny Striggow (2); Chris Collins (1)
LB — Cody Lindenberg (3); Maverick Baranowski (4)
LB — Devon Williams (3); Ryan Selig (1)
CB — Tre’Von Jones (1); Tariq Watson (4)
CB — Justin Walley (2); Tyler Bride (2)
NB — Jack Henderson (2); Bride
S — Tyler Nubin (1); Coleman Bryson (4)
S — Darius Green (3); Aidan Gousby (4)
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