Tomorrow is a big day for the Gopher Football program, as Tim Brewster will be showing off the fruits of his staff's first full year of recruiting labor. At this point a lot has already been made of Brewster's recruiting efforts, and rightfully so. As I've mentioned before, the fact that so many people are paying attention to recruiting at all is a win for Brewster. The fact that this recruiting class will likely end up in the Top 25 in the nation... well that's just huge.
Like many of you I will be at the National Signing Day 'Sota Social tomorrow evening, and I will be anxious to hear what Coach Brewster has to say about some of these recruits. It's also still possible that there will be some surprises.
Today there is an article in the Star Tribune talking about how the University has increased the recruiting budgets for both football and basketball. This is another huge sign that things are moving in a positive direction for the athletic programs at the U.
I've been more than upbeat about the Gopher Football program, despite the difficult season, but I know that there are several people out there who just don't think that the Gophers can make any bigger of an impact in college football than they did with Glen Mason. Have have flat out disagreed with that opinion since well before Glen Mason was even fired.
While recruiting success will ultimately be judged on the field, hopefully the results that we'll see come to fruition tomorrow, will quiet down some of the critics, at least for a couple of months.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Some recruiting numbers...
Understanding that National Signing Day is just under a month away, and some of these number can change, here are some things to get excited about (all numbers according to Rivals as of today)...
* 21st ranked recruiting class in all of Division I football
* 4th ranked recruiting class in the Big10
* Six 4-star recruits
* 5 of the Top-10 prospects in Minnesota staying home (Maresh, Nance, Grant, Salamon, Gayden)
* 13th ranked Inside Linebacker in the nation (Sam Maresh)
* 2nd ranked dual-threat QB in the nation (MarQueis Gray)
* 4th ranked scrambling QB in the nation (MarQueis Gray)
* Two Top-30 JUCO prospects (Traye "Big Play" Simmons #28, David Pittman #25)
* Two Top-40 Wide Receiver prospects (Vincent Hill #16, Brandon Green #38)
* Top-50 Defensive Tackle (Jewhan Edwards #42)
* Top-60 Corner Back (Jonathan Dandridge #54)
* Top-100 Offensive Tackle (Roszell Gayden #72)
* Top-60 Strongside Defensive End (Brandon Kirksey #54)
* Top-40 Tight End (Eric Lair #38)
* Top-40 Outside Linebacker (Spencer Reeves #32)
* Top-40 Inside Linebacker (Gary Tinsley #40)
* 21st ranked recruiting class in all of Division I football
* 4th ranked recruiting class in the Big10
* Six 4-star recruits
* 5 of the Top-10 prospects in Minnesota staying home (Maresh, Nance, Grant, Salamon, Gayden)
* 13th ranked Inside Linebacker in the nation (Sam Maresh)
* 2nd ranked dual-threat QB in the nation (MarQueis Gray)
* 4th ranked scrambling QB in the nation (MarQueis Gray)
* Two Top-30 JUCO prospects (Traye "Big Play" Simmons #28, David Pittman #25)
* Two Top-40 Wide Receiver prospects (Vincent Hill #16, Brandon Green #38)
* Top-50 Defensive Tackle (Jewhan Edwards #42)
* Top-60 Corner Back (Jonathan Dandridge #54)
* Top-100 Offensive Tackle (Roszell Gayden #72)
* Top-60 Strongside Defensive End (Brandon Kirksey #54)
* Top-40 Tight End (Eric Lair #38)
* Top-40 Outside Linebacker (Spencer Reeves #32)
* Top-40 Inside Linebacker (Gary Tinsley #40)
QB log-jam
On Saturday I turned the channel to NBC just in time to see the newest member of Gopher Nation make a public commitment to the University of Minnesota... MarQueis Gray!!!
Gray is 6'4", 204lbs, runs a 4.6 40, and is listed by Rivals as the second ranked duel-threat QB in the country. He will join David Pittman, who is entering Division I listed at Athlete, but wants to play quarterback, on a team that already has 3 quarterbacks in sophomore Adam Weber, senior Tony Mortensen and redshirt freshman Clint Brewster.
Again, Pittman is listed as Athlete, but apparently has been told he'll get a chance to compete for the starting job. Gray, however, could be the real deal, especially in the spread offense. My guess is that Gray will redshirt, but who knows.
And what does this mean for Weber? Obviously he'll still have the upper-hand in competing for the starting job, but I don't think that a scenario where both Weber and Gray get playing time at QB (think Florida in 2006) isn't out of the question.
At this time last year could you have imagined a scenario in which we would have a quarterback controversy NOT because a QB is playing poorly, but because we have so many potentially good options?
It's an exciting time to be a part of the Gold Country of Gopher Nation!!!
