.png&width=42&height=42&type=webp)
University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OL
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
DB
/ Football
Athlon Sports Spotlights Seven
5/21/2019 10:12:00 PM | Football
Annual publication slots seven Gophers on preseason Big Ten Football 2019 All-Conference Teams
Some of the first 2019 season predictions are out and Minnesota is well represented in Athlon Sports preseason Big Ten Football 2019 All-Conference Teams.
The Gophers placed seven players on Athlon's teams with Tyler Johnson being named to First-Team Offense. Rodney Smith was placed on Second-Team Offense, while Carter Coughlin was named Second-Team Defense. Antoine Winfield Jr. was slotted in on the Third-Team Defense and Demetrius Douglas was named Third-Team Specialists for punt return and kick return. Minnesota was represented on the Fourth-Team Offense by Daniel Faalele, while Thomas Barber was recognized as Fourth-Team Defense.
Tyler Johnson, who was named First Team All-Big Ten (first Gopher receiver to receiver that honor since 2009), is back in Dinkytown for his senior season. Johnson put the Big Ten on notice last year when he made 78 catches (second most in a season) for 1,169 yards (single-season school record) and 12 touchdowns (single-season school record). He had six 100-yard games, which tied for first in school history in a season and became the first Gopher ever to have four straight 100-yard games in Big Ten play.
Smith has rushed 651 times (fifth all-time in school history) for 2,959 yards (seventh all-time in school history) in 39 games. He has scored 21 (2 in 2015; 16 in 2016 and 3 in 2017) career rushing touchdowns, which ranks tied for ninth in school history and his career long 70-yard rushing touchdown came at Maryland in 2016. He has 11 career 100-yard rushing games, which ranks eighth in program history and his career high is 153 yards, which he has reached twice (against New Mexico State in 2018 and against Purdue in 2016). Smith has 4,073 all-purpose yards (2,959 rushing, 451 receiving and 663 kick return) to rank seventh in school history.
Coughlin, who was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2018, has made 110 career tackles in 36 games and 30.5 of them (27.7%) have been a tackle for loss and 18.0 of them (16.3%) have been a sack. Coughlin already ranks ninth in career tackles for loss with 30.5 (Willie VanDeSteeg is first with 43.5) and fifth in career sacks with 18.0 (Karon Riley is first with 29.0). If Coughlin were to duplicate his 2018 season (15.0 TFLs and 9.5 sacks) he would end his career first in tackles for loss with 45.5 and second in sacks with 27.5.
Winfield has been hampered the last two seasons with injury and has played in only eight of the team's last 25 games. He has played in 20 career games and has made 89 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He has also defended seven passes, recovered three fumbles and made two interceptions. Winfield returned his first career interception 82 yards for a touchdowns in a win at Maryland in 2016. His second interception was in 2018 and came in the end zone against Fresno State to secure a Minnesota victory.
Douglas returned 24 kickoffs for 594 yards (24.75 average) and his long return was 87 yards at Nebraska. Douglas returned seven punts for 113 yards (16.14 average), which included a 69-yard return for a touchdown at Wisconsin. The legacy Gopher (son of Omar Douglas) finished third on the team – behind Mohamed Ibrahim and Tyler Johnson – with 794 all-purpose yards (594 kick return, 113 punt return and 87 receiving).
Faalele started the final eight games last year at right tackle as a true freshman. He was part of a unit that blocked for a Minnesota offense that averaged 28.9 points per game (tied for second most in a season since 2005) and one that rushed for 23 touchdowns and threw for 20 touchdowns (first time since 2006 Minnesota reached 20 passing and rushing touchdowns in a season). The line also played a significant role in why the Gophers scored 46 touchdowns (tied for fifth in school history since 1955), totaled 4,935 yards of offense (sixth most in school history since 1955), had 269 first downs (third most in school history since 1955) and threw for 2,714 yards (eighth most in school history since 1955).
Barber is the anchor of the defense and has a chance to notch his name in the Minnesota record book at well. He enters the upcoming season with 208 career tackles and is just 92 stops shy of reaching 300 for his career. Barber, who had 12 tackles in 2016, 115 in 2017 and 81 in 2018, would be the 11th Gopher ever to reach 300 career tackles and the first since 1999 Jim Thorpe Award winner Tyrone Carter (Carter ranks first in school history with 528 tackles from 1996-99). Barber has also recovered five career fumbles. One more will rank him tied for eighth in school history, while Stephen Thompson holds the school record as he recovered eight career fumbles from 1967-70.
