Buck Bravo

Come Saturday evening all of the news, hype, optimism, pessimism, and speculation will be irrelevant as the Gophers give us a showing of realism on the field.  The 2008 season opener will show Gopher Nation how much the returning Gophers have progressed since last year, how talented the junior college transfers are, and how the defense looks under new defensive coordinator Ted Roof.  Based upon this video of last year’s NIU team versus Tulane, I expect the Gopher offense to have a strong showing: 

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With a year of running the spread offense under his belt, I expect Adam Weber to have a strong showing at quarterback and showcase his skills.  Signs of progress from last year would be audibles that result in successful plays, checking down the first receiver option for secondary and tertiary options, and accurate passing on slant patterns and out routes.  Eric Decker should remain his primary target and have a solid game.  Expect Duane Bennett to receive the bulk of the carries, and keep an eye on Jay Thomas to see if he can make confident cuts with his reconstructed knees.

There are high hopes for the revamped Gopher secondary.  Junior college transfer Traye Simmons was touted as a shut-down corner, and hopefully will live up to his nickname of “Big Play Traye.”  Another junior college transfer, Tramaine Brock, will have a chance to legitimize his reputation as a ferocious hitter with blazing speed.  Kyle Theret is the only returning member of the defensive backfield who will be starting.  Marcus Sherels, who switched to cornerback from wide receiver, can affirm reports that the transition was for the best.  According to this blog, NIU has a question mark at quarterback.  I’d be very concerned if the Gopher secondary doesn’t have a strong showing.

The Gopher linebackers are somewhat of a question mark, with Steve Davis the only returning starter at the top of the depth chart.  Lee Campbell has the size to be a solid middle linebacker.  Simoni Lawrence, another junior college transfer, has been solid in practice as a hybrid defensive back/linebacker.  At just over 200 pounds, I just hope that he can hold up to the physical punishment of playing linebacker.  I will also be curoius as to how/if junior college transfer Rex Sharpe will be used in the linebacker rotation.

The defensive line will need to demonstrate improvement with the pass rush.  Hopefully junior college transfer Cedric McKinley will show that his size and speed can translate into performance on the field as a defensive end.  Eric Small’s added size, along with the addition of freshman Jewhan Edwards, should make a difference in run-stopping ability.  Justin Anderson of NIU had over 1200 rushing yards last year, and will be a good test for the defense.

I expect the Gophers to have a solid performance against NIU, and would be surprised if the game is even close.  Actually, I’d be VERY concerned if this game is close.  I’ll predict a final score of 45-17 in favor of the Gophers.

Entering the 2008 football season, the Gophers have added six junior college transfers to their squad.  Junior college transfers, or JUCOs, are players who used one or two years of their NCAA eligibility to play football for junior college teams.  Why would a Division 1 Big Ten Football program want to add players to their recruiting class that only have one or two years of eligibility left instead of high school recruits who could contribute to the program for four years?  First, JUCOs have a few more years of maturity and experience, and can contribute to a program immediately.  Second, the Gophers had several holes to fill after last year’s 1-11 season, and many incoming freshmen may not be physically ready or experienced enough to play right away.  Third, many JUCOs are players that were either overlooked by scouts, matured after high school, or needed to improve upon their academics before being accepted to a Division I-A program. 

JUCO players can offer immediate assistance to teams in need of talented players.  In 1997, Bill Snyder of Kansas State brought in 12 junior college players.  One year later, Kansas State realized their first ever number one ranking during the season.  Apparently, Kansas State is revisiting that strategy once again.  I think it highly unlikely that the six Gopher JUCO transfers will bring us to the Rose Bowl, but I do expect the defense to have a much better year. 

Expect to see JUCO transfers Tramaine Brock, Traye Simmons, and Simoni Lawrence start in the defensive backfield.  Don’t be surprised to see Lawrence play some downs as a linebacker, too.  Cedric McKinley should add size and speed at defensive end.  Rex Sharpe was a highly recruited player coming out of high school in 2005, and originally committed to Auburn.  After overcoming some adversity, he is looking forward to being an impact player as a linebacker for the Gophers.  Potentially, the Gophers could be adding three talented defensive backs, a defensive end with excellent size and speed, and a linebacker who could be a difference maker.  On offense, David Pittman should be a versatile weapon for the Gophers.

Hopefully, the Gophers’ six JUCO recruits will add a shot of adrenaline to the program for the 2008 season.  While these players don’t have a full four years of eligibility to play football at the University of Minnesota, they should help improve the team as the Gophers look to expand the Gopher Nation prior to the opening of their new stadium in 2009.  Long term, their presence may allow some of the linebacker and defensive line high school recruits to redshirt in 2008.  An extra year in the weight room prior to the eligibility clock ticking away can do wonders for a player’s strength and size.  In 2008, expect there to be nothing junior about Gopher JUCOs.