Rashod Bateman – Wide Receiver
2019 stats: 51 rec, 1023 yds (20.1 avg), 10 TD
The crown jewel of Fleck’s 2018 recruiting class, Bateman has lived up to the hype and then some throughout his first two years at Minnesota.
The sophomore receiver and Biletnikoff Award semifinalist is a big play waiting to happen, currently leading Big Ten in receiving touchdowns (along with his teammate, Johnson, and Ohio State’s Chris Olave) and yards per reception and trailing only Johnson in receiving yards. Bateman has at least 50 receiving yards in all but two of Minnesota’s games, including a dominant 203-yard outing in the Gophers’ upset of Penn State earlier in the month.
Antoine Winfield Jr. – Safety
2019 stats: 76 tackles (56 solo), 3.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 7 INT
The son of the former Jim Thorpe Award winner at Ohio State and three-time Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings of the same name, Winfield has emerged as a pretty talented defensive back in his own right as a sophomore after missing all but four games of his redshirt freshman season a year ago due to injury.
Winfield, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this season, has racked up a whopping seven interceptions already, a mark that leads the conference and ranks third nationally. One has to imagine that he also has given Fleck a peace of mind knowing that not many ball-carriers are going to get past him on the back end of Minnesota’s defense, as his 56 solo tackles are the third-highest total in the league.
Carter Coughlin – Linebacker
2019 stats: 43 tackles (26 solo), 9.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 4 PD, 2 FF
A former U.S. Army All-American and top 100 recruit coming out of high school in 2016, Coughlin spurned opportunities from some of the best programs in college football to stay home and play for the Gophers. Four years later, it’s safe to say that decision has paid off quite well for both sides, with Coughlin emerging as one of the Big Ten’s top edge rushers and a likely NFL draft selection in the spring.
The linebacker from Eden Prairie, Minn. has put together a fine senior season for the Gophers after being named a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection in 2018, leading Minnesota in both sacks and tackles for loss.