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Minnesota spring football practice preview for 2017. New head coach P.J. Fleck brought his “Row the Boat” motto to Minneapolis and is set to usher in a new era of Golden Gophers football.

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P.J. Fleck’s enthusiasm and passion for coaching are second to none. He made a name for himself at Western Michigan for transforming a one-win team into a Cotton Bowl participant in only four years, inspiring his players with motivational tactics and his Row the Boat motto that trended around the country.

Fleck now brings all of that to Minnesota, where he looks to rejuvenate a Golden Gophers program starving for success in a competitive Big Ten that features plenty of college football blue-bloods already at or near the top of the sport. The Gophers made a splash with the hire, but now Fleck has to put all of his charismatic talk and promises of a turnaround onto the field.

Here are three storylines to watch as Minnesota’s spring football practice starts Tuesday.

Minnesota Spring Football Practice Storylines

1. Fleck’s influence

Fleck is quite possibly the best quote in college football, and his relentless attitude and unmatched intensity make for a great face of Minnesota’s program. Ultimately, though, wins and losses will determine Fleck’s success or failure.

He got started immediately, convincing prospects he recruited to Western Michigan to flip to the Gophers. Some committed without even seeing the Minnesota campus. So far, Fleck has made all the right moves and said the right things to make believers out of Gophers fans.

2. But is there enough talent?

Rodney Smith finished fourth in the Big Ten in rushing with 1,158 yards, but there are plenty of question marks otherwise. Quarterback Mitch Leidner is gone, and defensive backs Damarius Travis and Jalen Myrick are off pursuing NFL careers. Plus, the depth chart certainly will change with Fleck, offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, who followed Fleck from Western Michigan, and defensive coordinator Robb Smith now running the show.

Spring practice is going to provide an opportunity for the holdovers to impress and the newcomers to compete for jobs. Things should clear up by the time the spring scrimmage roles around.

3. Wide-open quarterback competition

Of all the position battles, this one should be the most competitive. Conor Rhoda is back after playing in three games last season, and fellow returnee Demry Croft also has his name in the hat along with junior college transfer Neil McLaurin and redshirt freshman Seth Green. The wild-card might be 3-star dual-threat quarterback Reyondous Estes, who is eager to prove he can win the job.

Estes should have just as good of a shot at being named the Gophers’ starter given Rhoda’s limited experience, Croft not throwing a pass all of last season and no one else having game experience at this level. However, Fleck and Ciarrocca worked with a strictly pocket-passing quarterback at Western Michigan in Zach Terrell, so they might be partial to going that route. Time will tell.

Minnesota’s spring football practice concludes on Saturday, April 15 with the Gopher Spring Football Game.

MORE: Big Ten Football Predictions, Storylines For 2017