Author: Caleb Stene

The Minnesota Gophers land 3-star quarterback Aaron Philo from Georgia. Philo is a hard commit and is 6-2 200 lbs. quarterback out of Prince Avenue Chrisitan School in Bogart, Georgia (just outside of Athens). Newly promoted co-offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. recruited Aaron Philo. Notable schools the Gophers beat out included Wake Forest, South Carolina, Duke, UCF, James Madison, and Coastal Carolina. High School Stats In 2022, Philo went 274-out-of-397 (69% completion percentage), throwing for 4,598 yards, 54 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He also rushed 68 times for 361 yards and eight touchdowns. Also, during the season, Philo had six…

With the 2023 draft coming up, I thought it would be a good time to look back and evaluate the Vikings’ 2022 rookie class. 2022 was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s first draft with the Vikings. The Vikings rookie class was a rollercoaster, with injuries hitting four players. Some rookies took advantage of their opportunities, while others will have to wait until next season for theirs. While it’s tough to say if a player was a hit or a miss after year one, it doesn’t hurt to see which way they’re trending after year one. With that, let’s start evaluating the Vikings’ 2022…

Last season the Gophers’ were predominantly a running team, led by senior Mohamed Ibrahim. Now Minnesota’s running back group is by no means weak for the coming season, they only lost their best back and bolstered their group by bringing in Western Michigan transfer Sean Tyler. The thing is that the Gophers’ receiving core is looking to be very good for 2023. Minnesota has brought back six receivers and got two in the transfer portal and another three in their 2023 recruiting class. Who’s Returning Minnesota is bringing back six wide receivers for 2023. Of the returning receivers are Jackson,…

Last week Justin Jefferson was announced as a finalist for the MVP. As most know, he had a fantastic season with the Vikings. Jefferson is now the best receiver in the league, and rightfully so. He can now do what only one player has done in the last 12 years. Win an MVP as a non-quarterback. The latest to do it? Former Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson in 2012. Jefferson would become the first wide receiver to win the MVP in NFL history. So, Justin Jefferson for MVP, can he pull it off? Justin Jefferson 2022 Stats In 2022, Jefferson had…

The Gophers have a nice group coming in from the transfer portal. So far Minnesota has six players committed to the University of Minnesota but have lost nine players in the portal. The Gophers roster isn’t looking as bad as I initially thought at the start of last year. Some players have come back that many assumed weren’t going to be back. A team that may have been staring down a rebuild now looks to retool instead. With that, let’s take a look at my ranking of the Gophers 2023 transfer class. #6 – Chris Collins – DE Collins transfers…

Minnesota fans over the course of the season have been demanding that the Vikings fire Ed Donatell as their defensive coordinator. Today their wish has come true. Head coach Kevin O’Connell released a statement saying that they are parting ways with Ed Donatell. https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/1616216832905551872 Ed Donatell was in charge of the Vikings defense that ranked 31st in the league this year. Here are some of the defensive ranks from the defense this season. Total yards per game: 31st – 388.7 yards Rushing yards per game: 20th – 123.1 yards Passing yards per game: 31st – 265.6 yards Yards per Play:…

The Vikings had another early playoff exit yet again and it was all because of their defense. Minnesota fell to the Giants 31-24 in the wildcard round of the playoffs. What has been the biggest problem for the Vikings was their defense, whiched ranked 31st in the league. Led by Ed Donatell, the team gave up a ton of yards and points. In games against teams like the Giants and Patriots they made mediocre quarterbacks look like all-stars. It was horrendous all season long. What O’Connell Said After The Game After the game in a press conference, head coach Keivn…

The Gophers got a big transfer today. Minnesota flips running back transfer Sean Tyler from Oklahoma State who committed to the Cowboys in mid-December, a graduate transfer from Western Michigan. Tyler will look to bolster a young Gopher running back core that will be losing Mohamed Ibrahim to the NFL. His veteran status and explosiveness will be welcomed assets to the Minnesota offense. Career At Western Michigan Sean Tyler’s career stats at Western Michigan are 495 carries, 2,830 yards rushing, and 23 touchdowns in four years with the Broncos. He was also active in the passing game bringing in 43…

It’s time for the NFL playoffs. The cream has risen to the top, as the sports cliche goes. And the teams that didn’t qualify are pondering why — and positioning themselves for the NFL Draft. The Minnesota Vikings enter the playoffs off a much needed win over the Bears following their blowout loss to Green Bay. Rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell has led the Minnesota Vikings to an impressive 13-4 record and the NFC north crown. What do they get for it, a rematch with the New York Giants on Wildcard weekend. GridironHeroics previews all of the NFL teams that…

It’s that time of year again; the NFL playoffs are here. The Minnesota Vikings are the three seed in the NFC after finishing an impressive 13-4 under rookie head coach Kevin O’Connell. The Vikings now get ready for a rematch with the New York Giants (9-7-1). Minnesota defeated New York on Christmas Eve 27-24 on a Greg Joseph 61-yard walk-off field goal. With the playoffs this week the question is can the Vikings make a playoff run, even with the way their defense has been playing. Where Their Defense Ranks At The End Of Regular Season With the regular season…