Gray is 6'4", 204lbs, runs a 4.6 40, and is listed by Rivals as the second ranked duel-threat QB in the country. He will join David Pittman, who is entering Division I listed at Athlete, but wants to play quarterback, on a team that already has 3 quarterbacks in sophomore Adam Weber, senior Tony Mortensen and redshirt freshman Clint Brewster.
Again, Pittman is listed as Athlete, but apparently has been told he'll get a chance to compete for the starting job. Gray, however, could be the real deal, especially in the spread offense. My guess is that Gray will redshirt, but who knows.
And what does this mean for Weber? Obviously he'll still have the upper-hand in competing for the starting job, but I don't think that a scenario where both Weber and Gray get playing time at QB (think Florida in 2006) isn't out of the question.
At this time last year could you have imagined a scenario in which we would have a quarterback controversy NOT because a QB is playing poorly, but because we have so many potentially good options?
It's an exciting time to be a part of the Gold Country of Gopher Nation!!!
BIG commit... for the middle of the D-line!
I know, I know... I'm a little slow on the take...
We got another HUGE commitment and I was slacking and didn't write about it. When I say we got a huge commitment, I mean so both figuratively AND literally. If you watched our defense last season you know that we need help on the line rushing the passer and stopping the run. In that sense, Edwards is a big catch.
But Edwards is just plain BIG... 6'1", 338lbs to be exact. He is big, and in looking at his highlight video, looks to be fairly quick as well. And this kid just absolutely devours people in the backfield. Clearly he is going to be going against much larger and more talented linemen in the Big10, but as they always say, you can't teach size, and Edwards definitely knows how to play his position.
I am really getting excited to see how our team looks in 2-3 years!!!
SKI-U-MAH!!!
We got another HUGE commitment and I was slacking and didn't write about it. When I say we got a huge commitment, I mean so both figuratively AND literally. If you watched our defense last season you know that we need help on the line rushing the passer and stopping the run. In that sense, Edwards is a big catch.
But Edwards is just plain BIG... 6'1", 338lbs to be exact. He is big, and in looking at his highlight video, looks to be fairly quick as well. And this kid just absolutely devours people in the backfield. Clearly he is going to be going against much larger and more talented linemen in the Big10, but as they always say, you can't teach size, and Edwards definitely knows how to play his position.
I am really getting excited to see how our team looks in 2-3 years!!!
SKI-U-MAH!!!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Significance in recruiting
It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything, and clearly I haven't been keeping up with what has been going on in recruiting.
The good news is that for those of us that are Gopher Football fans, the days of having to scour the internet for information about recruiting are behind us. If there is new information about recruiting, you can be sure that you will find it somewhere in one of the local papers or their websites.
This is significant, and it tells us two things. First of all, it tells us that all of the lip-service that Coach Brewster has been giving to the importance of recruiting is starting to pay off. But secondly, and more importantly, they are reporting about it for a reason, and that reason is because what Coach Brewster is doing in the area of recruiting is incredibly significant.
For those, like me, living in the Twin Cities, when was the last time, prior to this year, when you can remember Gopher Football recruiting being discussed on the 10 o'clock news? In the papers? On local radio?
People who are much smarter, and much more plugged into recruiting than I am, have pointed out that if the Gophers are able to land all of the 4-star recruits that have verbally commited to the program at this point, they will have more 4-star recruits in this single season than the previous coaching regime was able to land in 10 years of recruiting. 10 YEARS!!! Two of those 4-star recruits, David Pittman and Traye Simmons, have already signed letters of intent and will enroll at the U next month.
As of today Minnesota is ranked by Rivals as having the 24th best recruiting class in all of college football, and the 4th best recruiting class in the Big10. Obviously these numbers are going to change, and probably significantly before National Signing Day on February 6th, 2008. But think back to the last few years, and could you even imagine the Gophers being mentioned in the Top 25 recruiting classes? Suddenly it's a possibility.
Two things happened on November 17th, 2007. First, I turned 30. But second, the 2007 Gopher Football season was finally put out of its misery. It was a painful season on the field, but we've got a lot to look forward to in the future.
The good news is that for those of us that are Gopher Football fans, the days of having to scour the internet for information about recruiting are behind us. If there is new information about recruiting, you can be sure that you will find it somewhere in one of the local papers or their websites.
This is significant, and it tells us two things. First of all, it tells us that all of the lip-service that Coach Brewster has been giving to the importance of recruiting is starting to pay off. But secondly, and more importantly, they are reporting about it for a reason, and that reason is because what Coach Brewster is doing in the area of recruiting is incredibly significant.
For those, like me, living in the Twin Cities, when was the last time, prior to this year, when you can remember Gopher Football recruiting being discussed on the 10 o'clock news? In the papers? On local radio?
