2020 Vision: Defensive Line

It all starts in the trenches.

The Gophers defensive line comes into the 2020 season with a mix of experience and youth to get after the quarterback and stuff the run game.

The Minnesota defense finished tenth in the country in total defense with only 306.6 yards allowed per game. Anchoring the inside, the Gophers have a pair of seniors on the interior in Micah Dew-Treadway and Keonte Schad.

Dew-Treadway transferred to Minnesota after graduating from Notre Dame. He started all 13 games a season ago and recorded 13 tackles including 2.5 for loss. Schad came to Minnesota in January 2019 after attending Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa. He played in all 13 games and finished with 21 tackles including 2.5 for loss.

The defensive line has five other upperclassmen in juniors Esezi Otomewo, Boye Mafe, Jamaal Teague, Noah Hickcox and Malcolm Robinson.

Otomewo, known by "Big O," has played in 26 games for the Maroon and Gold after redshirting in 2017. He has played inside or outside and recorded 22 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in his sophomore campaign. He was named the Gophers Outstanding Defensive Freshman in 2018 and the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year in 2017.

Mafe waited patiently behind NFL 7th round draft pick Carter Coughlin, and is poised for a breakout season in 2020. He played in all 13 games a season ago and recorded 14 tackles. 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. He saw action in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2018 including a career high performance in the Quick Lane Bowl victory over Georgia Tech with six tackles.

Teague has been a regular in the interior rotation. He played in all 13 games last season and recorded 16 tackles including 1.5 for loss. Hickcox is an Academic All-Big Ten honoree that played in all 13 games a season ago. Robinson is also an Academic All-Big Ten honoree and made his collegiate debut against Maryland last season.

Jack Kern is the lone sophomore on the defensive line. After redshirting in 2018, he made his collegiate debut against Maryland last season and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.

The Gophers brought in a large class of freshmen to the defensive line last season and were able to redshirt every single one. Redshirt freshmen MJ Anderson, D'Vion Harris, Rashad Cheney Jr., Ben McNaboe, Logan Richter and DeAngelo Carter will be looking to take the next steps in their careers as the Gophers continue to build depth up front.

Anderson notched 62 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and two forced fumbles during a state championship run in high school as a senior. He competed against Maryland last season.

Harris did not see game action in 2019 after ending his high school career with 26.3 tackles, 67 tackles for a loss, 20 sacks, and three fumble recoveries.

Cheney Jr. redshirted after coming out of school as an ESPN Top-300 recruit. He totaled 45 tackles for loss and seven sacks as a senior as he led his team to a state championship.

McNaboe, out of Rogers, Minn., competed against Maryland last season. He earned All-Conference honors in high school with 76 tackles (53 solo), 17 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and one forced fumble as a senior.

Richter also made his collegiate debut against Maryland. He recorded 63 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and forced four fumbles in two seasons on the defensive line for Perham High School in Perham, Minn.

Carter was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year last season. He made one tackle in his collegiate debut against Maryland. He helped his team win a state title with four sacks and a forced fumble in the championship game.

Adding to the youth on the line will be five true freshmen in Gage Keys, Jah Joyner, Jalen Logan-Redding, Ali Saad and Danny Striggow. Keys has been with the Gophers since January while the other four joined in June.

Keys was a 2019 Ohio Under Armour All-America Camp attendee and recorded 60 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss as a senior.

Joyner was a Four-star recruit by 247Sports. As a senior, he led his team with 13 sacks in eight games and also recorded 32 tackles and was a finalist for the 2019 Ruden Report Connecticut Football Player of the Year award.

Logan-Redding recorded 78 tackles, 10 sacks and was named Second Team All-State as a senior.

Saad was named a 2019-20 KLAA All-Conference athlete and finished his career with 141 tackles and 22 tackles for loss.

Striggow was ranked as the No. 19 weakside defensive end in the nation and No. 2 recruit in Minnesota by 247Sports out of Orono High School. As a senior, he finished with 46 tackles including eight for loss, four sacks and one forced fumble.

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Players Mentioned

MJ Anderson

Trill Carter

Rashad Cheney Jr.

Carter Coughlin

Micah Dew-Treadway

D’Vion Harris

Noah Hickcox

Jack Kern

Gage Keys

Boye Mafe

Ben McNaboe

Esezi Otomewo

Logan Richter

Keonte Schad

Jamaal Teague