Fan Status: Sub-Casual

Once upon a time I was one of the most rabid Golden Gopher football fans around.  When Brewster initiated the Victory Walk, I could identify 95% of the players and coaches including walk-ons and grad assistants as they walked by.  I knew where they went to HS, their current position on the depth chart, their prior stops along the coaching trail, etc.  I would DVR the games and watch them a handful of times until the next season began.  That superfan is dead and I'm trying to pinpoint where I went astray.


Even though the 2007 season was painful to watch I felt like there was progress being made on the field and certainly on the recruiting trail.  The first half of 2008 felt great and then the bottom fell out.  I blamed it on not having enough depth to rest the starters, but eventually the improved incoming recruiting classes would resolve that.


The warning signs started in 2009 when I stopped caring about making it to the Victory Walk.  It didn't seem like the players cared if the fans were there or not so why should I care?  I felt like we were becoming a competitive B1G team beating MSU, Purdue and NU and a close loss to that team to the east.  It was tough to accept a loss to an awful Illinois team and even tougher when the mighty jackrabbits came to town and almost beat the Gophers.  Two poor offensive performances against the two Iowa schools didn't help my outlook either.

So not looking forward to watching the game on TV this weekend

I totally forgot about the worst fucking cheer in all of CFB.  The Boiler Up.  It's amazing that more people don't shoot themselves in the face when having to be subjected to hearing this at Purdue home games.  I will never go to a game at Ross-Ade Stadium.  Never.  I might put that on my tombstone.  "He never heard Boiler Up in person"

Play better this weekend boys!  The health of my face depends on it...

I really wanted to write something this week...

I know I've been away for a while but I've had an itch to post something, anything really, for a while now.  But when all you have to say is the same tired, negative thing as you said the last week and the week before then it takes the fight out of you.  Why subject Gopher fans to what I'm experiencing in my head?  It's bad enough that I have to suffer through that.

I wanted to write something that basically said I still support the Gophers despite the tough times we are all experiencing right now.  But every time my fingers stroke the keyboard it ends up some kind of scathing rant which isn't going help anything.  Maybe I'll have better luck tomorrow? 

I was going to do some CFB point spread analysis this season, but consciously trying not to think about the blog made me forget about it.  I'll focus my efforts there and maybe I can have fun that way...

Week 5 lines - first thoughts:

Minnesota at Purdue (-10.5) - 48.5 o/u and a 10.5 pt spread means a 29-19 game.  The Purdue O has really been struggling to execute on Saturdays.  Does going up against the Gophers give a boost of confidence or do their woes continue?  I'm going to say somewhere in between.  It seems that everyone is writing off the Gophers at this point in time.  Are people forgetting that Purdue got thrashed by ND 10-38 last week and also have a 22-24 loss to Rice on their resume?  The 27-24 W over MTSU is essentially the equivalent of our W over MiamiOH.  I think we are fairly evenly matched this week.  This is the real litmus test for the Gophers this week.  If they have any pride they will step up and keep this game at least at within one score.  If there is no pride and Kill has lost the talented senior class (it happens to many new coaches around the country) then we could be in for another long Saturday.  I'm leaning towards the Gophers at this point in time.

Drunken Ramblings

Chicken fingers, mozz sticks and choclaote milk is pure heaven afte ra night of drinking.


This may be the booze but I'm kinda not so down on Kills' recritnig class right now.  Wr'll see come Dec or jan.

THe stansd are gonna be full of Husker fans this year.  Watch craigslsit for Miamioh tix at a huge discount.

Women tht get drunk on Wedesday nights want my digits.  Chuby girlslove them some tall skinny guys.

If you see a rock walkingg across the roard just let it be

I'm gonna start my own recor dlabel called crushin hotties from youtube.

Thank you 4square for lettin me know where my exes are so I'm not in thos eplaces

The NFL is back in business.  THat blows.

It kinda feels good to post again after such a long time away.

Jonah Pirsig is gonna be a freakin Hawkeye.  total specualtion.  Hope you enjoy your rahbdo!

UNCLE finally fired Butchie.  No shocker there

The Still Too Early Recruiting Update

I know that I haven't bought into Jerry Kill as the U's football coach yet.  There's something that just doesn't feel right to me.  I suppose it's all those years of optimism under a new regime followed by the disappointment of realizing that the program is still not ready for prime time.  Lather.  Rinse.  Repeat.

I've been loosly following the Gopher recruiting efforts since national signing day.  I say loosely because the three month stretch from mid March to mid June was boring as shit.  But now the Gophers coaches have planted some seeds during the early evaluation period and are starting to bear some fruit.It seemed that Coach Kill was off to a decent start on the recruiting trail back in March, getting a verbal from a Rivals 4* recruit in Andre McDonald and a QB that many thought would be wearing Badger Red.  Toss in Brian Williams' son at TE and it wasn't a bad start.  Fast forward 3 months and now we're starting to see why it's nice to have Coach Miller on staff as he is finding some success down in South Florida landing LB Josh Ballesteros (over a W Mich offer) and DB Dinero Moss (over offers from U Conn, New Mexico, NIU and FIU) and has the Gophs in a decent position for DL/LB Barrington Morris, DB Dion Witty and DT Jean-Marc Charles.  We also have Isaac Fruechte, a JUCO WR from RCTC as a verbal and lead for WR Jamel Harbison. 

What, me nervous?!?!?

The popcorn bowl is empty and my finger nails are starting to look awfully tasty.  Was it due to the Memorial Day family movie marathon?  Nope.  I've been sitting back and watching how well the new Gopher football staff recruits and their approach.  In retrospect, I think I'd rather watch paint dry.

