dinkything
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We've often heard of the Brew's crown jewel -- the Gophers' recruiting class of 2008.
Much has been mentioned in glowing terms, both on these boards and elsewhere, of the anticipated impact of these recruits on the Gopher program.
This 2008 class received 31 verbal commitments heading toward NLOI Signing Day, and was initially ranked 17th in the nation, until later being revised downward because not all the verbal commitments actually showed up in dinkytown in August, 2008.
It's understood that one cannot have a full appreciation of a football recruiting class until 3 or 4 years down the road.
So, 3-1/2 years after faxing in their signed NLOI's, it might be an appropriate time to have a look at where things are at with this recruiting class, as of June, 2011.
Here are a few of the class of 2008 student-athletes (not randomly selected), and their respective status:
-4* DT Tim McGee..........never showed up
-4* WR Vince Hill............never showed up
-4* LB Sam Maresh.........medical issues, then to JUCO in Iowa, not sure where he is now
-4* CB Tray Simmons......elegibility expired (JUCO)
-4* LB Rex Sharpe..........elegibility expired (JUCO)
-4* WR David Pittman.....elegibility expired (JUCO)
-3* LB Simoni Lawrence...elegibility expired (JUCO)
-2* DE Cedric McKinley....elegibility expired (JUCO)
-3* OT Roszell Gaden......diverted from Dinkytown, went to JUCO, then to Auburn
-3* WR/CB J. Dandridge...transferred out in late '09
-2* RB/DE/LB T.Combs....gone
-3* S Tramaine Brock......gone after 4 months due to academics
-3* WR Broderick Smith...transferred in 2009
-2* QB John Nance.........transferred out to play basketball
-3* RB Kevin Whaley.......repeated thuggery got him a one-way bus ticket home to Virginia
-2* RB Deleon Eskridge....2010 starter will NOT return for 2011 season
-2* DT Jewhan Edwards...another 2010 starter who will NOT return for 2011
There may be a few others whose status is uncertain, as everyone remaining is now in summer school.
With over 1/2 the class already gone -- not to mention the coach who recruited them -- there will be significantly fewer student-athletes than expected to make that much-anticipated impact in 2011 while wearing maroon and gold.
Of those remaining and in summer school, there should be several starters on defense, including CB Troy Stoudermire, DT Brandon Kirksey, possibly LB Gary Tinsley, although he spent a good chunk of the spring running with the 2's and 3's. Starters on offense should be QB/WR MarQueis Gray, WR Da'Jon McKnight, WR Brandon Green (if healthy), and TE Eric Lair.
Interestingly, there could be five 2011 starters who verbally committed to Glen Mason in 2006:
-OL's Ryan Wynn, Ryan Orton, and Chris Bunders
-RB Duane Bennett
-DL Anthony Jacobs
Bottom line: let's give Jerry Kill his honeymoon, so that he has an opportunity to incorporate his systems, philosophies, methods, etc. into the Gopher program.
He has his work cut out for him.
Much has been mentioned in glowing terms, both on these boards and elsewhere, of the anticipated impact of these recruits on the Gopher program.
This 2008 class received 31 verbal commitments heading toward NLOI Signing Day, and was initially ranked 17th in the nation, until later being revised downward because not all the verbal commitments actually showed up in dinkytown in August, 2008.
It's understood that one cannot have a full appreciation of a football recruiting class until 3 or 4 years down the road.
So, 3-1/2 years after faxing in their signed NLOI's, it might be an appropriate time to have a look at where things are at with this recruiting class, as of June, 2011.
Here are a few of the class of 2008 student-athletes (not randomly selected), and their respective status:
-4* DT Tim McGee..........never showed up
-4* WR Vince Hill............never showed up
-4* LB Sam Maresh.........medical issues, then to JUCO in Iowa, not sure where he is now
-4* CB Tray Simmons......elegibility expired (JUCO)
-4* LB Rex Sharpe..........elegibility expired (JUCO)
-4* WR David Pittman.....elegibility expired (JUCO)
-3* LB Simoni Lawrence...elegibility expired (JUCO)
-2* DE Cedric McKinley....elegibility expired (JUCO)
-3* OT Roszell Gaden......diverted from Dinkytown, went to JUCO, then to Auburn
-3* WR/CB J. Dandridge...transferred out in late '09
-2* RB/DE/LB T.Combs....gone
-3* S Tramaine Brock......gone after 4 months due to academics
-3* WR Broderick Smith...transferred in 2009
-2* QB John Nance.........transferred out to play basketball
-3* RB Kevin Whaley.......repeated thuggery got him a one-way bus ticket home to Virginia
-2* RB Deleon Eskridge....2010 starter will NOT return for 2011 season
-2* DT Jewhan Edwards...another 2010 starter who will NOT return for 2011
There may be a few others whose status is uncertain, as everyone remaining is now in summer school.
With over 1/2 the class already gone -- not to mention the coach who recruited them -- there will be significantly fewer student-athletes than expected to make that much-anticipated impact in 2011 while wearing maroon and gold.
Of those remaining and in summer school, there should be several starters on defense, including CB Troy Stoudermire, DT Brandon Kirksey, possibly LB Gary Tinsley, although he spent a good chunk of the spring running with the 2's and 3's. Starters on offense should be QB/WR MarQueis Gray, WR Da'Jon McKnight, WR Brandon Green (if healthy), and TE Eric Lair.
Interestingly, there could be five 2011 starters who verbally committed to Glen Mason in 2006:
-OL's Ryan Wynn, Ryan Orton, and Chris Bunders
-RB Duane Bennett
-DL Anthony Jacobs
Bottom line: let's give Jerry Kill his honeymoon, so that he has an opportunity to incorporate his systems, philosophies, methods, etc. into the Gopher program.
He has his work cut out for him.
