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Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
2020 Vision: Receivers
6/16/2020 10:33:00 PM | Football
Bateman, Autman-Bell lead talented receiving corps
Last season, Minnesota boasted one of the most dynamic receiving duos in the country in Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson.
Bateman was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and was one of 12 semifinalists (only Big Ten receiver) for the Biletnikoff Award. Johnson set program single-season records for catches, yards and touchdowns, breaking the records he set as a junior in 2018. Both were named All-Big Ten First Team, as Minnesota became the first school ever to have both All-Big Ten First Team receivers.
Johnson, the most prolific receiver in school history, has graduated and will be catching passes next season from Tom Brady as a fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bateman, however, is back in Dinkytown for his junior season and will be the leader of the receivers during the 2020 season.
Bateman and Minnesota's receiving corps will once again operate under the guise of Matt Simon, the Maroon and Gold's uber-talented receiver coach.
Bateman, who was recently named a preseason All-American, has 111 career catches in 26 games for 1,923 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has seven 100-yard receiving games and owns the top two Minnesota receiving games in TCF Bank Stadium history (2019 Penn State with 203 yards and 2019 Wisconsin with 147 yards). Bateman set school sophomore records in 2019 with 1,219 yards (second most in school single-season history) and 11 touchdowns (tied for third most in school single-season history). His 51 receptions and 704 yards in 2018 set Gopher freshman records.
Chris Autman-Bell could be Minnesota' breakout star in 2020. The effervescent junior has 56 career catches for 820 yards and five touchdowns, but those numbers came despite being Minnesota's third option to Johnson and Bateman most the past two seasons. A more prominent role in 2020 could produce big numbers for the native of Illinois.
Another player who could see a jump in production this season could be Demetrius Douglas. He has played in 29 career games and has made 34 career catches for 327 yards and one touchdown. Douglas, who always seems to catch a first-down ball, has also proved to be dangerous in the return game for the Gophers.
Seth Green, who also sees routine action as a wildcat quarterback for the Gophers, is entering his final season at Minnesota. The recently appointed member of the Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition has three career catches for 45 yards. He has also rushed 105 times for 381 yards and 13 touchdowns as a quarterback.
Clay Geary, who was put on scholarship in the most memorable way prior to last season, has played in 19 career games. The senior has one catch for seven yards, but could see more playing time this season.
Legacy Gopher True Thompson is in his third and final year at Minnesota. He is still looking for his first game action.
Brock Annexstad has played in five career games at Minnesota, mostly on special teams. He is still looking to make that first catch of his career.
Five receivers – Nnamdi Adim-Madumere, Mike Brown-Stephens, Jimmy Buck, Peter Udoibok and Larry Wright – all redshirted as true freshman last season and are looking to crack the lineup.
Newcomers Douglas Emilien, Daniel Jackson and Jonathan Mann are all entering their first season at Minnesota, but are bringing impressive resumes with them.
Emilien was a consensus three-star recruit and made 36 receptions for 595 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games last season and led American Heritage High School in Florida in all receiving categories, all-purpose yards and touchdowns.
Jackson was a four-star prospect and was ranked No. 223 in ESPN300. He led Bishop Miege High School in Kansas to its sixth straight state title by making 11 catches for 173 and two touchdowns in the championship game. He totaled 74 receptions for 1,511 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.
Mann was a consensus three-star recruit and played at Minnesota's Rosemount High School. In 2019, he caught 31 balls and averaged 23 yards per reception, while scoring eight touchdowns.
Bateman was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and was one of 12 semifinalists (only Big Ten receiver) for the Biletnikoff Award. Johnson set program single-season records for catches, yards and touchdowns, breaking the records he set as a junior in 2018. Both were named All-Big Ten First Team, as Minnesota became the first school ever to have both All-Big Ten First Team receivers.
Johnson, the most prolific receiver in school history, has graduated and will be catching passes next season from Tom Brady as a fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bateman, however, is back in Dinkytown for his junior season and will be the leader of the receivers during the 2020 season.
Bateman and Minnesota's receiving corps will once again operate under the guise of Matt Simon, the Maroon and Gold's uber-talented receiver coach.
Bateman, who was recently named a preseason All-American, has 111 career catches in 26 games for 1,923 yards and 17 touchdowns. He has seven 100-yard receiving games and owns the top two Minnesota receiving games in TCF Bank Stadium history (2019 Penn State with 203 yards and 2019 Wisconsin with 147 yards). Bateman set school sophomore records in 2019 with 1,219 yards (second most in school single-season history) and 11 touchdowns (tied for third most in school single-season history). His 51 receptions and 704 yards in 2018 set Gopher freshman records.
Chris Autman-Bell could be Minnesota' breakout star in 2020. The effervescent junior has 56 career catches for 820 yards and five touchdowns, but those numbers came despite being Minnesota's third option to Johnson and Bateman most the past two seasons. A more prominent role in 2020 could produce big numbers for the native of Illinois.
Another player who could see a jump in production this season could be Demetrius Douglas. He has played in 29 career games and has made 34 career catches for 327 yards and one touchdown. Douglas, who always seems to catch a first-down ball, has also proved to be dangerous in the return game for the Gophers.
Seth Green, who also sees routine action as a wildcat quarterback for the Gophers, is entering his final season at Minnesota. The recently appointed member of the Big Ten Anti-Hate and Anti-Racism Coalition has three career catches for 45 yards. He has also rushed 105 times for 381 yards and 13 touchdowns as a quarterback.
Clay Geary, who was put on scholarship in the most memorable way prior to last season, has played in 19 career games. The senior has one catch for seven yards, but could see more playing time this season.
Legacy Gopher True Thompson is in his third and final year at Minnesota. He is still looking for his first game action.
Brock Annexstad has played in five career games at Minnesota, mostly on special teams. He is still looking to make that first catch of his career.
Five receivers – Nnamdi Adim-Madumere, Mike Brown-Stephens, Jimmy Buck, Peter Udoibok and Larry Wright – all redshirted as true freshman last season and are looking to crack the lineup.
Newcomers Douglas Emilien, Daniel Jackson and Jonathan Mann are all entering their first season at Minnesota, but are bringing impressive resumes with them.
Emilien was a consensus three-star recruit and made 36 receptions for 595 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games last season and led American Heritage High School in Florida in all receiving categories, all-purpose yards and touchdowns.
Jackson was a four-star prospect and was ranked No. 223 in ESPN300. He led Bishop Miege High School in Kansas to its sixth straight state title by making 11 catches for 173 and two touchdowns in the championship game. He totaled 74 receptions for 1,511 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.
Mann was a consensus three-star recruit and played at Minnesota's Rosemount High School. In 2019, he caught 31 balls and averaged 23 yards per reception, while scoring eight touchdowns.
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