This staff is willing to sell the program to recruits based on what it is and the success that the staff has had in the past.  To allow Minnesota's name sell itself seems foolish.  Yes, it's a B1G school, which is great.  But it hasn't had a winning tradition since the Nixon administration.  There are 11 other schools that can claim B1G status as well and they have more recent experience or something a little more "sexy" to offer at this time.  We're losing recruiting battles right now to those other schools, including Kevin Wilson's Hoosiers which is something I never thought I would say.  Yes, the staff has experienced success at each stop they have made but winning the MAC East isn't really that exciting when compared to lacing em up in Ann Arbor, wearing red and playing in Pasadena in 2012, pumping roids in Iowa City or driving around in an Escalade you didn't have to pay for in Columbus.

There is no sizzle to the staff's meat and potatoes approach.  I think Thomas Hammock, could have been that sizzle but he saw that he wasn't going to be a good fit for this staff and took his services across the river.

Predictions:
1. Toledo (a MAC program) will be rated higher in the 2011 class recruiting rankings than Minnesota
2. Kill either leaves the U to be the KSU/KU coach in December 2012 or he's fired December 2016.
3. Summer camp 2011 is a bust and we get verbals from 5 recruits from MN/WI/IL that nobody else wants.

Am I nervous for the Gopher program?  You could say that.

Glen Mason- Justifiable Homicide?

I’ve never been confused for a Robert Bruininks / Joel Maturi lover.  When writing about blaming Bruininks for the slide in high profile sports, it got me reminiscing about Glen Mason, in a good way.  I remember being really frustrated with the Gophers in 2006 (especially the NDSU escape) but now I find myself pining for his return, much like you might think about an ex-girlfriend. 

You know that there are reasons why she is an ex, but you remember all the good things and compare her to subsequent girlfriends.  Yeah, she nagged me about my clothes and how I didn't take her out enough but man she was better in the sack than the other girls I've been with.  You have that mental image of the best picture she ever took with you as being how she looked back then.  She hung out with you and your boys at the clubs, pool halls, the beach, etc. You remember her for the good things and don't dwell on the bad.  That's how I'm feeling about Mase right now.

The return won’t happen so I’ll just look back and ponder on if Mase really should have been let go and what the reasons for his dismissal were.

Remember When

Remember the good ole days of 2002 when Gopher sports were relevant? 

Football – team finished 8-5 and was the first of a 5 year run of postseason bowl games

Men’s Hoops – 19-14 (4^th place in the NIT) not great but considering the recent Haskins scandal it wasn’t so bad

Men’s Hockey – NCAA champions (also NCAA champs in 2003)

Wrestling - NCAA champions (also were NCAA champions in 2001 and 2007)

Men’s Baseball – made it to the NCAA tournament

Women’s Hoops – 25-6 12-4 in B1G; NCAA Sweet 16 (followed by a final 4 trip and another sweet 16)

Women’s Hockey – NCAA Frozen Four (NCAA champs in 2000, 2004, 2005)

Volleyball – 1^st in B1G; NCAA regional semifinal

Men’s Golf – NCAA champions

But look where we are 10 years later:

Blogging

It's a lot tougher than it looks.  You put pressure on yourself to constantly come out with new material for posts so people will think there is a reason to check your site on a semi-regular basis.  Something you think will be a worthwhile read to others and you have some decent ideas but rush through them so you can get on to the next thing.  It makes you feel shitty about what you're putting out there.

I have to give major props to blogs like The Daily Gopher, Down With Goldy and in particular Fringe Bowl Team.  A one man show that can keep people captivated is a tough task.  Good for you MV!

I'm thinkin about hangin it up for a while and see if it makes me feel any better.  Geezo Beezo may have the shortest lifespan of any Gopher Blog in history.  Or I might come back refreshed and in a better frame of mind.  Not wanting to write negative things (not that I have, which goes against what I wanted to do in the first place which is write what's on my mind) about the team that I love.

Or maybe I'll wake up feeling better tomorrow.  Who knows?

2011 NFL Draft and the BX

When it comes time for a recruit to sign his name on his letter of intent there are many factors that go into his choice.  The primary factor is the quality of football.  Whether it be the quality of the players he’ll go up against every day at practice or who he’ll face on Saturdays.  The best want to go up against the best, which is why the most highly recruited players don’t sign with TCU or Boise St.  Sure there are other factors such as proximity, educational opportunities, etc. but the ability to prepare a recruit for the NFL is huge.

Since the ability to get someone ready for the NFL is so important I’d like to take a look at how the BX has done in the past and where the reputation goes from here.

Initial Scout Rankings - Class of 2012

It's that time of year when the internet scouting sites decide to start revealing their opinion of who the best players in the nation are.  It seems a little early as not all the combines are done but I do understand the desire to get rankings out before the early evaluation period.

Once the early evaluation period happens there are many more offers extended and fans of lesser programs will exclaim that the rankings are just based on who has offered as opposed to independent evaluations.

The first rankings have been released from Scout, here's how they relate to Big Ten fans, but more specifically the Gophers:

Phillip Nelson QB #39
Jonah Pirsig OT #34
Nick Rallis OLB #44
Nick Davidson OT  #33 Eden Prairie transfer from NC
Andre McDonald WR - Gopher commit is unranked (Scout has ranked 79 WR so far)
Maxx WIlliams TE - Gopher commit is unranked (Scout has ranked  22 TE so far)

QB Recruiting Update - 4/3/11

Commitments

Luke Knott verballed to Iowa State over an offer from SDSU.  This is the 2^nd QB commit for ISU this cycle.

