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James Gordon
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6’1’’
Weight: 214
Hometown: Plant City, FL
247 Sports Composite Rating: .8626
Power 5 Scholarship Offers: Florida State, Iowa State, Kentucky, Miami, Missouri, North Carolina, and Purdue
Spring Enrollee: No
Scouting Report
At 5’11’’, Gordon is a bit undersized compared to the Gophers’ current linebacker corp, but his athleticism is the perfect fit for what the Gophers want from their outside linebackers. His ability to quickly diagnose the play and identify the point of attack allows him to utilize his speed and close on the ball carrier. He can certainly wreak havoc in the backfield, although his film doesn’t show much in the way of shedding blocks, so I’m curious how developed he is in that respect. But Gordon can play sideline-to-sideline and drop into coverage against tight ends and running backs.
Potential Impact
The Gophers are nearing a changing of the guard at linebacker, as Thomas Barber, Kamal Martin, and converted linebacker, now rush end, Carter Coughlin will all be seniors this fall. The next wave of linebackers will be led by sophomores Thomas Rush and Mariano Sori-Marin and redshirt freshman Braelen Oliver. Gordon has a chance to be part of that, and could see the field as early as this fall, even if only as a special teams contributor.