Morgan, Sori-Marin back with Gophers football as volunteer analysts
Throughout the 2022 season, coach P.J. Fleck would mention that players such as quarterback Tanner Morgan and linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin could make good coaches someday. That someday is now because Morgan and Sori-Marin have joined the Gophers staff as volunteer analysts.
Both Morgan and Sori-Marin spent time with NFL teams after being signed as undrafted free agents this spring. Morgan was with the Pittsburgh Steelers during training camp and played in three preseason games. He was released in late August. Sori-Marin participated in minicamp for the San Francisco 49ers before being waved in June with a knee injury designation.
"We've got so many guys who come to this program, love their experience and then want to coach when they're done playing,'' Fleck said Monday. "There's no greater feeling than knowing that when you're coaching guys, they want to get into this profession. I think it's the greatest profession in the world. It's a challenging profession. It's a demanding profession.''
Taylor earns repeat honor
Gophers running back Darius Taylor was named Big Ten freshman of the week for the second consecutive week after rushing 22 times for 138 yards and a touchdown in a 31-13 loss at North Carolina on Saturday. Taylor, a true freshman from Detroit, rushed 33 times for 193 yards and a TD in a 25-6 win over Eastern Michigan the previous week.
Taylor's 111.3 rushing yards per game — and he had only one carry in the opener against Nebraska — rank ninth nationally among FBS backs. He's tied for seventh with 18.7 attempts per game but leads all FBS backs in nonconference play with 27.5 per game.
"He's very good, but if you analyze his runs, there are so many things that he can do so much better,'' Fleck said. "You see the 138 or you see the 193, and you're like, 'OK, he's fine.' Now he's got to develop just like everybody else.''
Fashion statement
The Gophers wore black helmets, black jerseys and black pants for their Sept. 9 game against Eastern Michigan. That look didn't sit well with some fans who prefer the traditional maroon-and-gold attire. Fleck explained the reasoning behind the decision.
"I get the tradition. I'm here to uphold that tradition,'' he said. "OK, we haven't changed the mascot. We haven't changed the name. We haven't changed the colors. We're adding a little flavor to it. That's because it's all about the players. … The student-athletes love it. Our student body loves it. The young people love it, and I get it. That's why every week we do something a little different for everyone.''
Fleck added that players have input on the uniform decision and that the alternate look is popular with recruits.
"Our players get to have a piece and a voice to what we wear,'' he said. "… They get a meeting with me and our crew manager, who lays out all these combinations.''
Fleck pointed to the black uniforms that Ohio State and Florida have worn as examples of traditional powers testing the boundaries.
"I had a lot of emails about it, and I feel it,'' he said of those opposed. "But I also got just as many, if not more, about how much people liked them.''
Louisiana game time set
The Gophers' final nonconference game, Sept. 30 vs. Louisiana at Huntington Bank Stadium, will be an 11 a.m. kickoff on BTN, the conference announced.