Clayton Nicholas (TX) got his first offer from TT and jumped all over it

QB Recruitment Updates

Zeke Pike took an unofficial visit to Michigan, which is a very good sign for the Wolverines.  I’d be surprised if Michigan didn’t make Pike’s top 10 whenever he decides to pare down his offer list.  They are still hot after Maty Mauk and Gunner Kiel as well.  Pike also took a visit to LSU.

MSU QB Joe Boisture is hanging ‘em up due to back problems.  This probably explains why MSU now wants to bring in two QBs this cycle.  They just had an unofficial visitor in PA QB Blake Rankin who sports an offer from Rutgers.

The Big Board 2011.1

Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football programs.  Schools that can't recruit stay marred in mediocrity, while those that consistently bring in talent find themselves competing year in and year out.   There are several different ways of compiling the best class you can. 

Tim Brewster used to hand out scholarship offers like they were Minnesota Lynx tickets, using the throw a bunch of shit against the wall and see what sticks method.  This method can work because while there are limited number of recruits that want to become a Gopher you are trying to contact as many of those kids as you can.  It’s a numbers game, the more you contact the better chance you have at scoring.

Jerry Kill is the complete opposite, where you’ll have to pry a scholarship from Jerry’s cold, dead fingers.  Kill is trying to establish a relationship with the kids he brings in and wants to make sure that they are a fit athletically, academically and socially.  The theory that Kill uses is he tries to make a Gopher offer more valuable by limiting the number that are issued, much like currency.  Kill wants to see players at camp, junior days, spring practice, etc. to get to know them before issuing an offer.

The following list are the players that have a standing Minnesota scholarship offer for the 17 recruits openings we have this cycle.  They are ranked in order of how excited I would be if they gave a verbal commitment to the Gophers today. 

Jerry Kill Stock Watch 1.0

Anyone who has been a fan of the Golden Gopher football team the last 40 years knows that the head coach position has been a revolving door of unsuccessful candidates.  Some coaches take one spin and others just go around in circles for what seems like forever.  Regardless of the length of the ride, the coaches leave Dinkytown with their tail between the legs for one reason or another.

With that in mind I thought I'd do a Stock Watch on the tradable commodity that is Jerry Kill.  I'll adjust his stock value based on team competitiveness, win/loss record, recruiting, staff retention/replacements and to a lesser degree, fan chatter.

I figure that the max the stock can valued at is 100 where Kill just won the BCS Championship game and is named Gopher Coach For Life all the way down to 0 which is where Tim Brewster found himself last fall.  Here are the in between values:

3/27/11 BX Recruiting Update

Commitments

Caleb Stacy (OG, OH) has verballed to Michigan over offers from WV, BC, ILL, WF, Indy, Cincy and NCST and a handful of MAC offers.

Brent Wilkerson (DE, MD) verballed to PSU over 18 other offers from the likes of Neb, Mich, Clemson, WV, MSU UNC, SCAR, Iowa and Louisville among others

Ben Braden (OL, MI) decided to pull the trigger on Michigan much like I suspected last week.

Camren Williams (MLB, MA) chose PSU over Mich, UNC, BC, Mizzou, Virg, Vandy, Mary, U Conn, U Mass

The Wisconsin running game gets a little stronger as Vonte Jackson pulled the trigger on Wisconsin.

News

The state of Minnesota class of 2012 just got a little bit stronger as the new Viking OL coach Jeff Davidson is bring his son with him from Charlotte.  A 6-7 270 pound son that is on the Rivals 250 watchlist and already has offers from Clemson, VT, WV, SCAR, UNC, tU, NCST, Stan, Mary and Duke.  Minnesota actually seems like it could be a viable option that this point so let’s keep our fingers crossed.

2011 Predictions

5. A 2^nd year coach will be fired. There were plenty of dud hires last year.  Turner Gill had a rough year at KU, Rob Ianello barely got a single victory at Akron, Derek Dooley’s Volunteer squad was no match the the good SEC teams, Dan Enos didn’t live up to the lofty expectations that Butch Jones and Brian Kelly set, Bobby Hauck really tanked at UNLV and Brian Kelly put himself, and a student videographer, in harm’s way with a horrific accident at a ND practice last year.

4. The trophy case won’t be bare.  The Gophers are gonna beat somebody they aren’t supposed to.  My guess is that it will be Iowa, but seizing the Axe or LBJ would be even sweeter.  The Governor’s Victory Bell would just mean we beat PSU, which is much cooler than having possession of the Governor’s Victory Bell.

3. Expansion isn’t over. It starts with the Big East looking to convince Villanova to become a FBS program.  Then they set their sights on B12 North programs that are still feeling mighty exposed even though Texas is allowing them to be a part of their conference.If the B12 programs don’t bite then UCF would jump at the chance.  If KU, KSU, ISU or Mizzou do jump on a Big East offer then it’s open game on the rest of the non-Longhorn programs.  The SEC could revisit their interest in Texas A&M and Oklahoma.  The BX could cherry pick two more schools (although it would probably have to include ND)  You have to feel uneasy if you are a fan of a program not in the SEC, BX or P12.

2. Red Reign.  Nebraska suddenly has access to BX type cash and their football program becomes even more powerful.  Add in the fact that they have been invited to enter homes nationwide due to the BX ESPN  / BTN contracts and will not be overshadowed by Texas and Oklahoma.  Factor in the problems occurring in Columbus and I think Nebraska will enjoy a decade long romp through the BX (ala tOSU in the 00’s) starting in 2011.

