JOTTINGS
• P.J. Fleck said that according to college football analyst Phil Steele, the Gophers' two-deep is the third youngest in the country, and Fleck knows one place that will be apparent is at quarterback, where either true freshman Zack Annexstad or redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan will start. "I'm proud of the progress both of them are making," Fleck said. "Tanner is better than he was last year, Zack is better than when he first arrived here."
• Former Vikings offensive coordinator and current Giants coach Pat Shurmur said he hopes running back Saquon Barkley, the No. 2 overall draft pick, can break out like Dalvin Cook did last season. "Dalvin was a guy that displayed a lot of the things that Saquon has showed us," Shurmur told the Giants website. "He just needs to go through training camp, and work through the good days and the bad."
• A big part of the Timberwolves roster will be up for some form of free agency in 2019. Jimmy Butler and Jeff Teague have player options, Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Rose are unrestricted free agents and Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones are restricted.
• The Twins played one Saturday night home game over the first half of the season but will play five in the second. President Dave St. Peter said national TV forces the Twins into day games much of the first half of the year, but they prefer the 6:10 p.m. Saturday starts.
• Former Gophers punter Ryan Santoso has a real shot to win that job with the Detroit Lions. The Gophers also have three tight ends in NFL camps: MarQueis Gray in Miami, Maxx Williams in Baltimore and Nate Wozniak in New Orleans.
• Gophers men's basketball coach Richard Pitino on Gabe Kalscheur: "Gabe has been a pleasant surprise early. He works really, really hard. His approach to the game is very serious. Sometimes you get some freshmen you know who may not have that mind-set all the time. Gabe has it."
