Weber, Mortensen vie for quarterback job
The competition for the University of Minnesota quarterback's job isn't over yet, but it could be over soon.
Coach Tim Brewster said Tuesday he would announce a starting lineup, including a two-deep depth chart for the Sept. 1 season opener against Bowling Green, as early as Monday.
With two-a-day practices ending today, the Gophers have their first day off Saturday since the start of fall camp on Aug. 6 That likely means just four practices remain for redshirt freshman Adam Weber and junior Tony Mortensen to make a case for the starting job.
Brewster said he would stick with his decision once he chooses between Weber and Mortensen to replace three-year starter Bryan Cupito. "We will not have a two-platoon system here," he said. "We will have great confidence when we name a starter. He's not going to have to worry about a quick bump. I think that's essential in developing any quarterback. Mortensen hasn't played. If he's the guy, he needs confidence. The same thing for Weber."
Both players have shown their skills in practice as the competition has gone back and forth this month. When the Gophers returned home after the first week of workouts at St. John's University, Mortensen had gone from pre-camp No. 1 to slightly behind Weber. The coaching staff has tried to give both players equal opportunities to run with the first team, but Weber has been able to showcase his ability the most.
Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar said it's not unusual to have uncertainty after a program loses a longtime starter.
"I just learned over the years that the easiest way to solve it is to let it play out," Dunbar said. "They're both doing good things and have things to work on. They're making progress and making the team better. But we're going to need more than one player to get this thing going."
Offensive line battle: Redshirt freshman D.J. Burris and sophomore Ned Tavale are competing for a starting position on the offensive line that could last a while. Tavale started 13 games last season at right guard, but Burris has been looking better since moving from the backup center position.
"We want to put our best five guys out there," Brewster said. "Right now Burris is in a dog battle with Tavale."
Briefly: Brewster said he would consider redshirting freshmen players who aren't two-deep on the depth chart.
The competition for the University of Minnesota quarterback's job isn't over yet, but it could be over soon.
Coach Tim Brewster said Tuesday he would announce a starting lineup, including a two-deep depth chart for the Sept. 1 season opener against Bowling Green, as early as Monday.
With two-a-day practices ending today, the Gophers have their first day off Saturday since the start of fall camp on Aug. 6 That likely means just four practices remain for redshirt freshman Adam Weber and junior Tony Mortensen to make a case for the starting job.
Brewster said he would stick with his decision once he chooses between Weber and Mortensen to replace three-year starter Bryan Cupito. "We will not have a two-platoon system here," he said. "We will have great confidence when we name a starter. He's not going to have to worry about a quick bump. I think that's essential in developing any quarterback. Mortensen hasn't played. If he's the guy, he needs confidence. The same thing for Weber."
Both players have shown their skills in practice as the competition has gone back and forth this month. When the Gophers returned home after the first week of workouts at St. John's University, Mortensen had gone from pre-camp No. 1 to slightly behind Weber. The coaching staff has tried to give both players equal opportunities to run with the first team, but Weber has been able to showcase his ability the most.
Gophers offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar said it's not unusual to have uncertainty after a program loses a longtime starter.
"I just learned over the years that the easiest way to solve it is to let it play out," Dunbar said. "They're both doing good things and have things to work on. They're making progress and making the team better. But we're going to need more than one player to get this thing going."
Offensive line battle: Redshirt freshman D.J. Burris and sophomore Ned Tavale are competing for a starting position on the offensive line that could last a while. Tavale started 13 games last season at right guard, but Burris has been looking better since moving from the backup center position.
"We want to put our best five guys out there," Brewster said. "Right now Burris is in a dog battle with Tavale."
Briefly: Brewster said he would consider redshirting freshmen players who aren't two-deep on the depth chart.
