Like any quality defense should, the Gophers are disguising how much they might blitz under new coordinator Corey Hetherman this season. Head coach P.J. Fleck is hanging back on the topic like an unthreatening linebacker at a normal depth from the line of scrimmage.

“I think it comes down to what our players have been able to show us they can do,” he said.

But Hetherman — the Rutgers’ linebackers coach the past two seasons — comes to the U with a hawkish reputation earned during his stint as James Madison’s defensive coordinator 2019-21.

“It’s not just about where he has been,” Fleck added. “It’s about where we are as a defense, what we have done defensively and him fitting into that scheme. (But) he is going to make it his own, obviously.”

Ope, was that a slip?

Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh has gone against Hetherman’s schemes since spring practices in March and was more direct on his colleague’s style. “He’s aggressive,” he said.

Hetherman won’t hide from an intention to show multiple looks to opponents this season, starting with the opener against North Carolina at 7 p.m. Thursday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Hetherman has a group of versatile defensive linemen, arguably the team’s best position group, and an array of experienced linebackers that includes standout Cody Lindenberg at his disposal. But is the remade secondary — sans New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin — up to the task in the back end?

Harbaugh said the monotony of training camp can lead to an offense’s too much familiarity with its own team’s defense. Not so for the Gophers this year.

“Sometimes the quarterback will get used to seeing the same picture all the time, but (Hetherman) has done a good job of changing the picture and making it challenging on us offensively and the quarterbacks,” Harbaugh said. “It’s fun to go against them every single day. They get after it.”

One thing Hetherman is transparent about is the acronym he wants his players to hang their helmets on: ESV, excitement, swarming and violence.

So many players used the word “violent” after one practice in fall camp, it seemed they were warning kids of an “R” rating.

“It’s a violent sport — have bad intentions when you get to the ball carrier,” Lindenberg said.

Lindenberg was close to former coordinator Joe Rossi, whom players affectionately called “the guru” for his detailed recall of in-game situations. Lindenberg said he has learned from Hetherman what to expect in situational football based on the other team’s formation and pre-snap movements.

“It’s not so much of, ‘What are we going to do?’ ” Lindenberg said. “(It’s) ‘How are they going to attack us?’ We better understand the holistic approach, so we can better understand ourselves and understand the opponent.”

Under Rossi last year, the Gophers defense fell from a top 10 unit in total defense and points allowed in 2022. A year ago, injuries and defections at linebacker were primary reasons for a slip to 69th in nation in scoring (26.7 per game) and 56th in yards allowed (368 per game).

Rossi left for the same job at Michigan State, and Fleck was tasked with finding his replacement. Outside of last season and the pandemic year, Rossi’s tenure was mostly terrific and made up for the disastrous run of Fleck’s first hire, Robb Smith, from 2017 to midway through 2018. Fleck will need to make it two successful hires in three attempts if the 2024 team is going to improve on last year’s 6-7 record.

“Corey will do the same thing, around the same parameters of what we are and what our schematic beliefs are as a system at the University of Minnesota,” Fleck said. “It should be a lot of fun. Really exciting to watch our guys go out and play football. Thursday night should be a great experience for everybody.”

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