MINNEAPOLIS -- The Gophers' 2014 season is officially over, but that doesn't mean we couldn't do one more mailbag before calling it a wrap on the season. This edition of the mailbag takes a look forward at Minnesota's team and what lies ahead in 2015. Thanks as always to everyone who submitted questions. Here we go:
Q: What is next season's defense and DB situation going to look like? --Bubba, Carroll, Iowa
A: The Gophers should actually be in decent shape defensively, and that includes the secondary. The biggest loss there is senior safety Cedric Thompson, who not only emerged as a solid player for Minnesota but also an even better leader. He filled the void left behind when Brock Vereen graduated and was drafted by the Chicago Bears. But Thompson is really the only senior who saw significant playing time that won't be back next year. Minnesota returns redshirt junior cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who had a breakout year with a team-high five interceptions. Shutdown cornerback Eric Murray is back, and the Gophers have some speed and talent in the secondary with guys like Jalen Myrick, Damarius Travis and Antonio Johnson all returning, too.
As far as the rest of the defense, the Gophers will lose defensive tackle Cameron Botticelli to graduation. Though he might not have been a high-profile player, Botticelli was solid and was a three-year starter. Fellow lineman Michael Amaefula also graduates, and losing linebacker Damien Wilson -- the team's leading tackler -- to graduation certainly hurts. But overall, Minnesota returns plenty of experience across the board on defense. That's a good thing for a defensive unit that continued to make positive strides in 2014.
Q: I think the coaching staff took some big punches by the Tiger's staff in this game, but I think the biggest factor is the lack of talent. I think the Gopher's coaches have done a superb job with the talent they have, but a roster dominated by players rated with high 2 and low 3 star rated talent just isn't going to cut it against the top competition. I'd sure like to see what Coach Kill and his staff could do with a roster dominated with high 3, 4 and even 5 star rated players like the top teams do. The question is, how do they get them? -- Jim, Deerwood, Minn.
A: I'll first answer your question by saying: they don't need to have five-star recruits. Personally, I think the star ratings that recruiting sites give to players are overrated. Plenty of those rankings are based on trying to project how a kid might grow and develop at the college level, but that's always tough to predict. For example, tight end Maxx Williams was viewed as a three-star recruit, but he will now be taken in this year's NFL Draft, possibly in the first few rounds. Not to use the rival Wisconsin Badgers as another example, but look at J.J. Watt. He was a two-star recruit out of high school. Now? He's arguably the best defensive player in the NFL. On the flip side, we've seen plenty of five-star recruits who go to the so-called helmet schools and wind up being busts.
Is there a talent gap between the Gophers and teams like Ohio State? Sure. But there are a number of reasons why Minnesota will continue to struggle to recruit players of the caliber that the Buckeyes are recruiting, and it doesn't have much to do with the coaching staff. The best way to nab better recruits is to win. In four years under Kill, the Gophers have started to do that. And even against an Ohio State team filled with four-star and five-star recruits, Minnesota and its two-star and three-star players were able to compete and came within a touchdown of OSU. Don't focus too much on the star rankings of incoming recruits. Instead, focus on how the coaching staff can make that player into a better athlete at the college level.
Q: With Maxx Williams now declaring for the draft and losing both Cobb and Kirkwood those are some big weapons leaving. How are the Gophers built to replace these names? Is Jeff Jones going to actually play for us? -- Adam, Eden Prairie, Minn.
A: That's a great question, and perhaps the biggest question mark the Gophers have heading into the 2015 season. As of right now, it's really hard to handicap the running back battle. I wouldn't be shocked if Rodrick Williams begins the year as the starter since A) he's been a starter before at Minnesota and B) he's shown some flashes as a backup behind Cobb. Jones, who appears to be on the brink of finally qualifying academically, could certainly be in the mix at running back next year. And I think the Gophers also need to get speedy running back Berkley Edwards more involved in the offense next year. But finding playmakers on offense will be key.
