Five true freshmen who could make an immediate impact
Every year, there is always a handful of true freshmen who assert themselves in their first year on campus whether it's on special teams, as a rotational player, or in rare instances, as a starter.
Minnesota signed 24 players in the 2020 recruiting class that finished ranked 38th overall in the Rivals.com team rankings.
The Gopher Report takes a closer look at five of those signees who could come in a make an immediate impact for P.J. Fleck and his squad this season.
Thomas had a stellar senior season where he compiled 3,027 yards and 40 touchdowns. Those numbers raised the eyebrows of many Minnesota fans. Mo Ibrahim will be the sure-fire top running back on the roster this season, but with Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks now gone, Thomas has a chance to emerge as a second or third option out of the backfield.
Joyner pulled a December flip from Boston College to Minnesota right before the early signing period. The three-star prospect has tremendous size and quickness and could make an immediate impact in the rotation along the edge with Carter Coughlin now in the NFL. He tallied 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 13 sacks during his senior season.
Rashod Bateman and Chris Autman-Bell are the top returning receivers for Minnesota. After that, there is plenty room for a true freshman like Emilien to make his way into the receiver rotation. The three-star found the end zone 12 times during his senior season while also accumulating 536 yards on 36 catches, averaging 16.5 yards per catch.
Perhaps the Gophers biggest question mark will be at linebacker as they will be down two key starters from a year ago in Green Bay Packers draft pick Kamal Martin and veteran Thomas Barber. While the position is deep, it lacks experience, which could be a perfect opportunity for a player like Burns to jump into the rotation.
Jackson is coming off a monster senior season, where he caught 74 catches for 1,511 yards, and a Kansas state record 27 touchdowns. The three-star prospect is an explosive playmaker that can line up inside and outside and could easily slide into the mix at wide receiver.
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