Three Minnesota Players will Play in the College Gridiron Showcase

The season is not over for three Minnesota football players. Kunle Ayinde, Kobe McCrary and Nate Wozniak are scheduled to play in the College Gridiron Showcase. The Showcase runs from January 6th to the 10th and is limited to seniors from around the country.

The three seniors are hoping to get more exposure in front of professional scouts. In addition, the players will supposedly receive football and life coaching, mentoring, and seminars that will benefit them as they move forward with their professional lives. What does that mean? I have no idea! I imagine the professional football coaching will be the most valuable secondary benefit.

Ayinde played in 41 games as a Gopher and made 117 tackles, seven of which were for loss. After being a bit of a fan punching bag, the senior turned in an excellent campaign where he played both safety and corner. During the second half of the season, Ayinde was regularly one of the best performers on defense. He finished the season with 51 tackles, five PBU, and one interception.

McCrary spent most of the season buried on the depth chart behind Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. When he saw action, he made the most of it. He rushed 94 times for 496 years and had eight touchdowns. Normally the tailback in the Gophers jumbo package, McCrary has the strength to be a power back and enough speed to get by slower linebackers.

You may have heard that Nate Wozniak is tall, but have you also heard that he had 7 catches last year for 104 yards, almost half of which came on one play? Wozniak also was a solid run blocker, and there is a small possibility that some NFL team may be interested in a 6’10” redzone threat.