One of Minnesota's pressing needs is to find a receiver who can stretch the field and make big plays. Arguably its fastest wideout from 2012 won't be around to help this year.
The team announced Monday that junior Devin Crawford-Tufts will focus solely on the school's track team this year and will not play football. Crawford-Tufts was fourth on the team last year with 16 catches for 189 yards, and he grabbed a touchdown reception against Texas Tech in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
But he is arguably more promising as a track competitor. A Minnesota state champion in the 100 and 200 meters in high school, he joined the Gophers' track team in February and finished fourth at the Big Ten championships in the 60 meters.
Crawford-Tufts probably wouldn't have been one of the team's top options at receiver this year, but he definitely would have been in the rotation for playing time. And Minnesota is still thin there in experienced options, with Isaac Fruechte, Derrick Engel and Andre McDonald needing to take steps forward to help improve the passing game.
