Maresh will be ready for spring; Brock not coming back; Gray QB2; Ellerstad K1

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BleedGopher

BleedGopher

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and other tid-bits from Marcus:

Maresh expected to participate in spring practice
Gophers freshman linebacker Sam Maresh will be part of spring football for the Gophers when the team begins practice Tuesday, according to Minnesota coach Tim Brewster today.

"Sam is back and we're going to try to get him involved as much as we can," Brewster said today at his spring football press conference. "He doesn't have limitations, but he's not 100 percent right now. He still has an issue with his calf. He's able to try to play through it. ...We're going to ease him in to the deal and see how it goes for Sam. Obviously we're all pulling real hard for Sam, (because of) the things he went through."

Brewster said doctors discovered that Maresh's calf injury was not a tumor but scar tissue that formed after a previous injury. Brewster hopes that Maresh will be healthy enough to play in the upcoming season.

"It's going to be an exciting day on Sept. 12 when Sam Maresh leads us into TCF Bank Stadium, carrying that state of Minnesota flag," Brewster said. "There's a chance he can play, but I don't want to rush him back. I want to make sure he's 100 percent confident in the calf. There's no pressure. There's no rush at all. We'll just let his situation play out. I'd love to be able to say he'll definitely play in the first game, but I think he'll determine that."

-- Brewster also said starting quarterback Adam Weber (shoulder), running back Duane Bennett (knee), center Jeff Tow-Arnett (knee) and cornerback Marcus Sherels (shoulder) would be limited in practice this spring. Weber, Bennett and Sherels will not participate in contact drills. Tow-Arnett will be out for spring practice while he recovers from knee surgery.

-- Brewster is really excited about freshman quarterback MarQueis Gray. He said Gray is the No. 2 quarterback heading into spring practice, but he needs to prove that he can start if called upon.

"There will be a great emphasis on developing (Gray)," Brewster said. "He's one step away from being our starting quarterback."

-- Ryan Wynn, D.J. Burris and Trey Davis will compete for the starting center spot. Dominic Alford will move from starting left tackle to starting left guard. Matt Stommes will begin the spring as the starting left tackle. Junior college transfer Jeff Wills will compete at right tackle. Notre Dame transfer Matt Carufel has emerged as a leader on the offensive line.

-- Mike Rallis and Kim Royston will compete at free safety to replace starter Tramaine Brock, who left the team this spring for academic reasons.

-- Eric Ellestad will be the team's starting kicker going into spring practice. Blake Haudan will be the first team punter.

-- All-Big Ten wide receiver Eric Decker will again miss spring practice while he competes with the baseball team. But Brewster said new wide receivers coach Richard Hightower and new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch would be great tutors for the young receivers. Brewster said he was impressed with Fisch's teaching skills as a former Denver Broncos receivers coach.

http://blogs.twincities.com/gophers/

Go Gophers!!
 

Where does it for sure say that Brock isn't coming back? I see they are talking about replacements because he isn't technically on the team but I don't see where it definitely rules it out. I know chances are slim of him coming back.
 

Questions/observations:

1) I personally think it would be a gross miscalculation to not redshirt Gray this year. He can still be your #2 and come in if Weber is injured, but don't burn the redshirt for a few plays here and there if you don't have to. We can have him as a starter for 3 years instead of 2 if we do this. Don't give me the Pryor comparisons. When we're as good as OSU, we can afford to tinker with the career duration of our most valuable position.

2) Where is Tow-Arnett in the center discussion? I understand he's injured, but he wasn't even mentioned in the competition for starting C. He went from 1st-string to 4th-string on the basis of an injury?

3) Mike Rallis is a good special teams player. Glue guy. Shows a lot of hustle. But if he's starting in our defensive backfield this fall, we're in trouble.

4) I remember reading a delusional post on a different site calling Orseske our most valuable 2009 recruit. Is this a case of Ellestad getting veteran's preference, or is he really the front-runner?
 

Umm - I Think Orseske Needs To Finish HS This Spring

That said, Ellestad would probably be #1, anyway - until Orseske beats him out. That battle will take place when fall practice starts in August.
 

