Freshmen Class Next Season

I believe if we include Gray, Maresh, and Reeves with the current recruiting class that this class is every bit as good as the current recruiting class. Keanon Cooper was also red-shirted this past season and was a very big recruit for the Gophers a year ago. Royston and Carufel will also be huge additions for the upcoming seasons after sitting out their transfer year. Wills will also be a big key to the success of the 2009 team. Brewster did not bring Wills in to sit next season.

2 players I expect to be impact players as pure freshmen in 2009 are Hageman and Lipscomb. The other key offensive player who will probably be the biggest addition is Carpenter at WR.

The Gophers should have some great talent at the WR position with Decker, Green, Carpenter, and the freshmen from this past season. I also believe with Hageman, Tow-Arnett, and Lair at the TE position the Gophers will be able to run and pass the ball much better next season. Hageman will be used like Spaeth I hope and will crush DE's and LB's playing up on the line.

I could see Brewster red-shirting this entire freshmen class on the defensive side of the ball with the exception of Searcy. I know Reeves, Cooper, Maresh and Gray will be much bigger and physically ready to compete at the Big Ten level next September. Gray will have had 24 months to recover from his injury in 2007 and we all know what Maresh has gone through the past 7 months.

Merry Christmas Gopher Fans

I agree with pretty much everything you have stated. I said in an earlier post, I don't remember which thread, I hope that most if not all of this class is redshirted. One thing that I can't stand is when they use year of eligibilty on a player only to play a special teams part when they still have a redshirt to use. If a player has used his RS, then put him in wherever you need, but there are WAAAAY to many players on a college roster to put in those ST positions than to waste a year of eligibility on a FR. If a player that has been RS and in his SO or JR year and can't handle a ST role has no buisness being on a D1 roster.

If you are going to use a true FR, he better be playing a significant role.

An example, I think Lair got some playing time this year, but I don't know if he was allowed to RS. I don't know all the ins and outs of RS, but the obvious would say he didn't redshirt.

NOW, if that is the case, did he catch one pass? did he make one tackle on ST? from what I know, I'm pretty sure he didn't. SO WHY ARE YOU PLAYING HIM?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Now he is going to be a SO with three to play instead of being a rFr with four to play.

I'm kind of rambling here but I think my point is coming across. There should have been an older player that was capable of stepping into the role Lair played this year. If not, like I said, why is that player even on the roster?

Anyway, I do agree that Hageman and Lipscomb could play next season, but they better be playing a significant role.

-Merry Christmas everyone

Coach Brewster's Elfs have lots of goodies in the Sack

All I want for Christmas is a power running game. Its all I ever wanted. Sure the flashy recievers are nice, and you can fool the teams with the zone shceme some of the time, but you cannot fool all the teams all the time. The spread, shotgun, and even wildcat are wrinkles, but nothing beats a forearm under the chin.

Jeff Wills will be nice, and how about the running game with a fullback? I love that under my tree. And the hint that fullback could be Johnathan Hoese, The Horse. I have have a huge smile. If you line up Carfuel, Wills and Hagenman with their hand on the ground and lead Hoese, where can you run? Anywhere you want to, anytime you need to.

I use to like the idea of a RS. With a few exceptions such as OL and obvious depth reasons I've really cooled on the idea. My thinking is that with a program on an upswing the level of recruit we get in four years could be much better than a kid who came in and wasn't quite ready to compete. Sure you don't see the best of your current 3*, but you also miss out on another likely 4* athlete in four years.

Its all about depth. If you have a frosh at third on depth chart, you might as well get them game time situational play on special teams, because odds are good you will need them at some point during the year. If you have three deep, then a RS can be done without hurting the team.

Worst case scenario is having a frosh sit all year then need him in the last couple of games and have them be unaccustomed [sp] to game speed and situations.

Exceptions being linemen and tweeners [safety to lb, lb to de, de - dt types] who can really develop size in that RS year.

goldfan24 said:

I believe if we include Gray, Maresh, and Reeves with the current recruiting class that this class is every bit as good as the current recruiting class. Keanon Cooper was also red-shirted this past season and was a very big recruit for the Gophers a year ago. Royston and Carufel will also be huge additions for the upcoming seasons after sitting out their transfer year. Wills will also be a big key to the success of the 2009 team. Brewster did not bring Wills in to sit next season.

2 players I expect to be impact players as pure freshmen in 2009 are Hageman and Lipscomb. The other key offensive player who will probably be the biggest addition is Carpenter at WR.

The Gophers should have some great talent at the WR position with Decker, Green, Carpenter, and the freshmen from this past season. I also believe with Hageman, Tow-Arnett, and Lair at the TE position the Gophers will be able to run and pass the ball much better next season. Hageman will be used like Spaeth I hope and will crush DE's and LB's playing up on the line.

I could see Brewster red-shirting this entire freshmen class on the defensive side of the ball with the exception of Searcy. I know Reeves, Cooper, Maresh and Gray will be much bigger and physically ready to compete at the Big Ten level next September. Gray will have had 24 months to recover from his injury in 2007 and we all know what Maresh has gone through the past 7 months.

Merry Christmas Gopher Fans

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Searcy should be redshirted. We have Small, Brown, Moen, Edwards, and Kirkesy ahead of him. That was enough depth this season so we can afford to redshirt Searcy and if a few guys in front of him go down injured you can consider pulling it off.

I definitely foresee us redshirting all of the freshman OL & DL and Singleton so that they can add some bulk. Rengel and Alipate will probably be redshirted too. After that, I don't see us redshirting Lipscomb, Allen (either he or Carpenter will be the new PR), McNeal (if we get him), Hageman (I think he's ready to contribute). The freshman DB's could go either way because they may be asked to contribute on special teams or they may be content with the talent the guys taht did it last year.

Normally, I agree with you and I prefer to use a redshirt on freshman but our special teams were pretty bad in 2007. The freshman made our coverage teams much better which is why they didn't redshirt very many players this year.