1. Paralysis by Overanalysis.  I can’t speak for anyone else but I tend to get swept up in the April / August media positivity towards the Gophers.  There have always been plenty of articles stating what the problem was last year and now we have taken the steps to fix those problems.  When Gopher fans refer to the media negativity from the local fish wraps, it is geared towards the columnists who really don’t opine on the Gophers until the season starts.  Until then it’s a healthy dose of Marcus Fuller and Phil Miller with their daily feel good story about the Gophers.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to read nice things about the Gophers but I think it alters my prediction of how I think the Gophers are going to do.  So I’m going to project the 2011 BX Standings now and then do it again this fall and see if they vary much and if they do which one is more accurate, the one with more info or the one with less.

Projected Standings

Nebraska 12-1 (7-1) Fiesta Bowl

Penn State 9-4 (6-2) Rose Bowl

Ohio State 9-3 (6-2) Outback Bowl

Michigan State 9-3 (5-3) Gator Bowl

Illinois 9-3 (5-3) Texas Bowl

Wisconsin 8-4 (5-3) Capital One Bowl

Northwestern 6-6 (5-3) TicketCity Bowl

Iowa 8-4 (4-4) Insight Bowl

Michigan 5-7 (2-6)

Minnesota 5-7 (2-6)

Indiana 5-7 (1-7)

Purdue 4-8 (1-7)

2010 Lessons Learned

5. Cut and Run.  When you start to see the cracks in a coach’s armor, it is time to cut ties.  Joel Maturi did the right thing letting Mase go when he realized that his team had given up on him at the Debacle Bowl.  Michigan AD Dave Brandon did the right thing when it seemed that nobody at UM wanted to embrace Rich Rod and his reluctance to do things the Michigan way.  I realized right after the near escape from South Dakota State that the Gophers were not going to get where they wanted to go.  But then Joel Maturi extended Brew to save what was not a great recruiting class.  Did we really think that Minnesota would not be able to continue on without players like Josh Tauaefa?  The real gets like Jimmy Gjere, Lamonte Edwards probably would have come to Minnesota regardless of who the coach was.

Recruiting Around the BX

The foggy haze of St. Patty’s day has lifted, the second weekend of the NCAA tourney is about to begin, spring ball starts tomorrow and the early evaluation period is just around the corner.  Jerry Kill has been active on the recruiting trail netting verbal commitments from three home grown talents, WR Andre McDonald (a Rivals 250 to watch lister that also had offers from Iowa, MSU and Illinois), QB Philip Nelson and TE Maxx Williams.  A 4th (Nick Rallis) is unconfirmed as nobody knows if he has an offer or not.

Coach Kill isn’t the only one gaining early commitments.  Here’s an early look at the class of 2012 recruiting around the BX:

QB Recruiting Update

The QB recruiting process plays on although it is still in its early stages.  We’re just starting combine season and the Elite 11 camps have begun as well.  There haven’t been any major developments this week but I thought I’d give a little update on the QB’s.

The All-BX teams - The Last 5 Years

Holy slack job Batman!  I’ve let entirely too much time pass by without posting anything.  I was doing some research and planning on comparing all of the major internet scouting services and seeing who does the better job of projecting who will be a good college football player.  I was also kicking around an element of comparing the rankings to the offer lists of the all BX football players.  But that takes time and I am realizing that it is a really long post.  So I guess I’ll have to break it down some.

The last five years of all BX players (coaches poll, who cares about the press) presents some numbers that really shouldn’t surprise anyone like Ohio State has more players on this list than anyone else and NW, Indy and Minnesota have fewer than most.  Also as your number of all BX players increases, so do the number of BX wins.

Spring Practice - 10 Things to Watch

The Golden Gophers start spring practice next week and look to carry the momentum of a two game winning streak to close the 2010 season into their spring workouts.  The Gophers are the last team to start workouts among BX schools.  The workouts are open to the public and culminate with a controlled scrimmage in lieu of a spring game on April 23 at TCF Bank Stadium.  There are plenty of things to watch for in the coming weeks.

BX QB Recruiting

The quarterback is the most important position on a football team.  When the ball is snapped their action are the focal point for three to seven seconds.  They are the leaders and face of the program.  They are also the lynchpin to recruiting success.

All offensive recruits want to know who their QB is going to be.  This is the guy who is going to put them in the right formations, call the right play and lead their team to victory.  If you can land a great QB you are likely to see him pull in a great class with him.  QB recruiting is so important that almost every program tries to wrap up their QB before they really get going on their other positions.

There are many different approaches to recruiting your QB.  Some schools recruit only one per year where others bring in two.  Some schools send out a ton of offers and others are very selective about whom they offer.  Some programs like to have a pro-style QB and others like a dual threat QB or they might bring in one of each.  Some schools swing for the fences and try to land an elite QB while others are satisfied with bringing in a lesser talented but easier to land prospects.  A QB can live anywhere and be get recruited.  I know that Minnesota isn’t a regular stop for Miami (FL) and FSU but that didn’t stop them from landing a couple Walshes, Chris Weinke and Joe Mauer back in the day.

The QB recruits themselves also want to get their decision made sooner than the other positions because they want the opportunity to choose the program that they feel will best showcase the abilities.  This means that not every program is right for every recruit.  It’s like a game of musical chairs but there are many more recruits than there are FBS scholarships available on an annual basis.  Offensive philosophies are important but so is the QB coach, the depth chart, the competition you face and the kind of exposure the school can give the recruit.

