4 October 2023
The Gophers will be without starting wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington for the rest of the 2023 football season, the Pioneer Press learned Wednesday.
Brockington was injured in the second quarter of last Saturday’s 35-24 victory over Louisiana. It immediately looked serious as Brockington was downfield blocking when he was bent backward awkwardly as running back Zach Evans accidentally rolled up on Brockington’s legs.
Brockington had his lower left leg immediately put in an immobilizing brace and was taken on a cart to the locker room at Huntington Bank Stadium. The third-year player from Moultrie, Ga., gave fans a thumbs up as he was taken inside. The specific injury diagnosis is not known.
Brockington had an eight-percent target share through five games, which was fourth-highest on the team this season. He has nine total targets for five receptions, 73 yards and one touchdown.
Elijah Spencer, a transfer from Charlotte, is expected to see a bigger role now that Brockington is out for the final seven games. Spencer has four targets and three receptions for 27 yards in five games.
Minnesota primarily has relied on Daniel Jackson and Corey Crooms Jr. at receiver. Jackson has a team-high 29.4 percent target share, while Crooms is at 26.7. Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford comes in third at 18.7.
The Gophers already have been playing with receiver Chris Autman-Bell limited to less than 100 percent. Coming off an ACL injury last September, Autman-Bell has missed two games this season and has two targets and no receptions in the other three games.
Fleck on NIL
After last week’s comments about name, image and likeness (NIL) funding, head coach Fleck was asked by the Pioneer Press on Monday if there were certain things the Gophers’ NIL collective Dinkytown Athletes can do to be successful.
He reiterated his bottom line of the situation.
“Collectives and NIL and having our players have NIL money — that is how college football has changed, period,” Fleck said. “Look around the country, if you want to keep your roster in tact, that is going to cost somebody money, or you are going to lose your roster. That’s a fact.”
A house divided?
The Striggow family in Long Lake, Minn., has Danny playing defensive end for the Gophers, Bobby wrestling for Michigan and Jackson as a former Wolverines wrestler.
But come the Gophers’ game Saturday night against No. 2 Michigan, the family will unite in maroon and gold, Danny said.
“They are Gopher fans for this week,” Danny said of his brothers. “They are always obviously Gopher football fans, but they are Michigan football fans every other week of the year, until it’s Gophers vs. Wolverines, then they are 100 percent Gopher fans.”
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