The Gophers football team opens training camp on Sunday, and questions abound for head coach P.J. Fleck’s ninth team at Minnesota.

Head coach P.J. Fleck of the Minnesota Golden Gophers is interviewed after the Golden Gophers defeated the Bowling Green Falcons, 30-24, in the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field on Dec. 26, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

There are unit-wide queries on how the offense will look different as it navigates a big quarterback transition from sixth-year senior Max Brosmer to redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey. After passing more with Brosmer in 2024, offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh said last spring the run game will be counted on to break in a new signal caller.

On the defensive side, new defensive coordinator Danny Collins will try to carry over his success as safeties coach to an entire side of the ball, while maintaining a standard for taut units that Corey Hetherman and Joe Rossi set before him.

But both sides of the ball, along with special teams, have important position battles to try to live up to College Football Playoff contention, which Fleck stated as the team’s goal during Big Ten football media days in Las Vegas last week.

Here are three crucial competitions to settle before the season opener against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium on Aug. 28:

Cream of the receiving corps

Key departures: Daniel Jackson, Elijah Spencer 

The Gophers brought in three transfers Javon Tracy (Miami of Ohio), Logan Loya (UCLA) and Malachi Coleman (Nebraska) to help replace the lion’s share of the lost production in the WR room.

“We’ve got a bunch of guys who have played a lot of football, but then it might not have been here,” Fleck said. “That doesn’t mean that it’s not valuable football. I think that we’re probably deeper with playmakers then we’ve been at that position for a while.”

The stable of returning players are led by Le’Meke Brockington (18 catches in 2024) and Cristian Driver (7 receptions a year ago), along with the emergence of Jalen Smith, a redshirt freshman from Mankato who debuted in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech.

“This Jalen Smith kid has come on strong,” Fleck said. “I meant he’s got talent that reminds me of certain people really early in their careers.” Fleck said he hates comparisons but in the next breath went on to mention two former wideouts he coached who went to the NFL: Corey Davis and Rashod Bateman.

Prediction: Tracy will be the No. 1 target. He had 79 receptions at Miami and comes from a football family, with his older brother Tyrone playing at Iowa, Purdue and now the New York Giants. Loya will be reliable, while Coleman continues to be a project.

Rebuilding the cornerback room

Key departures: Justin Walley, Ethan Robinson, Jack Henderson

Fleck praised Walley as one of the best players he has ever coached, and now for the first time in four years, the U is forced to play without the Indianapolis Colts’ third-round pick.

Similar to Tre’Von Jones in 2023, the Gophers had huge success in the portal with Ethan Robinson transferring in from Bucknell last fall. The U went back into the portal to bring in the 6-foot-1 Jayden Bowden from North Carolina Central.

After spring practices, the U got another CB into the portal in John Nestor from rival Iowa.

Among returnees, Za’Quan Bryan played more than 250 snaps on defense a year ago, primarily when Walley was hurt, and he had his first career interception in the bowl game. The redshirt sophomore is expected to take on a much larger role this fall. Mike Gerald and Sam Madu are up-and-comers.

Over two years at nickel back, Henderson was rock solid — or a “dawg,” according to teammates. With him getting a shot in the NFL, the U will look to safeties Kerry Brown, second-year Texas Christian transfer Jai’Onte McMillan and oft-injured senior Darius Green to help fill that role. Fellow safety Aidan Gousby is a wildcard at that spot.

Prediction: The one-year rental of Robinson deserves a letter grade of an “A,” and the Jones stint was worth a “B.” Given how inauspicious Bowden was during an albeit small sample size of media members watching spring practices, it’s hard project another “A.”

Trying not to fall off EDGE

Key departures: Jah Joyner, Danny Striggow

Returning defensive end Anthony Smith is the Gophers’ best returning player not named Koi Perich, and the 6-foot-6, 295-pound athletic behemoth will get double-teamed ad naseum unless other players step up to fill the big roles vacated by Joyner and Striggow.