Looking Back: Ranking the Class of 2009

Yesterday I looked back at the rankings I had for Tim Brewster’s class of 2008 and today I revist the Class of 2009

The Class of 2009

1.      Hayo Carpenter – 5* JUCO WR this ultra-productive WR could be a fantastic complement to Eric Decker.  I am really excited for Hayo to come aboard

2.      Ra’shede Hageman – 3* UA All-American TE chose the Gophers over offers from TOSU, Fla and Oklahoma

3.      Michael Carter – 4* Army All-American CB had offers from Florida, Texas, FSU, Georgia and Auburn

4.      Hasan Lipscomb – 4* RB had offers from LSU, Texas A&M and Nebraska

5.      Josh Campion – 3* OT verballed shortly after receiving his written offer on September 1 of his junior year.  Good bloodlines as his brother played in the NFL

Looking Back - Ranking the Class of 2008

I was looking back at some of the prior rankings I had for Tim Brewster’s classes (I really don’t count 2007 as a Brewster class) and it was interesting to see what I was thinking at the time.  This is how I was expecting the players to perform just after signing day 2008.

The Class of 2008

1.      Marquise Gray – 4* QB Army All-American, Indy Nike Camp co-MVP and was an Elite 11 QB invitee but Indiana HS rules prohibited him from participating

2.      Simoni Lawrence – 3* S JUCO was tabbed early on as the #1 defensive recruit for the Gophers

3.      Tramaine Brock – 3* S JUCO has good speed and a nose for the ballalong with SEC offers

4.      Keanon Cooper – 4* S UA All-American is a great athlete who can play at either safety position and possibly at WLB

5.      Brandon Green – 4* WR was on the Rivals & Scout 100 teams in March 2007 and is a playmaker

Abbreviations & Nicknames

Looking back at what I've written in the last couple of weeks...its been pretty dry and recruiting centric.  Both qualities that I didn't have in mind when I started.  Maybe it's time for something a little more fun.


It can be kind of boring to refer to everything by it's proper name or to spell everything out so you switch things up or shorten it.  Some things are easily translated like running back is RB, quarterback is QB, etc.


Here's a list of what I like to call some things:


Big Ten = BX
Big Ten Network = BTN
Junior college player = JUCO
college football = CFB
Jim Tressel = Evil Sweater Vest
Brady Hoke = Not Les Miles
Bo Pellini = Bobo
Joe Paterno = Joe Pa (somethings you just have to respect, like Joe Pa)
Kirk Ferentz = Captain Kirk
Brett Bielema = The Madtown Playboy

The Jerry Kill Era Begins - First Impressions

Kill has said that fair evaluation of a recruit is after 4-5 months and you really won’t know for two years.  That’s a fair assessment and one I think applies to head coaches as well.  First impression of Tim Brewster was all upbeat as it seemed everything that was coming out of the Nagurski-Gibson Complex was positive and seemingly a breath of fresh air.  But once the class of 2010 started making their list of top 5 schools and Minnesota was not on those lists then you realized that the ride was coming to an end.

Jerry Kill has been the head coach of the Gophers for about 3 months so let’s put him under the microscope and look at his pros and cons for our first impression.

Pros:

Kill’s staff is always studying other programs’ best practices so they are always trying to improve

They are able to have plenty of kids attend junior days and have kids visiting from other states (at least more than Brew and Mase were able to attract)

The staff really wants to do their due diligence to make sure the players they bring in fit the profile of what they want in a recruit.  I’m guessing that the number of transfers and spring/summer brushes with the law will decrease significantly.

Brewster vs Mase - Who left the program in better shape?

I had no intentions of delving into the pre-Kill era with this blog, but there are some things that are just unavoidable.  I’ve heard a lot of people talking about how much better Tim Brewster left the program in comparison to Glen Mason.  The players now are so much more “athletic” and definitely have more speed I’m told.  Heck, Brewster talked about it every chance he could.

Ranking The Hotbeds

1.      South Florida (100 mile radius of Miami) The 100 mile radius sounds bad but the ocean and swamp land limit the recruitable real estate.  So Fla averages 160 D1 prospects per year and 75 BCS signees per year.  It is rich in speed, especially in DB, DE, LB and RB.  Basically everything that Minnesota is lacking.  You could recruit the entire area very well with two coaches.  Coach Miller is said to have great contacts in So Fla and I know that one of Kill’s staff members recruited So Fla for NIU.  Yes this area is recruited heavily by Florida, FSU and Miami as well as a helmet school here and there supplementing their class.  But after that you’re competing against schools like North Carolina, West Virginia or Louisville as well as in-state schools South Florida, Central Florida, FAU and FIU which doesn’t seem as daunting.

2.      Dallas / Ft Worth Metroplex (50 mile radius of Arlington, TX) The Metroplex is the richest hotbed in terms of recruits per mile.  This 50 mile radius averages 150 D1 signees and 75 of those go to BCS schools.  The QB’s are great and these players may not be as athletic as those from So Fla, but they make up for it in Football IQ.  The Metroplex is more well-rounded when it comes to the type of recruits it produces than So Fla.  Even though there are a plethora of recruits, there are a handful of schools depending on the Metroplex to stock their roster.  Texas and Oklahoma cherry pick the best from the top and then Texas A&M. Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Texas Tech and TCU take the next level of recruit.  It might not be as big of a deal except Texas kids usually like to stay closer to home so winning recruiting battles over Arkansas, Baylor, Missouri, Kansas and KSU is a little tougher.  Coach Pat Poore is already covering the Metroplex for the Gophers.

Filling In the Class

If we can count on Minnesota to provide our TE and OL (guessing four scholarships per year) and four other recruits, then we’re left to fill the other nine (assuming we can redshirt everyone and class sizes are equal) scholarships from outside the borders.  Defensive end and defensive back are most likely to be filled elsewhere as are running back and linebacker.

