Can the Gopher corner improve in 2024 or will this group be a step back?
The Gopher secondary took a hit after the 2022 season with 2 players moving on to the NFL and playing well for their respective teams. This was a real area of concern for the Minnesota defense and results were solidly neutral after predicting it would be a downgrade.
2023
Starter: Justin Walley, Tre’Von Jones, Jack Henderson
Depth: Tariq Watson, Rhyland Kelly, Tyler Bride,
Fortunately, the Gopher corners were relatively healthy last season. Justin Walley started all 13 games and was an honorable mention All-Big Ten. He has 32 starts over the last 3 seasons and has been very reliable. Walley has 7 career interceptions with 17 pass breakups.
Jones was a graduate transfer from Elon who worked out very well for the Gopher defense. He also started all 13 games and finished 2nd on the team in tackles with 53 while also breaking up 8 passes, intercepting two of them.
As I said, fortunately this group was healthy because the depth was rather thin. Watson and Kelly saw the most action of the bench, but it was Walley and Jones who carried this unit.
Jack Henderson transferred into the program and essentially was a starter at nickel where he excelled. He was the team’s leading tackler and was solid in coverage.
Both Henderson and Jones were huge transfers that worked out for the Gopher defense.
2024
Starter: Justin Walley, Ethan Robinson, Jack Henderson
Depth: Rhyland Kelly, Za’Quan Bryan, Jai’Onte’ McMillan, Kerry Brown, Craig McDonald (n)
This is a very similar offseason where a starter is needed and the staff is going to relying on a transfer or two to keep this group’s head above water.
Walley is back for his final season and is the corner that this defense needs to be consistently good for 12 regular season games. He has been good throughout his career and if he is able to take that next developmental step to be more of a play-maker, he could change this secondary in 2024. But being consistently good and reliable is perfectly acceptable.
Starting opposite Walley will be Robinson, a Bucknell transfer who was a 1st team All-Patriot League player last year and has 5 career interceptions over 31 games played. He is looking to be that next transfer impact player for the Gopher defense.
McMillan is also a transfer, this time from TCU where he played off the bench the last two seasons. He will have two years of Gopher eligibility remaining. You may also see McMillan at nickel.
Speaking of nickel, Henderson may be the most underrated player on defense, especially in run support. He will start again as the defense tends to use the nickel with 2 linebackers most frequently. Expect to see Craig McDonald as backup to Henderson.
Kelly and Bryan are young Gopher corners who will have to play this year, not only for depth but also because they will need to be major contributors next year. Their development and ability to play this year is going to be significant. Kerry Brown and Evan Redding are two other young DBs who may have opportunity to find the field this year.
Upgrade/Downgrade
As we move from the defensive line to the back of the secondary, my anxiety slowly increases. Corner is a concern because we really do not know what we have beyond Walley. Maybe Robinson is a Big Ten-caliber, starting corner. Maybe Kelly or Bryan are developing into starting-caliber contributors and give us quality depth. But those are big questions.
The bar is not terribly high. The corners were fine last year, but overall the Gopher defense gave up a lot of yards and points (in total, not just through the air). I think a safe bet is that this unit is neutral. Perhaps the best thing they have going for them is that the Gopher front-seven should be able put more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.