Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Senior Bowl director expects Minnesota DL to take ‘next step’ in 2021

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

There are a lot of high expectations circulating around Minnesota defensive end Boye Mafe. Many believe that his production will be the key to the Gophers’ success, or lack thereof, in 2021.

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy is expecting big things from the Minnesota edge, though. Mafe is a player he’s keeping his eye on this fall, and one who could see major improvement.

“One consistently improving prospect who Senior Bowl expects to take another step this year is (Minnesota’s) EDGE Boye Mafe,” Nagy wrote on Twitter. “‘Feldman Freak’ is a long (81 1/2 wing), quick-handed, & active rusher with multiple rush game and disruptive finishing flashes.”

Mafe had a solid season for Minnesota in 2020, totaling 27 stops, 4.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 pass break-ups and 2 quarterback hurries. There’s still an anticipation that he needs to take another big leap, though.

Mafe is an incredible athlete and has the potential to be one of the B1G’s top defensive ends this fall. If that comes to fruition, his draft stock may skyrocket.

The defensive end will get the chance to flash his brilliance against the very best early this season. Minnesota opens the year on Thursday, Sept. 2 at Huntington Bank Stadium against Ohio State to start the year.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB