A couple of NFL teams were on hand for Saturday’s matchup between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Michigan State Spartans, including the New Orleans Saints. But Vikings Wire’s Judd Zulgad reports that the Saints scout in attendance left the press box early. After seeing the second half in a 10-6 game open with two punts and a no-good field goal, the team’s representative checked out with 7:48 remaining in the third quarter — at the start of a Minnesota drive which ended with an interception.
But Minnesota pulled away in the second half thanks to the efforts of Jordan Nubin, a redshirt sophomore and former safety who recently converted to running back (and the younger brother of Tyler Nubin, a top-50 prospect in the upcoming draft class). Nubin logged 40 rushing attempts to gain 204 yards and score a pair of touchdown runs that powered the Gophers to a 27-12 victory. It was an impressive performance from him after the more-experienced backs on Minnesota’s roster went down with injuries.
Minnesota had a couple of intriguing pro prospects in this game; in addition to the elder Nubin, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford is on teams’ radar as a mid-round prospect. The 6-foot-7, 270 pound tight end has only caught 15 passes this year after breaking out last season with 42 receptions for 497 yards but he has a lot of experience as a blocker with nearly 1,200 career snaps paving the way in his college career. And senior receiver Daniel Jackson (seven catches for a career-high 120 yards on Saturday) shouldn’t be overlooked as a potential late-round target.
As for the Saints: it’s not uncommon for scouts to leave games early. They’re busy on the road this time of the year and catching live games is just one part of the job. Their typical week involves hustling from one school to the next to meet with coaches and advisors on campus, punctuated with brief stops at a hotel to file reports with regional scout coordinators. We shouldn’t read too much into this.
