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With another Gophers player opting out of the season Monday, coach P.J. Fleck warned more could follow before the Oct. 24 opener. Receiver and returner Demetrius Douglas announced his decision on Twitter, writing he first decided to not play when the Big Ten canceled its season in August. While the conference reversed that call, Douglas stayed on his course. Douglas, who grew up in Wayzata and is the son of former Gopher and NFL receiver Omar Douglas, returned both punts and kickoffs and was also the first receiver rotated in last season, often for long third- and fourth-down attempts. Douglas would have been the No. 3 receiver behind Rashod Bateman and Chris Autman-Bell, leaving that third slot open for players such as Seth Green and promising freshmen Douglas Emilien and Daniel Jackson. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Demetrius Douglas, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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10/02/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

For nearly two weeks this summer, Rashod Bateman's head and body ached, altering between chills and night sweats. Like a bad flu, but with the disconcerting addition of losing his sense of taste and smell. The Gophers star receiver was one of the coronavirus pandemic's victims. He didn't know how he contracted COVID-19 because he'd tried to be cautious. But he had taken a California trip on a break from voluntary workouts, and a test later confirmed he and some others who traveled were positive. "Just being scared and not knowing what it can do to my body because nobody really had any answers," Bateman said Thursday. "And then I just felt like it wasn't safe to play football this year after going through that." Bateman has asthma, which made the experience even scarier. It took a couple of days after his sickness to begin feeling normal, and it was enough for him to decide to opt out of the 2020 football season Aug. 4. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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09/30/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

University of Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman's eligibility was restored by the NCAA and he is now able to compete for the Gophers this season. Bateman will wear No. 0 this season, becoming the first Gopher ever to do so. He is switching from No. 13 to No. 0 because there is zero tolerance for racism in Minnesota's culture and it is a call to action to end racism in our society. Bateman, who previously announced he was forgoing this season because of personal health concerns related to COVID-19, has played in 26 games for Minnesota and in two years has already established himself as one of the best receivers ever to wear the Maroon and Gold. He has 111 career catches (tied for 12th in school history) for 1,923 yards (tied for eighth in school history) and 17 touchdowns (tied for fifth in school history). - Minnesota Football

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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09/24/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

When Rashod Bateman told his Gophers teammates he was coming back to campus in hopes of playing this season, they thought he was joking. "I didn't think it was a possibility," running back Mohamed Ibrahim said in a Tuesday video news conference. "… So just understanding that he can come back, that was a big boost to the whole team." Can, but not necessarily will, as Bateman's second go at a collegiate career is still foggy. Much like the Big Ten Conference as a whole, Bateman changed his mind. The reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year opted out of the 2020 season on Aug. 4, citing health concerns for playing during the coronavirus pandemic. The conference later canceled all fall sports Aug. 11 but then reversed that decision last week, setting up a delayed fall season to start Oct. 24.

New safety measures, including daily testing, influenced Bateman to decide to play instead of focusing on the 2021 NFL draft, where he is a projected first-round pick. But his path back to college football isn't as simple as just returning to the team. Bateman is one of several players across the country in the NCAA's Student-Athlete Reinstatement process to regain his remaining two years of eligibility. When he signed with an agent and accepted benefits - including money for housing, transportation and training the past six weeks - that terminated his amateur status, unless the NCAA grants him a special waiver. "There's going to be a lot of other things we have to do moving forward for him to be cleared, and that's down the road a little bit," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. "But he's doing everything he can to handle today, and that's all we told him to focus on. Just focus on today, continue to get better. And a lot of this is out of your control. But again, we know the right measures are being taken, that's for sure." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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08/26/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

Former Gophers' receiver Rashod Bateman was one of 23 players who earned preseason All-America honors from the Associated Press despite not actually playing in the fall. Bateman opted out of what would have been his junior season in early August before the Big Ten ultimately called off fall competition a week later. The reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year planned to focus on the 2021 NFL Draft, where he is a projected first-round pick, possible going in the top 10. The Georgia native was a third-team AP All-America selection last season, amassing 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns on 60 catches. He made the second team in this preseason vote from the media. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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08/18/20 - Tanner Morgan, rSr/2023, Minnesota, 6-0, 204 (DS#21 QB) + More +