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Smith had a team-high 32 pressures a year ago, but Joyner totaled 31 and Striggow 25. The returning players who put the most heat on an opposing QB last fall: Lucas Finnessy (5) and Jaxon Howard (4). That’s big gap.

In order to bridge the gulf, Minnesota brought in Steven Curtis from Illinois State; the 6-foot-5, 265-pounder had 18 pressures and five sacks at the FCS level a year ago.

“(Curtis is) going to be able to help us on the edge,” Fleck said. “… Lucas Finnessy has had a really strong offseason being able to help us at (end), possibly some of the (rush) position. Jaxon Howard has had a really good off season in terms of the defensive end. I know it’s more of the (rush) position, but he’s got a lot bigger, stronger where he could be able to help us on the other side.”

Prediction: Given the demands of the position, multiple players will need to help fill the void this fall. Curtis is more of a known player but is making a jump to a more demanding level. Howard, a former four-star recruit and the No. 1 prospect in the state of Minnesota in the 2023 class, will need more time to live up to his plaudits.

Other competitions

After Georgia Tech QB Zach Pyron quickly exited Dinkytown after one spring, the U took Boston College/Old Dominion QB Emmett Morehead out of the portal. He will compete with Dylan Wittke and Max Shikenjanski for QB2 behind Lindsey. … The U is counting on offensive line coach Brian Callahan to reconfigure the entire front five, but veterans are plugging in at most spots or switching to new positions. … An incredibly high number of punters — four! — are competing to replace Mark Crawford, including two new transfers. … It looks like true freshman Daniel Jackson from Alexandria and senior Brady Denaburg, a transfer from Syracuse, will compete to be the kicker coming in for Dragan Kesich.

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Multiple people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said Saturday.

Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region’s largest hospital in northern Michigan. It said it would provide updates “as appropriate.”

The Michigan State Police said the local sheriff’s office was investigating the incident and details were limited. The agency asked that people avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing.

A Walmart corporate spokesperson, Joe Pennington, said by email that the company was “working with police and defer questions to them right now.”

Messages seeking comment were left with police and the mayor.

Traverse City is about 255 miles (410 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

Baseball’s trade deadline is approaching, and it’s not just major leaguers wondering about where they might be playing next weekend.

After excelling at times with the Twins over the past three seasons, long stints with the Class AAA Saints this summer have a couple of former top prospects acknowledging that it isn’t just the Twins brass they’re trying to impress.

“At this point, I’m not just playing for the Twins,” infielder Edouard Julien said before a Saints double-header at CHS Field on Thursday. “I’m playing for everybody.”

Still, Julien added, he’s not thinking much about being part of a trade before Thursday’s 5 p.m. cut-off because, he said, “I don’t think about any of that stuff because that’s out of my control.”

Not so for Jose Miranda, who appeared to be a shoo-in for a corner infield position after the 2024 season, when he set a club record — and tied the MLB record — by hitting safely in 12 straight at-bats last July.

The deadline for MLB teams to add players through trades is Thursday at 5 pm. CDT.

“It does cross my mind,” Miranda said. “Because, you know, there are certain moments in different players’ careers when a trade or something could make a change for you, provide a different scenario, or something like that.”

If anyone needs a different scenario, of any sort, it’s Miranda. The first and third baseman just isn’t hitting, for the first time in his career. After setting the Twins’ record for consecutive at-bats hit safely last July, Miranda was hitting .326 with nine home runs and 43 runs batted in over 72 games.

After that, Miranda hit .219 with no home runs and six RBIs in 49 games for the Twins. Before Saturday night’s game against Worcester in St. Paul, he was hitting .195 with 14 extra-base hits in 58 games with the Saints.

“I’m always optimistic, always trusting my game, trusting myself,” Miranda said before a double-header against Worcester on Thursday. “It’s been a really weird year for me, you know?”