Losing Cobb will be tough. He emerged from a third-stringer to a two-year starter and eventually set the school record for the most rushing yards in a season. Kirkwood didn't see much playing time this year but was a serviceable backup. And of course the early departure of Williams is one that will be tough to stomach. Williams was one of the top tight ends in the country and was really the only go-to target for Leidner. Couple all of that with Donovahn Jones' dismissal from the program, and Minnesota's passing game has a lot of holes to fill. The Gophers are high on a few freshmen wide receivers who redshirted this year, including Melvin Holland and Desmond Gant. Keep an eye on those two next fall as they battle for playing time at receiver.
Q: Does Demry Croft have a chance to beat out Mitch Leidner for QB position next season or at least split time? -- Zach, New Ulm, Minn.
A: I don't see it. Yes, Croft -- a three-star recruit -- is a talented quarterback. And as a dual threat, he's certainly an intriguing prospect for the future. But let's not forget he'll be a true freshman this season if (and that's a big if) he plays. I can't see Jerry Kill starting a true freshman at quarterback; it's not his way of doing things.
I think Leidner will head to spring ball and fall camp as the starter, and it'll be his job to lose. I know Gophers fans have been frustrated with his play throughout the season, but he did bounce back to have a nice game in the Citrus Bowl and tied the school record for most consecutive completions (14) in that game. Don't rule out Chris Streveler as someone who could give Leidner some competition, given that Streveler does have some (albeit not much) Division I experience. And Minnesota also has Jacques Perra on the roster; he'll be a redshirt freshman in 2015. It may be in the best interest of both Croft and the Gophers for him to redshirt in his first year at Minnesota.
Q: Do you think it was a good decision by Maxx Williams to declare for the draft? Where do you think he will be taken, and which Minnesota player do you think will be drafted highest? -- Jeffrey, Minneapolis
A: I do indeed think it was the right choice by Williams to leave early, even though he spent just two years playing college football. Of course, as a redshirt sophomore, he was eligible for the draft, so he started exploring that option earlier in the season. It's hard to fault Williams for making the decision when he did. His individual stock can't really rise much higher than it already is. He was a Mackey Award finalist as one of the nation's top tight ends, and he was named the Big Ten Tight End of the Year and an All-American. On top of that, he had a number of highlight-reel catches to put on his resume. There wasn't much more for him to accomplish from an individual standpoint. And given the uncertainty of football, you never know what might happen next year. He could have suffered an injury, or perhaps seen his production drop off for whatever reason. He did what was best for him while striking the iron is hot.
Williams put his name into the NFL Draft Advisory Board, which gives players an idea of where they might be drafted. Williams said after he turned pro that the evaluators said he likely won't go in the first two rounds, but possibly the third. There's a good chance Williams could be the first tight end taken in this year's draft. I'd be surprised if he went in the first round, but a second- or third-round pick wouldn't shock me at all. And I do think he'll be the first Gophers player drafted. The only other Minnesota player who seems likely to be taken is running back David Cobb, but he's probably a mid- to late-round pick.
Q: Given his success in previous coaching jobs and the amount of improvement at Minnesota under him, do you think Jerry Kill will ultimately leave Gophers for a better, bigger job? --Anthony, Bloomington, Minn.
A: I know Kill's name has popped up in coaching rumors recently, but for whatever reason, I just don't see him leaving any time soon. Sure, he did ascend the coaching ladder and move from Southern Illinois to Northern Illinois to Minnesota (after just three years with the Huskies). The Minnesota job may not be the highest-profile college football coaching gig there is, but there's plenty going for it that Kill has to like. And as a Midwest guy himself -- Kill grew up in Kansas -- I think he genuinely likes being here.
With that said, if Nick Saban left Alabama and Kill's phone rang, I'd have to think he'd at least answer the call. But I don't think Kill is by any means actively searching to move his way up the coaching ladder. He's helped turn Minnesota's program around in just four years, and he has a chance to do even bigger things if he sticks around for years to come.
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