The Gophers finished the 2019 season at 11-2, a history-making year with big wins and big crowds. But the coronavirus pandemic seemed to detour that upward trajectory, first with Big Ten Receiver of the Year Rashod Bateman opting out to focus on the NFL draft and then with the canceled season. But with Jackson and Emilien as potential successors for Bateman and new NFLer Tyler Johnson, with Logan-Redding and Joyner new prospects on a nearly completely turned-over defensive line, the Gophers feel like they can easily find the main road again. Fleck said he thinks even in just a year from now, his deep team can accomplish another 11-win season or better.

That's a bold assertion, considering the unknowns of the upcoming season(s). The Gophers could end up playing in the spring - clashing with the NFL draft - and the fall, posing physical risks of playing two seasons in one calendar year. But not every eligible player is anticipating skipping a spring season for the draft, including senior wildcat quarterback Seth Green and Morgan himself. "Personally, that's not something I'm thinking about," Morgan said. "...I can't really think that far down the line with all the different other stuff because I'm fully 100 percent committed to being the best person, player and quarterback for the University of Minnesota that I can be. And if I worry about that stuff, then I can't fully commit to that." - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#21 QB) rSr/2023

QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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08/17/20 - Tanner Morgan, rSr/2023, Minnesota, 6-0, 204 (DS#21 QB) + More +

Quarterback Tanner Morgan was in the locker room preparing for a walkthrough with his Gophers teammates about a week ago, when players starting receiving texts from friends and family, consoling them for a canceled season. Morgan said his first reaction to hearing he wouldn't be playing football this fall was sadness at not being able to do something he has loved since age 6. But he echoed what Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said last week, about the players' belief that the Big Ten made the right call. "Everybody involved from our side at the University of Minnesota and the Big Ten, they did what was right," Morgan said. "...The Big Ten did what they thought was best for player health and safety, and I commend them for being the conference that actually put player health and safety first."

That decision hasn't earned unanimous praise, though. Parents from Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska and Penn State have spoken out about their disagreement with the decision, sending letters to the conference demanding more transparency about how the conference came to that choice. Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields started an online petition asking the conference and Big Ten school administrators to reinstate the season, which has garnered more than 250,000 signatures since Sunday morning. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#21 QB) rSr/2023

QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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08/06/20 - *Benjamin St-Juste, rJr/2021, Minnesota, 6-3, 202 (DS#22 CB) + More +

A group of more than 1,000 Big Ten athletes took to The Players' Tribune on Wednesday to call for more protection playing amid the coronavirus pandemic. Gophers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste played a big role in this, as one of the founders of the group that penned the open letter, College Athlete Unity (CAU). "We have started a dialogue in good faith with the Big Ten and hope that the NCAA will follow suit," the article read. "Given the short time frame, and with our season at stake, this conversation must happen now." This came just hours after the Big Ten released its revised 10-game, conference-only football schedule and updated testing protocols, which require a minimum of two tests per week, one within three days of competition, for all high-risk sports. - Minneapolis Star Tribune

(DS#22 CB) rJr/2021

CB *Benjamin St-Juste, Minnesota
News Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
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08/04/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

University of Minnesota receiver Rashod Bateman announced today that he is forgoing his remaining eligibility at Minnesota to focus on preparing for the 2021 NFL Draft. Bateman played in 26 games for Minnesota and in two years solidified himself as one of the best receivers ever to wear the Maroon and Gold. He ends his Minnesota career with 111 catches (tied for 12th in school history) for 1,923 yards (tied for eighth in school history) and 17 touchdowns (tied for fifth in school history). - Minnesota Football

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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08/04/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