People who are much smarter, and much more plugged into recruiting than I am, have pointed out that if the Gophers are able to land all of the 4-star recruits that have verbally commited to the program at this point, they will have more 4-star recruits in this single season than the previous coaching regime was able to land in 10 years of recruiting. 10 YEARS!!! Two of those 4-star recruits, David Pittman and Traye Simmons, have already signed letters of intent and will enroll at the U next month.
As of today Minnesota is ranked by Rivals as having the 24th best recruiting class in all of college football, and the 4th best recruiting class in the Big10. Obviously these numbers are going to change, and probably significantly before National Signing Day on February 6th, 2008. But think back to the last few years, and could you even imagine the Gophers being mentioned in the Top 25 recruiting classes? Suddenly it's a possibility.
Two things happened on November 17th, 2007. First, I turned 30. But second, the 2007 Gopher Football season was finally put out of its misery. It was a painful season on the field, but we've got a lot to look forward to in the future.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Climbing the ranks
Check it out... as of today Minnesota is ranked at #22 in terms of verbal commitments by incoming recruits for next football season. If recruiting was the reason that Coach Brewster was brought in, he is doing an outstanding job making it a priority, putting it top-of-mind for coaches and fans, and in actually bringing in some quality talent.
Welcome...
to the Gold Country of Gopher Nation...
DAVID PITTMAN!!! 5'11", 195lbs., 4.6 sec 40 yard dash, duel threat quarterback from Pasedena, CA Community College.
As a quarterback for Pasedena this year, Pittman completed 66.9% of his passes for 35 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also ran for 572 yards and 6 touchdowns. While Pittman may challenge Weber for the starting QB position, he is a superior athlete, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play some D-back or WR if Weber maintains his job.
Any speculation from the readers as to where Pittman might make an impact?
EDIT: thank you to the commenter who corrected me on the first name... that was dumb of me.
DAVID PITTMAN!!! 5'11", 195lbs., 4.6 sec 40 yard dash, duel threat quarterback from Pasedena, CA Community College.
As a quarterback for Pasedena this year, Pittman completed 66.9% of his passes for 35 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also ran for 572 yards and 6 touchdowns. While Pittman may challenge Weber for the starting QB position, he is a superior athlete, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play some D-back or WR if Weber maintains his job.
Any speculation from the readers as to where Pittman might make an impact?
EDIT: thank you to the commenter who corrected me on the first name... that was dumb of me.
Ladies & Gentlemen, your 2007 MVP... DOM BARBER
Dom Barber was named as the Golden Gopher's team MVP for 2007, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that there is clearly no more deserving player on this year's team.
Thinking back to the season, I can't even guess how many times I thought, or even said out loud, "Where would this team be without him?" Not that we won any games because of Dom, but can you imagine how much worse it might have been at times without Dom Barber. Several big-play saving tackles, coming out of nowhere to bring down a guy who looked like he on his way to an easy touchdown.
Dom Barber encapsulates everything that you want to see in a Golden Gopher: a local kid with heart, speed and athletic ability all day long.
Thinking back to the season, I can't even guess how many times I thought, or even said out loud, "Where would this team be without him?" Not that we won any games because of Dom, but can you imagine how much worse it might have been at times without Dom Barber. Several big-play saving tackles, coming out of nowhere to bring down a guy who looked like he on his way to an easy touchdown.
Dom Barber encapsulates everything that you want to see in a Golden Gopher: a local kid with heart, speed and athletic ability all day long.
Monday, December 10, 2007
New verbal commit
Welcome to the Gold Country of Gopher Nation Rex Sharpe...
Rex will be joining us as a JUCO transfer from Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, AZ. Rex is 6'3", 245lbs, and runs a 4.5 40 yard dash.
Big, fast, athletic...
SKI-U-MAH, Rex Sharpe! SKI-U-MAH!!!
Rex will be joining us as a JUCO transfer from Arizona Western Community College in Yuma, AZ. Rex is 6'3", 245lbs, and runs a 4.5 40 yard dash.
Big, fast, athletic...
SKI-U-MAH, Rex Sharpe! SKI-U-MAH!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
New verbal commit
Welcome to the Gold Country of Gopher Nation...
JUCO transfer Tramaine Brock. 6'0", 180lbs, 4.5 (or 4.37 depending on what site you read) 40 yard dash.
He has not been given a star-rating by Rivals, but Brock is obviously fast, and he did have a couple of other offers from SEC schools (South Carolina, Mississippi State, Ole Miss), as well as Louisville.
UPDATE:............ 12/7/07: Tramaine Brock has been given a 3-star rating from Rivals.
JUCO transfer Tramaine Brock. 6'0", 180lbs, 4.5 (or 4.37 depending on what site you read) 40 yard dash.
He has not been given a star-rating by Rivals, but Brock is obviously fast, and he did have a couple of other offers from SEC schools (South Carolina, Mississippi State, Ole Miss), as well as Louisville.
UPDATE:............ 12/7/07: Tramaine Brock has been given a 3-star rating from Rivals.
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