Let’s look at the upcoming class of 2012 for an example:

From my count, we have 17 scholarships to give out this year assuming there are no transfers, no academic casualties and allow existing walk-ons to keep their scholarships.  From what I said above we’ll likely sign approximately eight recruits from Minnesota.  Here is how the 2012 in-state class appears to project:

QB – Philip Nelson (committed), Joe Mollberg (not likely to be offered by MN)

RB – Antonio Ford (possible offer), Kendrick Brewster and Andrew Larson (not likely to get an offer)

WR – Andre McDonald (committed), Emeche Wells (possible offer), Kasey Robinson (not likely)

How much Minnesota flavor is too much?

Yesterday I looked at the talent level that the state of Minnesota produces and today I look at each position and reflect on if we could survive like the men’s hockey team with a roster exclusively filled with Minnesotans.

Quarterback, arguably the most important position to recruit every year, is a little hit and miss for Minnesota.  There are some guys that could be Big 10 starters like Joe Mauer, Jon Stocco and Adam Weber.  But the rest may not be ready for prime time like Marcel Jones, Phil Haig, John Nance, Brian Athey, Nate Tice, Jon Carlson and Moses Alipate.  It’s not bad if there is a solid in-state option but I think it’s best to not limit ourselves for this position.

Running Backs – Marion Barber, Thomas Tapeh, Alexander Robinson, Lamonte Edwards and Rashon Powers-Neal all had a decent career.  But guys like Shady Salamon, Jerod Arlich, Andre Tate and Jay Thomas might leave something to be desired.  Minnesota does not produce many RB options so offering elsewhere is necessary.

Kill's New Vision: An Army of Minnesotans

It appears that Jerry Kill is really focused on making the state of Minnesota a recruiting priority.  Kill’s first three commitments for the class of 2012 are all Minnesotans and a possible fourth commit in Edina’s Nick Rallis.  Kill also gave offers to Grayson Levine and Joe Bjorklund after Tim Brewster took a pass so Kill really means business.  With this insistence on having Minnesotans wear maroon and gold, I’ll take a look at the quality of talent and positions that Minnesota produces over the past twelve years, the classes 2000 to 2011.  We’ll break down players down into Top 100 recruits, recruits rated as a 4 stars (non-top 100), high 3 star recruits and recruit that are below high 3 star rating.

Minnesota has done a fair job of producing high end talent, with seven top 100 recruits.  Guys like Joe Mauer, Thomas Tapeh, Michael Floyd, Seantrel Henderson, Bryce McNeal, Matt Carufel and Lydon Murtha.  There have also been 17 four star type players, but I’m assuming a little as the star system began in 2002.

The interesting thing about the four star guys is that they do not have a high success rate.  Here are the guys that were “busts”: Willie Mobley, Brandon Hoey, Walker Ashley, Jordon McMichael, Brandon Robinson, Roszell Gayden, Joey Hiben and Dominique Sims.  There are some guys that had solid careers like Mark Levoir and Rafael Eubanks and some that have yet to make a major impact like Lamonte Edwards, Jimmy Gjere, Anthony Jacobs, Sam Maresh and Jacob Fahrenkrug.  Only Trevor Laws and Dominique Byrd played well enough to get drafted.

Big Ten Recruiting Grades Pt 3 - Back of the Pack Grades

Northwestern (C-)

1. Christian Jones (WR) ESPN #108 overall, #19 WR with offers from Texas Tech, Stanford, Arkansas, Kentucky and Baylor
2. Jack Konopka (OT) ESPN #23 OT with offers from Oregon, Illinois, Arizona, BC and Purdue
3. Shane Mertz (OT) ESPN #25 OT with offers from West Virginia, Louisville, BC, Maryland and Virginia
4. Geoff Mogus (OG) Scout #38 OG with offers from West Virginia, Vanderbilt and Illinois
5. Jarrell Williams (CB) ESPN #45 CB with offers from BC and Minnesota

Big Ten Recruiting Grades Pt 2 - Middle of the Pack

Iowa (B)

1. Jordan Walsh (OG) Scout #66 overall, #2 OG with offers from USC, Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska and Wisconsin
2. Rodney Coe (ATH) Scout #83 overall, #6 OLB with offers from USC, Florida, Auburn, Oregon and Notre Dame
3. Darian Cooper (DT) Scout #165 overall, #16 DT with offers from Florida, Michigan, Clemson, Michigan State and West Virginia
4. Ray Hamilton (TE) Rivals #132 overall, #8 TE with offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Notre Dame and Michigan
5. Austin Blythe (OG) Rivals #148 overall, #7 OG with offers from Wisconsin, Stanford, Kansas, Kansas State and Iowa State
6. Nicholas Law (S) Scout #266 overall, #23 S with offers from Louisville, West Virginia, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia
7. Quinton Alston (MLB) ESPN #15 MLB with offers from Wisconsin, West Virginia, Stanford, Lousiville and Pitt
8. Jordan Lomax (CB/S) ESPN #25 CB with offers from Stanford, Louisville, Maryland and Virginia
9. Torrey Campbell (ATH) ESPN #59 ATH with offers from Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Louisville and Kentucky
10. Mikail McCall (RB) Rivals #34 RB with offers from Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue and Syracuse

Big Ten Recruiting Grades Pt 1 - The Helmet School Headliners

In an effort to shed some light as to how the Gophers recruiting class of 2011 stacks up against the rest of the Big 10, I’ll be listing what I think are the top recruits with their rankings and offers for each team.  I’ll list the top 15 for the two division leaders, the top 10 for the next three teams for each division and the top 5 for the bottom two teams in each division.

