Minnesota Football: The evolution of the slot cornerback

First of all, it is important to establish that under defensive coordinator Joe Rossi the Gopher defense has operated out of a base 4-2-5 formation. That means four defensive linemen, two linebackers, and five defensive backs. Here is a typical look:

Fresno State is in a four wide receiver set, so the Gophers have Coney Durr and Terell Smith as their outside corners, with Chris Williamson in at slot corner on the wide side of the field and safety Jordan Howden providing help over the top. Antoine Winfield Jr.