Minnesota Football: Depth Chart and Injury Report for NMST

Fresh dissemination from the athletic communications department.

OFFENSE
Left Tackle
74 - Marek Lenkiewicz 6-5 289 R-Jr. Tinley Park, Ill. (Victor J. Andrew HS)
78 - Ben Lauer 6-6 302 R-Fr. Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata HS)
Left Guard
52 - Zac Epping 6-2 321 R-Jr. Kenosha, Wis. (Tremper HS)
73 - Joe Bjorklund 6-5 288 R-So. Rosemount, Minn. (Rosemount HS)
Center
63 - Jon Christenson 6-4 306 R-So. Minnetonka, Minn. (Minnetonka HS)
53 - Tommy Olson 6-4 301 Jr. Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi HS)
Right Guard
64 - Caleb Bak 6-3 302 R-Jr. Columbia Heights, Minn. (Concordia Academy)
77 - Foster Bush 6-5 303 R-So. Menasha, Wis. (Menasha HS)
Right Tackle
65 - Josh Campion 6-5 326 R-So. Fergus Falls, Minn. (Fork Union Military Academy)
79 - Jonah Pirsig 6-9 308 R-Fr. Blue Earth, Minn. (Blue Earth Area HS)
Quarterback
9 - Philip Nelson 6-2 215 So. Mankato, Minn. (Mankato West HS)
7 - Mitch Leidner 6-4 233 R-Fr. Lakeville, Minn. (Lakeville South HS)
Tailback
35 - Rodrick Williams Jr. 5-11 235 So. Lewisville, Texas (Lewisville HS)
27 - David Cobb 5-11 225 Jr. Killeen, Texas (Ellison HS)
H-Back/Fullback
30 - Mike Henry 6-1 231 R-Sr. Mahtomedi, Minn. (Mahtomedi HS)
OR
88 - Maxx Williams 6-4 254 R-Fr. Waconia, Minn. (Waconia HS)
Y
83 - Drew Goodger 6-5 265 So. Shawnee Mission, Kan. (Northwest HS)
85 - Lincoln Plsek 6-4 265 So. Waco, Texas (Reicher HS)
Z
14 - Isaac Fruechte 6-3 204 R-Jr. Caledonia, Minn. (Rochester CTC)
1 - KJ Maye 5-10 197 So. Mobile, Ala. (Murphy HS)
OR
84 - Victor Keise 6-1 188 R-Sr. Coral Springs, Fla. (North Broward Prep)
H
18 - Derrick Engel 6-2 187 R-Sr. Chaska, Minn. (Winona State)
17 - Logan Hutton 6-1 181 R-Jr. La Marque, Texas (La Marque HS)
X
4 - Donovahn Jones 6-3 190 Fr. Stockbridge, Ga. (Dutchtown HS)
82 - Drew Wolitarsky 6-3 208 Fr. Santa Clarita, Calif. (Canyon County HS)

DEFENSE
End
98 - Michael Amaefula 6-2 244 Jr. Arlington, Texas (Bowie HS)
95 - Hank Ekpe 6-5 251 Fr. Lewisville, Texas (Lewisville HS)
Tackle
46 - Cameron Botticelli 6-5 290 R-Jr. Milwaukee, Wis. (Marquette University HS)
92 - Roland Johnson 6-1 286 Sr. Camden, S.C. (Butler CC)
Nose
99 - Ra’Shede Hageman 6-6 311 R-Sr. Minneapolis, Minn. (Washburn HS)
97 - Scott Ekpe 6-4 281 So. Lewisville, Texas (Lewisville HS)
End
55 - Theiren Cockran 6-6 238 R-So. Homestead, Fla. (Homestead HS)
91 - Alex Keith 6-3 237 So. Columbia, Mo. (Hickman HS)
Strongside Linebacker
57 - Aaron Hill 6-2 231 R-Sr. St. Charles, Mo. (Lutheran HS)
35 - Dominic Schultz 6-1 236 R-So. Port Huron, Mich. (Port Huron HS)
Middle Linebacker
5 - Damien Wilson 6-2 254 Jr. Gloster, Miss. (Jones County CC)
OR
50 - Jack Lynn 6-3 234 R-Fr. Lake Zurich, Ill. (Lake Zurich HS)
Weakside Linebacker
9 - James Manuel 6-2 225 Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. (Warren Central HS)
26 - De’Vondre Campbell 6-5 225 R-So. Fort Myers, Fla. (Hutchinson CC)
Cornerback
31 - Eric Murray 6-0 194 So. Milwaukee, Wis. (Riverside University HS)
13 - Derrick Wells 6-0 206 Jr. Lehigh Acres, Fla. (Lehigh HS)
Safety
21 - Brock Vereen 6-0 202 Sr. Valencia, Calif. (Valencia HS)
7 - Damarius Travis 6-2 208 So. Pensacola, Fla. (Pensacola HS)
Safety
2 - Cedric Thompson 5-10 211 Jr. Calipatria, Calif. (Calipatria HS)
11 - Antonio Johnson 6-0 207 So. Cleveland, Ohio (Shaker Heights HS)
Cornerback
29 - Briean Boddy-Calhoun 5-11 186 Jr. Wilmington, Del. (Coffeyville CC)
3 - Martez Shabazz 5-11 172 Sr. DeSoto, Texas (Trinity Valley CC)