Athlon Sports preseason Big Ten Football 2019 All-Conference Teams
First-Team Offense
WR – Tyler Johnson
Second-Team Offense
AP/RB – Rodney Smith
Second-Team Defense
DL – Carter Coughlin
Third-Team Defense
S – Antoine Winfield
Third-Team Specialists
KR – Demetrius Douglas
PR – Demetrius Douglas
Fourth-Team Offense
OL – Daniel Faalele
Fourth-Team Defense
LB – Thomas Barber
The Gophers placed seven players on Athlon's teams with Tyler Johnson being named to First-Team Offense. Rodney Smith was placed on Second-Team Offense, while Carter Coughlin was named Second-Team Defense. Antoine Winfield Jr. was slotted in on the Third-Team Defense and Demetrius Douglas was named Third-Team Specialists for punt return and kick return. Minnesota was represented on the Fourth-Team Offense by Daniel Faalele, while Thomas Barber was recognized as Fourth-Team Defense.
Tyler Johnson, who was named First Team All-Big Ten (first Gopher receiver to receiver that honor since 2009), is back in Dinkytown for his senior season. Johnson put the Big Ten on notice last year when he made 78 catches (second most in a season) for 1,169 yards (single-season school record) and 12 touchdowns (single-season school record). He had six 100-yard games, which tied for first in school history in a season and became the first Gopher ever to have four straight 100-yard games in Big Ten play.
Smith has rushed 651 times (fifth all-time in school history) for 2,959 yards (seventh all-time in school history) in 39 games. He has scored 21 (2 in 2015; 16 in 2016 and 3 in 2017) career rushing touchdowns, which ranks tied for ninth in school history and his career long 70-yard rushing touchdown came at Maryland in 2016. He has 11 career 100-yard rushing games, which ranks eighth in program history and his career high is 153 yards, which he has reached twice (against New Mexico State in 2018 and against Purdue in 2016). Smith has 4,073 all-purpose yards (2,959 rushing, 451 receiving and 663 kick return) to rank seventh in school history.
Coughlin, who was named Second Team All-Big Ten in 2018, has made 110 career tackles in 36 games and 30.5 of them (27.7%) have been a tackle for loss and 18.0 of them (16.3%) have been a sack. Coughlin already ranks ninth in career tackles for loss with 30.5 (Willie VanDeSteeg is first with 43.5) and fifth in career sacks with 18.0 (Karon Riley is first with 29.0). If Coughlin were to duplicate his 2018 season (15.0 TFLs and 9.5 sacks) he would end his career first in tackles for loss with 45.5 and second in sacks with 27.5.
Winfield has been hampered the last two seasons with injury and has played in only eight of the team's last 25 games. He has played in 20 career games and has made 89 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He has also defended seven passes, recovered three fumbles and made two interceptions. Winfield returned his first career interception 82 yards for a touchdowns in a win at Maryland in 2016. His second interception was in 2018 and came in the end zone against Fresno State to secure a Minnesota victory.
Douglas returned 24 kickoffs for 594 yards (24.75 average) and his long return was 87 yards at Nebraska. Douglas returned seven punts for 113 yards (16.14 average), which included a 69-yard return for a touchdown at Wisconsin. The legacy Gopher (son of Omar Douglas) finished third on the team – behind Mohamed Ibrahim and Tyler Johnson – with 794 all-purpose yards (594 kick return, 113 punt return and 87 receiving).
Faalele started the final eight games last year at right tackle as a true freshman. He was part of a unit that blocked for a Minnesota offense that averaged 28.9 points per game (tied for second most in a season since 2005) and one that rushed for 23 touchdowns and threw for 20 touchdowns (first time since 2006 Minnesota reached 20 passing and rushing touchdowns in a season). The line also played a significant role in why the Gophers scored 46 touchdowns (tied for fifth in school history since 1955), totaled 4,935 yards of offense (sixth most in school history since 1955), had 269 first downs (third most in school history since 1955) and threw for 2,714 yards (eighth most in school history since 1955).
Barber is the anchor of the defense and has a chance to notch his name in the Minnesota record book at well. He enters the upcoming season with 208 career tackles and is just 92 stops shy of reaching 300 for his career. Barber, who had 12 tackles in 2016, 115 in 2017 and 81 in 2018, would be the 11th Gopher ever to reach 300 career tackles and the first since 1999 Jim Thorpe Award winner Tyrone Carter (Carter ranks first in school history with 528 tackles from 1996-99). Barber has also recovered five career fumbles. One more will rank him tied for eighth in school history, while Stephen Thompson holds the school record as he recovered eight career fumbles from 1967-70.
Athlon Sports preseason Big Ten Football 2019 All-Conference Teams
First-Team Offense
WR – Tyler Johnson
Second-Team Offense
AP/RB – Rodney Smith
Second-Team Defense
DL – Carter Coughlin
Third-Team Defense
S – Antoine Winfield
Third-Team Specialists
KR – Demetrius Douglas
PR – Demetrius Douglas
Fourth-Team Offense
OL – Daniel Faalele
Fourth-Team Defense
LB – Thomas Barber
Gopher Football at the Barn
Wednesday, February 18
Speed is Strength | Winter Workouts
Tuesday, February 17
Winter Workouts Week Two
Monday, February 09
Winter Workouts Begin
Monday, February 02