Second baseman Edouard Julien takes a swing during a St. Paul Saints game this season at CHS Field. He broke camp with the Twins but was sent back to St. Paul after 29 games. Hitting .395 with three home runs in his past 11 games, Julien is hoping to convince the Twins he’s ready for another chance. (Rob Thompson / St. Paul Saints)

The Twins move toward Thursday’s deadline insisting a playoff spot remains in play for them, and technically it does. Fourth in the American League Central Division before Saturday night’s game against Washington at Target Center, they’re only four games out of the second AL wild card spot — but behind five other teams.

Still, it seems unlikely the Twins would balk at trading some impending free agents — at the right price — before Thursday, let alone add players for a run. Asked Friday if there might be openings for veterans at St. Paul next month, manager Rocco Baldelli said that kind of speculation is for the people who cover the team, not the ones who run it.

“I’m really focused on playing good baseball in this stretch of games, getting the most out of our players in these games — that’s what I’m thinking about and hoping to talk about, as well,” he said.

Both Julien, 26, and Miranda, 27, broke camp with the Twins in March. Miranda played 12 games before being sent to St. Paul with a .219 batting average; Julien played 29 before being sent to St. Paul with a .198 average — but he has found his swing with the Saints.

On Friday, Julien went 3 for 4 with a single, double and home run, his fifth multi-hit game in his past 11, to raise his average to .265 with 18 extra-base hits, 51 walks, 30 runs scored and 30 RBIs in 55 games.

Minnesota Twins’ Jose Miranda acknowledges the crowd after hitting a fly out to end his streak of 12 consecutive at-bats with a hit during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros Saturday, July 6, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

“Of course, I would have liked to be up there a little longer and show that I can hit, and in the past two months, I feel like I’ve felt good here,” Julien said. “Of course, there’s ups and downs. But at the moment I feel great. I feel like I can hit anything. I’m much better on offspeed, and I know I can hit the fastball. So, I’ve taken my walks and I feel like I’m capable of being in the big leagues on any team and able to hit and help a team win.

“But that’s not in my control, and the only thing I can do is hit here, right?”

Neither Julien nor Miranda has even started arbitration, so they remain under team control through the rest of the decade. And because they’ve had success in the majors — Julien had a terrific rookie season and hit .364 in the division series against Houston — they’re still valuable pieces for the Twins.

Maybe too valuable to spend as an extra piece in a trade.

But with Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee consistently manning third and second base, respectively — and Luke Keaschall getting his first callup after they were sent down — Julien and Miranda are keenly aware of where they stand in the pecking order.

As Julien put it, the Twins “kind of have their own guys up there, and at the moment I’m not part of them.”

“You go through the tough times and the tough stretches, especially last year in the big leagues, the times when it was harder,” Julien added. “And you know, with the Twins it feels like the leash is not as long, for any player. It’s mostly what you’ve done lately — and that’s for everybody in the big leagues.

“They’re trying to win, so if you’re not performing, they’re going to get someone else up there and give them the chance. That’s the right way to do it; I just wish I could have another chance.”

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A person with a criminal history broke into the state capitol overnight and vandalized it, according to statements released by lawmakers on Saturday.

The Minnesota State Patrol did not immediately return calls or emails Saturday afternoon to confirm the crime or release details about it.

Minnesota Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson released a statement calling on the State Patrol and the Capitol’s security teams to prevent any such future break-ins.

“I’m disappointed to learn that a major security breach occurred on Friday night and Saturday morning. We are living in a heightened threat environment. I expect the (State Patrol and Capitol security teams) will thoroughly review what happened and give Capitol officials and staff, and the public, their assurances that this will not happen again,” Johnson said.

In a statement released Saturday, House Speaker Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, hinted that the person suspected of trespassing had not been arrested.

“It’s frustrating that an individual with a criminal history was able to allegedly vandalize the Capitol and unlawfully trespass in the Senate chamber without being taken into custody,” Demuth said. “Anyone who trespasses in any building — let alone the State Capitol — should be arrested and prosecuted for breaking the law, and I look forward to learning why this did not take place in this highly disturbing incident.”

The incident occurred six weeks after a man shot four people in what authorities are calling a politically motivated assassination. Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is accused of fatally shooting Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, and wounding Sen. John Hoffman and his wife in another shooting in suburban Minneapolis.

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