Could Minnesota's top receiving threat in 2015 be Jeff Jones?
When Minnesota landed Jeff Jones, the top recruit in the state of Minnesota in the class of 2014, it was easy to see how he would become the focal point of the Gophers' offense in the near future.
However, the four-star running back may not be the heir apparent to David Cobb at running back in 2015. Instead, he may be Minnesota's top receiver.
Jones has been spending time at wide receiver during spring practice and has apparently looked like a natural in the slot. Coach Jerry Kill said he knew Jones had the ability to transition to wide receiver while recruiting him.
“I spend a lot of time when we’re recruiting people watching them play basketball games because you can tell if they’re athletic and those kinds of things,” Kill said via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
While Cobb and his 1,600+ rushing yards in 2014 are off to the NFL, don't expect Minnesota's offense to change too much from its run-heavy attack in 2015. However, if Jones can present a mismatch in the slot, he'll be a receiving option that, quite frankly, the Gophers didn't have in 2014.
Tight end Maxx Williams was the team's leading receiver in 2014. He's off to the NFL as well and had 36 catches for 569 yards and eight touchdowns. No Gophers wide receiver had more than 18 catches or two touchdowns.
Just think of how effective Minnesota's rushing game could be with a big-time receiving threat.
“He’s looking real good, and I think all the [defensive] backs agree,” quarterback Mitch Leidner said. “He runs some of the best routes on the team, and he’s relatively raw. He catches the ball real well.”
For more Minnesota news, visit GopherIllustrated.com.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
