Boilermakers Country

Big Ten Daily: Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan's Father Dies Following Battle With Cancer

Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan's father died on Monday, Illinois transfer Kofi Cockburn announces commitment date and Michigan earns commitment from three-star Florida linebacker with ties to the program. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten.

D.J. Fezler

Ted Morgan, the father of Minnesota starting quarterback Tanner Morgan, died Monday after battling brain cancer. According to Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the cancer was discovered in May of 2020. 

Tanner posted confirmation of the news in a Twitter post below. 

“Tonight my Dad entered where his true citizenship is at,” Tanner wrote. “My dad was a great man who loves serving other people. He served the Lord with passion and loved us deeply.

“It may not have seemed like it, but the Lord’s favor was all over him throughout the entire journey. Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we want them, but he is still Good. He’s still for us. He draws near the broken-hearted. It might look dark, but God is and was near the entire time.”

Since his passing, multiple outlets and individuals have offered messages and condolences to Tanner and the Morgan family. The on-field interview that Tanner mentions in his post can be found in a Tweet below. 

Illinois Transfer Kofi Cockburn Announces Commitment Date

Illinois center Kofi Cockburn, who entered the transfer portal on July 1 and withdrew from the 2021 NBA Draft, announced Tuesday that he will make his commitment on July 16. 

Even though Cockburn entered the transfer portal, there's still a possibility he returns to Illinois. The Fighting Illini earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Cockburn was one of the team's top players by averaging 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

Illinois will be without Ayo Dosunmu next season by way of the NBA Draft, and Adam Miller, who transferred to LSU this offseason. Losing Cockburn would be another huge blow to a talented roster that finished with the second-best record in the Big Ten. 

Cockburn hasn't yet released a list of his possible destinations, but the 7-foot transfer is linked to the Kentucky basketball program. The Wildcats hired two former Illini assistant coaches. 

Illinois coach Brad Underwood recently commented on the situation, citing college basketball's new rules on transfer eligibility. Although, Underwood is hopeful that Cockburn returns to the program for the 2020-21 season. 

“It is the new reality,” Underwood said, according to the Illini Inquirer. “We’re going to have to do that every year. It’s different. It’s challenging from the sense that I’m always going to be a kind heart in what I want what’s best for young people. I obviously believe that winning is really hard, so you got to have people who are just as committed as you. We’re in a world where players have options, and they’re going to look at all those options, and so we accept that and we’re going to have to adapt to that.”

Florida LB, Nephew of Braylon Edwards, Commits to Michigan

Micah Pollard, a three-star linebacker from the class of 2022, committed to the Michigan football program on Wednesday. He is the nephew of former Wolverine wide receiver Braylon Edwards and the son of former NFL tight end Marcus Pollard. 

“I am so humbled and thankful for this journey,” Pollard wrote in a Twitter post below. “I’d like to thank the whole coaching staff at Michigan for giving me this opportunity to continue playing this sport and believing in me. With that being said I’m excited to announce that I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at the University of Michigan.”

Pollard is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect from Bartram Trail High School in Jacksonville, Florida. He is ranked as the No. 56 player at his position for the recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. 

Michigan football's 2022 recruiting class is currently ranked 10th in the country and third in the Big Ten. Pollard is the program's 16th commitment. 

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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