Minnesota star receiver Rashod Bateman has opted out of the 2020 college football season and will prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, he announced Tuesday on Instagram. Bateman, the reigning Big Ten Receiver of the Year and a projected first-round draft pick, called it "the hardest decision" of his life. He joins a growing list of college players deciding not to play - if there is a season this fall - including Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley and Illinois running back Ra'Von Bonner. As a sophomore, Bateman helped lead the resurgence of Gophers football in 2019. He had 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns during Minnesota's 11-2 season, which was capped with a win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl. He said he wanted to bring a Big Ten championship to Minnesota, but the situation has changed. - Detroit News

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Detroit News
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07/31/20 - Tanner Morgan, rSr/2023, Minnesota, 6-0, 204 (DS#21 QB) + More +

2020 MANNING AWARD PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Tanner Morgan, Jr., Minnesota,...Morgan, who was All-Big Ten Second Team last year, and set school single-season records for passing yards (3,253), touchdown passes (30), completion percentage (66.0%), passing yards per game (250.2), touchdown-interception ratio (4.28) and pass efficiency rating (178.7) in 2019. Morgan was one of 12 finalists for The Manning Award in 2019. - Minnesota Football

(DS#21 QB) rSr/2023

QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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07/28/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

2020 PRESEASON WALTER CAMP SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota,...Bateman has caught at least one pass in all 26 games (tied for seventh in school history) he has played in and has made 111 receptions (tied for 12th in school history) for 1,923 yards (seventh in school history) and 17 touchdowns (tied for fifth in school history). He has seven 100-yard receiving games and owns the top two Minnesota receiving games in TCF Bank Stadium history (2019 Penn State with 203 yards and 2019 Wisconsin with 147 yards).

He set school sophomore records in 2019 with 1,219 yards (second most in school single-season history) and 11 touchdowns (tied for third most in school single-season history). His 51 receptions and 704 yards in 2018 set Gopher freshman records. Bateman was named the Big Ten's Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year in 2019 and was also named All-Big Ten First Team. He was a Biletnikoff Award Finalist last season and was named AP Third-Team All-America. - Minnesota Football

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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07/28/20 - Matthew Trickett, rSr/2023, Minnesota, 5-11, 190 (DS#23 K) + More +

2020 PRESEASON WALTER CAMP SECOND TEAM ALL-AMERICAN: PK Matt Trickett, Kent State,...Trickett enjoyed a stellar sophomore season for the Golden Flashes, earning the Mid-American Conference's Special Teams Player of the Year. The rising junior connected on 29-of-34 field goals on the season, a mark that tied him for the top spot in the FBS. The Cleveland native did not shy away from the big moment, connecting on both of his "walk-off" field goal chances and was 5-for-5 in the bowl win over Utah State. Away from the place kicking, Trickett had 28 touchbacks on kick-offs in 2019 and recovered his own on-sides kick against Buffalo. Trickett joins Buffalo Bulls' running back Jarret Patterson as the lone MAC members on the pre-season All-America list. - Kent State Football

(DS#23 K) rSr/2023

K Matthew Trickett, Minnesota
News Source: Kent State Football
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07/27/20 - Tanner Morgan, rSr/2023, Minnesota, 6-0, 204 (DS#21 QB) + More +

2020 WUERFFEL TROPHY PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Tanner Morgan, Minnesota, junior, quarterback,...Morgan, who is deeply-rooted in his faith, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten performer and is actively involved in Minnesota's charitable efforts, which span from visits to Masonic Children's Hospital to the team's annual Turkey Drive. Morgan has also built many personal one-on-one relationships with young cancer patients. - Minnesota Football

(DS#21 QB) rSr/2023

QB Tanner Morgan, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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07/27/20 - *Rashod Bateman, Jr/2021, Minnesota, 6-0, 190 (DS#6 WR) + More +

2020 PRESEASON MAXWELL AWARD WATCH LIST: WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota,...Bateman, who was named Third-Team All-American last season and All-Big Ten First Team, has caught at least one pass in all 26 games he has played in and has made 111 receptions for 1,923 yards and 17 touchdowns. - Minnesota Football

(DS#6 WR) Jr/2021

WR *Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
News Source: Minnesota Football
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