Minnesota Football: Spring Position Preview - Seth Green

I say, “SPRING,” you say, “POSITION PREVIEWS!”

I say, “SPRING,” you say, “POSITION PREVIEWS!”

That’s right. The hiatus is over. Football is back! Well, the spring version of football, at least. And in the weeks leading up to the Minnesota Golden Gophers’ spring game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 13, at TCF Bank Stadium, we’ll be breaking down each position group.

Key Departure(s): None
Key Returner(s): Seth Green
Early Enrollee(s): None

Is he a quarterback?

A running back?

A wide receiver?

A tight end?

All of the above?

No one seems to have the answer, but I think offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is okay with that based on how he was able to utilize Seth Green last season. “Swiss Army Knife” seems to be the most fitting designation for the redshirt junior. Largely operating as a wildcat quarterback, Green rushed for 283 yards on 76 carries last season, scoring eight rushing touchdowns. He also completed 4-of-5 pass attempts for 36 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. As a wide receiver, Green hauled in two receptions for 37 yards.

One important stat worth noting: He never fumbled the football.

It will be interesting to see how his role in the offense evolves moving forward. Maybe it won’t change at all. What was so surprising about his effectiveness last season was that, with few exceptions, you knew exactly what he was going to do, yet continued to churn out yards. Green was especially formidable in short yardage situations. He certainly benefited from excellent blocking, but Green also deserves credit for barreling through defenders at the line on occasion.

Late in the season, with Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks both sidelined, he was used more frequently in the ground game to spell Mohamed Ibrahim. If all three running backs are healthy, perhaps we’ll see more creativity in terms of personnel or more of Green lined up at wide receiver.

Next: Tight End