Minnesota Football: Suspended Players Return to Practice

Sophomore cornerback KiAnte Hardin, redshirt freshman cornerback Ray Buford, redshirt freshman safety Dior Johnson, and freshman defensive end Tamarion Johnson will return to practice today after being suspended for a violation of team rules prior to the Indiana State game in Week 2.

Head coach Tracy Claeys announced earlier this morning at his weekly press conference that the suspended players would return to practice. Whether any of them play on Saturday against Iowa will depend on their performance in practice.

Yesterday, the Hennepin County Attorney released a statement announcing that no charges would be filed against the four suspended Gopher players. Pioneer Press beat reporter Andy Greder mentioned the possibility of a Title IX investigation, but neither Claeys nor the university have commented on it.

Other notes from this morning’s press conference:

• Right guard Vincent Calhoun, linebacker Carter Coughlin, and wide receiver Rashad Still will all practice this week. It is uncertain whether all of them will play on Saturday against Iowa. It will likely be a gametime decision.
• Linebacker Jaylen Waters will be on the field Saturday after being ejected against Penn State for a late hit on kicker Joey Julius. Claeys stated that the matter was handled internally and that Waters “paid his penalty.”
• New additions to the injury report on the depth chart: Linebacker Cody Poock (shoulder) and safety Duke McGhee (concussion). Both are being treated week-to-week according to Claeys. Tight end Brandon Lingen and defensive end Tai’yon Devers are other notables included on the report, and Claeys made no mention of them practicing this week or being ready for the game on Saturday.