I don’t know if Jim Delaney was looking at recruiting rankings when divvying up the divisions, but the grades are pretty even.  Both divisions have a far and away leader (Ohio State and Nebraska), a middle pack of three (Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State, Wisconsin and Illinois) and teams that did not quite fare as well on the recruiting trail (Northwestern, Minnesota and Indiana, Purdue)

Class of 2011 grades - Big 10

Before I hand out the grades, I just thought I’d give a little insight as to what they mean to me.

A – Continuous classes like this mean you are the perennial favorite to go to the Rose Bowl

B – Continuous classes like this and you are competing for the divisional title

C – Hello Insight/Sun/Music City bowl!!!

D – Remember when we used to go to the Insight/Sun/Music City bowls?  Ah, the good ol days

F – Something went terribly wrong here.

And now to the grades…

Ranking the 2011 Recruiting Class

In the movie Hoosiers, there is a scene where Coach Norman Dale addresses a pep rally crowd that is unhappy that the local wunderkind Jimmy is not yet a member of the team.  Coach Dale said "I was hoping that you would support who we are, not who we are not.  These six individuals have made a choice to work, the choice to sacrifice, to put themselves on the line 23 nights in the next four months to represent you, this high school.  That kind of commitment and effort deserves and demands your respect.  This is your team."

These are the 24 individuals who have agreed to wear the maroon and gold and represent our state.  They will be the ones I support for the next 4-5 years.  I wish nothing but success for these young men.  A future that has them hoisting Paul Bunyan's Axe, Floyd of Rosedale and the Little Brown Jug above their heads, travelling to warm destinations on cold January days and walking across the stage with a degree in hand.

This is your team.

Ranked first to worst in terms of how successful they will play on the field not necessarily how they are rated by scouting services:

1.      Tommy Olson (OG/OC) - It all starts with this young man.  He committed to the Gophers two years before he had a chance to sign his LOI.  He’s the one recruit that everyone loves because he’s a local, he’s a legacy and his junior film showed a lot of pancakes.  ESPN ranks Olson as the 14^th best OG prospect in the country.  Olson probably could have been rated higher on Rivals and Scout had he decided to compete at a national event like FBU Top Gun, Nike combine, etc. and prove himself against elite competition.  Hopefully Olson will be able to redshirt but it is possible that Olson could start at Guard or Center in 2011.

2.      Steve Montgomery (CB/S) – Montgomery gathered 15 offers during the recruiting process from schools like North Carolina, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Illinois and Kansas.  He has great size for a CB and a little small for a safety at 5-10 185 pounds so let’s hope he has the quicks to cover receivers.  He was rated the #49 safety by Rivals.

3.      Josh Campion (OG/OC) – Campion had a long road to get to Dinkytown.  He graduated HS in 2009 and, similarly to TO, he was committed well over a year before signing his LOI but didn’t qualify academically and ended up at Fork Union Military Academy.  I was really high on Campion coming out of HS but the fact that he only had offers from Temple and Old Dominion coming out of a highly regarded prep school like FUMA is concerning.

4.      Quentin Gardener (WR) – With offers from Iowa, Iowa St, Kansas State among others you’d expect him to be rated higher than the #110 and #123 WR (ESPN and Scout respectively) but that is where he ended up.  Injuries may have had something to do with it, but his solid 6-0 190 pound frame and 4.44 40 yard dash quicks might allow him to stroke the post a time or two.

5.      Kyle McAvoy (OG/OT) – Half of the Wonder Twin powers from Illinois signed in this class.  Kyle is ranked as high as the #28 OT and chose the Gophers over 10 other offers from Michigan State, Louisville, Arizona, Kansas, Northwestern and others.

6.      Devin Crawford-Tufts (WR) – The Edina, MN product chose the Gophers over an offer from Wisconsin and runs a 4.4 40 and a 10.7 100 yard dash.  Kill has stated that he’s “faster than my car” and hopefully he can maintain that speed while putting some weight onto his 6-2 180 pound frame.

7.      Theiren Cockran (DE) – This one might surprise people who follow recruiting closely.  Cockran doesn’t have the offer sheet (Purdue, Northern Illinois, Western Michigan) that other recruits have and he isn’t rated by the Big 3 of Rivals, Scout and ESPN.  What he does have is a 6-6 210 pound frame that runs a 4.55 40.  Kill is looking for speed and length in his recruits and Cockran has both of those qualities in spades.  He may have been overlooked some in HS as he had two very talented teammates on the D line.  I think he’s a 3 year starter for the Gophers.

8.      Chris Hawthorne (K) – Hawthorne is transferring from North Carolina State but is eligible right away due to the fact that he was a walk-on and never received any scholarship money.  He kicked a handful of extra points and a field goal for NCST and should be the immediate starter.

9.      Luke McAvoy (OT) – The other half of the Wonder Twins.  Luck doesn’t have the offer list of his brother (6 offers featuring Arizona and Kansas) and isn’t as thick but is said to have better feet and is listed above his brother on the Rivals state of Illinois list at #27 (Kyle is #28 in IL)

10.   Ge’Shun Harris (WR) – This Junior College prospect is arriving at the right time as we desperately need bodies at the WR position.  He has a big frame (6-3 215) and 12 offers, although Minnesota was the only one from a BCS conference.

11.   Max Shortell (QB) – Shortell picked the Gophers early in the recruiting season and the Gophers are his only offer.  He is rated the #22 Pro-Style QB by Rivals and the #5 prospect in Kansas.  He may have been overshadowed by another KS QB named Bubba Starling who commanded a lot of recruiting attention.

