Minnesota Football: Can 2020 Gophers match success from 2019?

Defense will be re-tooling with six starters gone

There is a lot of turnover on the defensive side of the ball this season for the Golden Gophers. They return just five starters from last year’s unit. Though they lose previous season’s MVP Antoine Winfield left early to seek his fortunes in the NFL; he’s the only piece missing from the secondary.

It was the front seven hit hardest by graduation and the NFL. In addition to Winfield, Carter Coughlin, Chris Williamson and Kamal Martin were also drafted. The Gophers lose veteran linebacker Thomas Barber to graduation.

Notre Dame transfer Micah Drew-Treadway is the only returning starter to the defensive line. Despite the high turnover and four NFL draft picks gone, there are a lot of players who have been in the program. The Gophers will likely start only one underclassman on defense next season.

JUCO transfer Keonte Schad plays opposite Drew-Treadway on the inside of the line. Both new defensive end starters, Boye Mafe and Esezi Otomewo, are juniors — the latter is a redshirt junior. Mariano Sori-Marin and Thomas Rush Jr., both juniors, will slide in at linebacker.

Best of all, this is defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s third year with the program, so these redshirts — whether they be juniors or seniors — know the scheme and what is expected of them. That should allow the defense to come together sooner.