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
36 - Chris Hawthorne 6-6 200 Sr. Raleigh, N.C. (NC State)
33 - Andrew Harte 6-0 180 Fr. Downers Grove, Ill. (Montini Catholic HS)
OR
28 - Ryan Santoso 6-5 260 Fr. Pace, Fla. (Pace HS)
Punter
37 - Peter Mortell 6-2 195 R-So. Green Bay, Wis. (Notre Dame Academy)
94 - Christian Eldred 6-3 185 Jr. Melbourne, Australia (Monash University)
OR
41 - Dan Orseske 6-3 205 R.-Sr Chicago, Ill. (Brother Rice HS)
OR
28 - Ryan Santoso 6-5 260 Fr. Pace, Fla. (Pace HS)
Long Snapper
48 - Jake Filkins 6-2 240 Sr. Prescott, Wis. (Prescott)
96 - Dave Ramlet 6-2 238 R-Jr. Appleton, Wis. (Xavier HS)
OR
40 - Jared Hartman 6-3 229 R-So. Falcon Heights, Minn. (Cretin-Derham Hall HS)
Kick Return
15 - Marcus Jones 5-8 166 Jr. Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest-Rolesville)
11 - Antonio Johnson 6-0 207 So. Cleveland, Ohio (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Punt Return
15 - Marcus Jones 5-8 166 Jr. Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest-Rolesville)
1 - KJ Maye 5-10 197 So. Mobile, Ala. (Murphy)

INJURY REPORT
Student-Athlete Status for Sept. 7 game at New Mexico State
32 - Berkley Edwards, Out
47 - Alex Bisch, Out
58 - Ed Olson, Out
56 - Nick Rallis, Out
20 - Donnell Kirkwood, Questionable

***

The biggest news from the depth chart/injury report, in my opinion, rests with Ed Olson. As we all know, Eddie has a history of missing games with injury throughout his career, an indicator in and of itself that he's more likely to miss time in the future (hey! there's even real math behind this!). My suspicion throughout fall camp was the coaching staff felt Lenk was more reliable and less injury prone, so even if the two were equal in performance and ability, they would go with the guy who was most consistent -- consistent meaning durable.

On the down side, Olson's absence from the NMST depth chart places the offense line on the precipice of injury concern mode that the sunshine and rainbow posse (myself included) were hoping to avoid this season. Lauer moves over from backup RT to #2 LT, bumping up Jonah Pirsig to reserve RT. Good thing Lauer won't be completely green, as he played the last series against UNLV; any snaps Pirsig takes, who missed much of spring practice with a knee cap injury of his own, will be his first.

Nick Rallis out and the fall camp injury to true freshman De'Niro Laster push the former walk-on Schultz into the reserve role at SLB behind Aaron Hill. Lil' Rallis played extensively throughout the second half against UNLV, while Schultz saw playing time in the 4th quarter but didn't record any game statistics.

Nugget over Cobb, who finished with a team high 11.5 yards per carry, isn't really a shock since consistency is the M.O. of this staff, though I'd expect the two to platoon at RB with Kirkwood almost certainly out.

Finally, Wells backing up Murray at the boundary corner spot fits the rhetoric from Kill that the staff would "be smart" about how they worked Wells back into the lineup.