JOTTINGS
Jottings
• Now that the dust has settled on the Vikings' season, quarterback Case Keenum talked about some of the great memories he had in 2017. "Coming back after Pittsburgh and beating Tampa and getting the game ball after that with the guys surrounding me in the locker room is one of the highlights of my career," he said. "I don't think anybody can take away from any Vikings fan the [Stefon Diggs catch to beat the Saints], so there are a lot of great things that the Vikings family gets to share from this season."
• Diggs was ranked as the best "tight window" receiver in the NFL, according to its Next Gen Stats. The stat reflects when a receiver had less than a yard of separation from his defender.
• The Vikings have started their draft preparations and some pundits believe they will attempt to select Mike McGlinchey, a tackle out of Notre Dame. McGlinchey, a cousin of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, was named an Associated Press first-team All-America.
• ESPN had the Vikings ranked fourth in power rankings for next season, writing: "Even if [Keenum doesn't return], the Vikings should be in good shape. Both [Sam] Bradford and [Teddy]Bridgewater have winning records under Mike Zimmer."
• The combined 2017 records of Vikings 2018 road opponents is 72-56. This past season it was 59-68-1, so you get an idea of how much more difficult the schedule will be.
• Now that the 2018 football recruiting classes are complete, the Gophers ranked seventh in the Big Ten by 247sports.com, with 26 signings. Of the top 10 players in the state of Minnesota, the Gophers signed six.
• Notre Dame quarterback coach Tommy Rees was recently in Edina to check in on the Irish's recruiting of Quinn Carroll, the offensive lineman who is the state's top recruit for 2019. Carroll has received 32 scholarship offers, including many from the nation's top programs.
Darius Taylor, who led the Gophers in rushing last season, missed the Aug. 29 opener and was questionable this week leading up to Saturday’s game.