On Monday afternoon, Minnesota defensive coordinator Danny Collins met with the media as the Gophers end fall camp and begin preparation for their August 28 season opener against the Buffalo Bulls. Collins once again emphasises the “Havoc defense” mentality To start his time at the podium, Collins was asked about what is going to be […]
On Monday afternoon, Minnesota defensive coordinator Danny Collins met with the media as the Gophers end fall camp and begin preparation for their August 28 season opener against the Buffalo Bulls.
Collins once again emphasises the “Havoc defense” mentality
To start his time at the podium, Collins was asked about what is going to be the “bread and butter” of the Gophers’ defense in 2025.
“We’re going to be nickel operations on first and second down, sometimes base, but who those players are could change based on what we’re seeing,” Collins said about his defense.
But what about the Gophers’ identity?
“I want people to judge us by that Havoc mentality,” Collins said. “How we play the game, number one? When you turn on the film and you watch us swarm to the football. That’s going to look different. When you see us attack people from the jump, that’s going to look different. When you see the violence on the film, that’s going to look different. When you see us playing together as one, that’s going to look different. And then when you see us compete at the highest level, that’s going to look different. That’s what I want us to be judged by at the end of the year.”
With the Gophers looking to be aggressive in 2025, there will be plenty of risks being taken. What gives the Gophers’ first-year defensive coordinator confidence in his defense?
“Goes back to the how,” Collins said. “The how is an eraser, and at the end of the day, again, on the board, you have an X and you have an O. They can block it perfectly, but at the end of the day, again, our how is an eraser, and that erases plays, and if something, squirts out of there, I know somebody is playing with how and going to get the ball on the ground.”
What has he seen from the Rush position?
The rush end position was one of the bigger question marks of the Gophers’ defense this fall camp, and according to Collins,it sounds like that former LSU transfer and Minnesota native Jaxon Howard has taken the step forward that many wanted to see this offseason.
“I’m excited about our rush position,” Collins said. “Jaxon Howard has taken the next step that he needed to take this training camp.”
“With the run game being number one, being able to stop the run. We’re in the Big Ten. It’s about running the ball, and it’s about stopping the run,” Collins elaborated. “And I think Jaxon Howard has taken that physicality to the next level. I’m really excited about him.”
Howard isn’t the only rush end that Collins is high on entering the season.
“I’m really excited about Karter Menz being able to rush the passer,” he said. “We have guys that have strengths in certain areas. And that’s when we’re going to be able to use those guys. Pass situations, things like that. Now we can have Karter pin his ears back, and here we go.”
Notably, with Howard and Menz both emerging this fall camp, that could push sixth-year senior Lucas Finnessy to the defensive end spot behind Anthony Smith.
What has Collins seen from the Gophers’ cornerbacks?
“Right now, it’s a battle,” Collins told Gophers Nation. “I think in terms of the game, I don’t think that there’s gonna be just two guys that play. I think there’s gonna be multiple guys that play there.”
That being said, Collins believes three corners have separated themselves from the pack.
“Z’s (Za’Quan Bryan) has had a great camp,” he continued. “Mike Gerald’s had a great camp. John Nestor’s been really consistent. So those three guys have really taken that room to the next level. I’m really excited to see them continue to complete.”
Collins also noted several of the depth options at cornerback as well.
“Guys like JB (Jaylen Bowden), right there as well,” he said. “Evan Redding, you got a guy like Naiim (Parrish), who again is a younger guy, but a guy that’s always around the football. So anytime we can get those guys on the field, it helps the defense.”
His early assessment of Buffalo
Collins gave a great, detailed assessment of Buffalo. Here’s what he had to say.
“Buffalo is a great football team. Nine and four last year. Anytime you win nine games, you’re a really good football team,” Collins said.
“Everything starts with the quarterback there. Their quarterback, the transfer quarterback, number two (Ta’Quan Roberson), is a very smart player. We’ve watched film from him in high school, everywhere he’s been in college, to kind of get a feel for how he plays the game. Game manager, leader, very good football player,” he continued.
“Running back, number five, tremendous, tremendous athlete. He’s a bigger guy as well, so he can play power. He can also run for 50. So he’s a guy that’s definitely, I think, their best player on their team.” “
“Their O-line has played together for a good amount of time. The tackle in 73 is a really good player. They have an all-conference guard that’s pretty good as well. Transfer center, so we’ll see there. But their O-line plays together pretty well.”
“Their receiver, number zero, Victor Snow, he’s a guy that can take the top off the defense, smaller guy, but he’s electric, right? So we’re going to have to know where he is at all times. They brought in a transfer receiver as well, so we’ll see him.”
“But this is a very good football team. Like I said, the running back had over 1,000 yards last year. They run the football. Their offensive coordinator has been a coach for almost as long as I’ve been alive, right? So just in terms of what he knows and schematics and things like that, he’s very good. Offense runs with RPOs. They throw shots when they need to. Coach Lembo. He’s all right. He’s all right. Coach, and being in the MAC for a long time, at Western Michigan, I understand what this game means to them, and we’ll be ready.”
Will Koi Perich have any “pitch count” when it comes to his snaps
“We’ll see what he can handle with the offense,” Collins said about Gophers’ star safety Koi Perich. “Then whatever he can handle with the offense, we’ll adapt on defense.”
If Perich needs to come off the field for whatever reason, Collins is excited to see the rest of his safety room take the field this fall.
“I feel like we have the deepest safety room in the Big 10, if not the country,” he said. “I’m excited for those guys to play defense as well. If we need to spell him for a couple of plays, that’s cool, as long as it helps the football team. But I’m excited to watch Koi play both ways and see what he does this year.”
Anthony Smith has the chance to be “one of the best” to ever play for the Gophers
When asked about his star defender, defensive end Anthony Smith, Collins didn’t hide his feelings for the redshirt junior.
“I think Anthony Smith can be the best one to ever play here since we’ve been here, on the defensive line,” Collins said. “What he’s able to do in terms of playing defensive end, like you said, moving inside, pass rushing, stopping the run. I mean, the guy takes care of his body. He’s a leader, and taking that next step as well, in terms of leading the defense and leading the football team. I think the sky is the limit for him. He just needs to continue to take that next step, you know, and keep going.
Who will wear the green dot for the Gophers on defense?
Last season, MIKE linebacker Cody Lindenberg was the Gophers’ selected leader on defense to wear the “green dot,” signifying he could hear the Gophers’ coaching staff prior to the play. But now Lindenberg is gone, and right now, it’s up in the air which Gophers’ defender(s) will get that ability this season.
“We’ll see on game day,” Collins said. “You know, we have a plan in practice. We’re kind of switching the green dot around, seeing who’s really comfortable with it, what to do in certain situations, third down, things like that. Maybe the guy with the green dot has it on first and second down. Another guy comes in on third down with the green dot, right, so those are things we’re experimenting with, and by Buffalo, we’ll have that decision made.”
Category: General Sports
