As spring practice approaches, we're taking a snapshot of the state of each Big Ten program. We're looking at recent performance, won-loss trends, coaching, current personnel and future personnel.

Up next: the Minnesota Golden Gophers

2014 record: 8-5 (5-3 Big Ten)

Three-year record: 22-17

Coaching situation: This can be summed up in one word: stability. Jerry Kill and his chief lieutenants -- offensive coordinator Matt Limegrover and defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys -- are approaching two decades of working side by side. Kill appears to have found the right way to manage his epilepsy, and he was named Big Ten coach of the year in 2014.

Roster situation: Kill has added a little more size and speed to the roster each year, and now in Year 5 he likes how the roster shapes up. The Gophers have struggled to develop big-play threats at wide receiver, which has limited their offense. But some young players with length and athleticism should start to see the field this fall and perhaps remedy that. Even with talented tight end Maxx Williams leaving early for the NFL draft, Minnesota returns a lot of key players from last year's team.

Recruiting situation: Minnesota isn't located in a football recruiting hotbed and often has a hard time keeping home the blue-chippers who do come out of its state. So the Gophers have traveled far and wide for prospects, hitting Texas and Florida and many parts in between. The promise of a new, much-needed athletic facilities complex on the horizon should help recruiting efforts, as well as continued on-field success. Minnesota is probably never going to reel in top-10 classes or even crack the top 20 with consistency. But the good news is that Kill and his staff do a great job evaluating and developing players, with Williams and David Cobb recent shining examples of that.

Trajectory: Up. The Gophers finished with the same record (8-5) in 2014 as they had the year prior but clearly were improved. They went down to the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to win the Big Ten West Division and made their first New Year's Day bowl game since the JFK administration. They gave Ohio State a test late in the season and won back rivalry trophies from Michigan and Iowa, along with beating Nebraska on the road. Things are clearly trending in the right direction in Minneapolis, though Kill must prove that this program can break through the eight- and nine-win ceiling. They'll get great measuring sticks in 2015, with games against TCU and Ohio State, who might start the season as the nation's top two ranked teams. Winning a bowl game is clearly part of the next step for the Gophers as well.