Buck Bravo

- Marion Barber has officially become a superstar in the NFL after Monday night’s performance against the Eagles with 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns.  There’s no question he’s locked down the starting job for America’s team, and there’s no question he’s one of the most exciting running backs in the NFL.  Here’s a commercial featuring a Marion Barber run:

- Clint Brewster transferred from Minnesota after Adam Weber locked up the starting quarterback job.  Clint had a great first game for College of the Sequoias with 284 yards passing, 14 of 21 passes completed, and two touchdowns.  Check out the highlights of that game here.  Hopefully he’ll find a Division 1 program to start at next year.

- Former Gopher tight ends Matt Spaeth (Steelers) and Ben Utecht (Bengals) have caught passes this year in the NFL.

- Laurence Maroney is the starting running back for the Patriots, and hopefully the shoulder injury he sustained this week isn’t serious.

- Wide receiver Logan Payne was playing for the Seahawks, but tore his MCL this week and is out for the season.

- Former 2008 Gopher commits Tim McGee (Memphis Tigers) and Vince Hill (Temple Owls) have yet to see the field.

- Glen Mason is now working for the Big Ten Network, and according to this Star Tribune article is assigned to the Minnesota/Ohio State game while spending the day as an honorary captain for the Buckeyes.

- Last year’s defensive coordinator Everett Withers is now the defensive coordinator for the North Carolina Tarheels, and this past week his defense held Rutgers’ offense to 12 points.

Jack Simmons suddenly became known to Gopher fans when he put on a show at the 2006 Insight Bowl with 7 catches for 134 yards.  After the game, Simmons was predicted by many to follow in the footsteps of tight end Matt Spaeth, who in turn had followed in the footsteps of Ben Utecht.  Both Spaeth and Utecht have gone on to play in the NFL.  

Simmons came to the Gophers out of Carmel High School’s 2004 graduating class in Mudelein, Illinois.  His father, Terry Simmons, lettered for the Gophers while playing football from 1977-1979.  Jack was listed as a three star high school recruit by both Rivals and Scout.  Interestingly, he was listed at 6′6, 210 lbs coming out of high school and is now listed by GopherSports.com at 6′4, 246 lbs.  I believe that he gained 36 pounds since high school, but I doubt that he shrunk two inches.  One of the challenges college football coaches have is figuring out which high school recruits have inflated height, weight, weightlifting, and speed numbers.  Despite possibly being measured in his cleats during high school, Jack Simmons reportedly had offers from Michigan State, Indiana, and Northwestern.

In 2007, Simmons was hampered by a foot injury and consequently his production was limited to 20 receptions for 202 yards.  For 2008, he is reportedly at full strength and ready for a breakout senior season.  Simmons has the size, speed, and agility to become a very good tight end this year.  With Eric Decker and a group of talented young wide receivers looking to improve the receiving options for sophomore quarterback Adam Weber, Simmons should see plenty of passes thrown his way due to increased pressure on opposing pass defenses.  In preseason drills, he has been dominant and pulled in some athletic catches.  If Jack Simmons can stay healthy, he could be an early round pick in the 2009 NFL draft.  Although he may not have the vocal pipes of former Gopher Ben Utecht, he could develop into a similar player and have a successful professional career.