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As of today there are 87 days left until the Minnesota Gophers kick off the 2017 season under the lights at TCF Bank Stadium against the Buffalo Bulls. As we have done sporadically so far, we are continuing our countdown to the season by profiling Gopher players who currently wear the number corresponding with the days left. Today is 87 days to go and the Gopher who wears #87 is..... well currently no one.
So, since we missed yesterday, lets profile a key contributor to the Gophers this season who is just one number off—#88 Rashad Still.
Still was one of many wide receivers the Gophers brought into the program in the recruiting class of 2015. While no one has really broken out from that class, Still has had the best Gopher career thus far. We here at TDG named him our #8 ranked player on the Gophers heading into the season.
He played in twelve games his freshman season in 2015 and caught 18 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns. His first career touchdown was on a 52-yard bomb from Mitch Leidner against Michigan at TCF Bank Stadium. His second TD would come a week later at Ohio State, and he would add his third in a win over Illinois.
His sophomore season last year was stymied a bit by injuries. He played in just ten games making 18 catches for 349 yards, and ran the ball once for 8 yards, but did not get into the end zone. His best game of the season came against Purdue where he caught four passes for 87 yards. He would add a pair of catches for 81 yards against Northwestern.
Minnesota fans are awaiting Still’s breakout in his junior season. With a new coaching staff in place, Gopher fans think that WR coach Matt Simon and PJ Fleck can find something deeper in Still. They both worked him hard during spring practice to become a bigger threat, and the leader of the wide out corps. See Fleck’s reaction at about the one minute mark into this video.
Coach doesn't need a but we still gave him one for #Gophers 1st practice. Delicious content, courtesy of @cubfoods https://t.co/dR69ZTXl9I
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) March 9, 2017
While Minnesota still does not know who its quarterback will be in the fall, Demry Croft showed some connection with Still in the Gophers spring game as well. Ignore Dave Lee’s mistaking of Croft for Tanner Morgan somehow...
Minnesota will be expecting a lot more of that this fall from Still. They will need it.