12.   Quinn Bauducco (MLB) – This Californian is much like Shortell in that he picked the Gophers early on and the Gophers are his only offer.  Rivals rates Bauducco as the #37 MLB and the #96 player in the state of California.  He received heavy interest from Northwestern once Brewster was fired but Bauducco remained firm in his commitment to Minnesota.

13.   Marcus Jones (CB) – This diminutive (listed at 5-8) CB only has two offers, but both are from Jerry Kill.  Jones committed to Kill at Norhtern Illinois and later to Minnesota once Kill got the job in Minneapolis.  He is very fast but the fact that he didn’t earn an offer from Memphis (yes the same Sun Belt team that has finished 1-11 and 2-10 the last two seasons) when he attended their summer camp.  I’m hoping it is his size that kept other teams from pulling the trigger.  Jones is rated the #73 CB by ESPN.

14.   Michael Amaefula (DE) – Amaefula sported offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Houston and others but saw his options dry up and was looking at signing with Stephen F Austin before Kill offered a scholarship.  He is rated the #107 DE by Scout.  He has the luxury of being one of the first DE’s signed by Kill so he’ll have a leg up on PT as he should fit Kill’s schemes.

15.   Joe Bjorklund (OG/OT) – Bjorklund was verbally committed to Toledo before Kill offered the Rosemount, MN prospect.  He really seemed to come on his senior year and garnered serious interest from Michigan State as well as an offer from Indiana.  He’s the #60 OG per ESPN.  The fact that Brewster didn’t offer is of some concern however.

16.   Drew Goodger (TE) – He’s the #58 Strongside DE per Rivals as well as the #10 player in KS.  Kill was recruiting him heavily at NIU and once he could offer a BCS scholarship, Goodger committed right away.

17.   Foster Bush (OL/TE) – While Bush didn’t receive much recruiting love (offers from Northern Illinois, Western Michigan and Illinois State) he is the #9 player in the state of Wisconsin per Rivals.  He won’t turn 18 until after he graduates HS so there’s a good chance he’s not a physically mature as other HS seniors.  Then again, I thought the same thing with Xzavian Brandon.

18.   Grayson Levine (S) – Levine had 5 non-BCS offers before Kill issued one.  He had some nice write-ups regarding his performance at a combine in Michigan but no offers came from it.  Again, the fact that Brewster didn’t offer is of some concern.

19.   Jephete Matilus (OLB) – Matilus come from Delray Beach, FL (Atlantic HS) which has supplied plenty of past and present Gophers.  He has a thick frame and offers from Illinois and Kentucky and is rated the #75 OLB per ESPN.  He is rated this low due to the talent in front of him.

20.   Derrick Wells (CB/S) – Wells appeared destined to Ball State, but Kill swept him up late in the process.  Has a nose for the ball and is great at converting fake punts into 1st downs.

21.   David Cobb (RB) – Cobb was supposedly set for Stanford but was left at the altar.  Kill saw that national signing day had come and gone and Cobb was still available.  He had other offers from North Texas, Memphis and Texas State and is rated the #60 RB by ESPN.  Rated this low due to the logjam of talent that are the RS freshmen trio at RB.

22.   Cedric Thompson (CB/S) – Another post-NSD signee for Kill.  Thompson had visited Portland State and was hardly recruited at all.  This one is a head scratcher, but an early wait and see prospect for Kill.

23.   Peter Westerhaus (OLB) – Westerhaus is the #3 player in Minnesota per Rivals as well as the #72 OLB.  He chose the Gophers over an offer from Iowa State.  Much like Matilus, the low ranking is due to older players ahead of him on the depth chart.

24.   John Rabe (TE) – It will be interesting to see how Rabe fits into the equation.  He followed Kill over from NIU but has two seniors (Lair & Eure) ahead of him at TE and Rabe is a JUCO transfer so he only has two years of eligibility remaining.  Seems to be more of a pass catching TE than a blocker so that too will be interesting to see how that is utilized in a run first offensive scheme.

Sleeper – Cockran for reasons mentioned above

Bust – Montgomery, something just doesn’t feel right there

Welcome

I’ve been meaning to start writing about Gopher football for a while, but something always got in the way.  But with the start of a new coaching regime, it seems like as good a time as any to start.  There are always plenty of things to talk about whenever there is a coaching change. 

Geezo Beezo will be as realistic and honest as possible without trying to negatively affect the program.  With the name of the blog, I’m trying to channel the optimism of Jim Wacker, but realize that the “Geezo Beezo” came frequently after yet another tough Gopher loss.  I’m trying to see both sides of the coin and gain a little college football wisdom.

I’m not trying to acquire media credentials, get a football related job or scoop anyone on Gopher related news.  This is not a get rich slow scheme.  There are a few Gopher blogs out there and I am cognizant of that so I will try to differentiate myself from the other guys.  The main thing is I’m going to stick to the gridiron.  I’ve followed other sports, but nothing in comparison to the love I have for Gopher football.  You want to read up on Tubby or Don Lucia?  Check out The Daily Gopher, Down With Goldy or Fringe Bowl Team.  You want the inside scoop or daily recruiting tidbits?  Buy a subscription to Gopher Illustrated (definitely worth it).  You want to sound off on your favorite team with other fans for free?  Visit The Gopher Hole or Gopher Puck Live.  All of these sites have value and you should check them out.

The main goal here is to hopefully find a few people to read this blog and still be functioning a year from now.  I would be happy with those meager achievements.  So with that being said, let’s get it started.