My bad - I thought it said going into fall practice.
 


i noticed that john hoese is up to 240 and still runs a 4.6 40. he is going to be a HUGE asset in the power run game.
 

dpodoll68 said:
2) Where is Tow-Arnett in the center discussion? I understand he's injured, but he wasn't even mentioned in the competition for starting C. He went from 1st-string to 4th-string on the basis of an injury?
Click to expand...

I had the same question reading the post. I don't think it means he's #4, rather, he's just not in the discussion at all this Spring since his injury keeps him on I/R completely (vs a no-contact restriction like Weber). I'd look for him to come back in the fall as the #2 (fighting for #1) if he's healthy. What I took from the post was that the spot won't just be handed to him in the fall, he'll have to earn it back by beating out the #1 C from Spring ball.
 


dpodoll68 said:
Questions/observations:

1) I personally think it would be a gross miscalculation to not redshirt Gray this year. He can still be your #2 and come in if Weber is injured, but don't burn the redshirt for a few plays here and there if you don't have to. We can have him as a starter for 3 years instead of 2 if we do this. Don't give me the Pryor comparisons. When we're as good as OSU, we can afford to tinker with the career duration of our most valuable position.

2) Where is Tow-Arnett in the center discussion? I understand he's injured, but he wasn't even mentioned in the competition for starting C. He went from 1st-string to 4th-string on the basis of an injury?

3) Mike Rallis is a good special teams player. Glue guy. Shows a lot of hustle. But if he's starting in our defensive backfield this fall, we're in trouble.

4) I remember reading a delusional post on a different site calling Orseske our most valuable 2009 recruit. Is this a case of Ellestad getting veteran's preference, or is he really the front-runner?
Click to expand...

I believe Orseske is a punter and Ellestad a place kicker. But that just makes the question about Blake Haudan instead of Ellestad.
 



BleedGopher said:
-- Ryan Wynn, D.J. Burris and Trey Davis will compete for the starting center spot. Dominic Alford will move from starting left tackle to starting left guard. Matt Stommes will begin the spring as the starting left tackle. Junior college transfer Jeff Wills will compete at right tackle. Notre Dame transfer Matt Carufel has emerged as a leader on the offensive line.
Click to expand...

I like the move of Alford to guard. Last year at tackle, he either wore down, or couldn't keep up with the faster defensive ends in the Big Ten. I think he can be a very good guard if he can make the technical adjustments.
 

WAGopher said:
I like the move of Alford to guard. Last year at tackle, he either wore down, or couldn't keep up with the faster defensive ends in the Big Ten. I think he can be a very good guard if he can make the technical adjustments.
Click to expand...

I said essentially the same thing, but was laughed at because others think he $ucks. I think he is the right size and has talent. The key will be, like you stated, that he needs to make the technique/ technical adjustments. This OL looks like it's going to be much bigger this year.

BTW Where is Tavale? I can't believe that he won't be in the hunt. Carufel's backup?
 


I don't know if Brock will be back or not, but I recall that S Greene, Hawkeye RB, spent 07 moving furniture and going to a JC to earn his way back onto the team. I assume that Brock, likewise, is trying to requalify to rejoin the team this fall. I don't read anything into Brewster's statements that Brock is definitely not returning.
 




Moen?....

I noticed the article said Moen is now up to 292 and runs a 4.8 40. I'm liking the potential of the DT's. Brown, Small, Moen, Edwards....
 

Rallis

I totally disagree with the Rallis take earlier in the thread. This kid is a baller. Let's remember the kid was a true freshman (walk on) getting playing time last year. Did he make some mistakes? Sure....but no more than Brock or Sherels. He got thrown in there and I thought showed some great poise.
I believe he is going to be the rock of our D backfield for the next 3 years. Definately the surprise of 2008 recruiting class.
 

I think Rallis can play. We've had slower guys who have contributed as starters over the years. He seems heady and willing to lay the lumber. I'm not an X and O afficianado, but given the current defensive set with the one OLB basically being an "up safety" or "monster back," Rallis may find himself to be in more of a read-and-react position as opposed to being a tight coverage guy (I could be completely wrong). If that is the case, I think he'll do just fine.

As the previous poster said, Rallis went from walk-on to every-down guy and that transition was fraught with adjustments. I'm confident that Rallis can be a player.
 

Does anyone else prefer Marcus Fuller to Kent Youngblood? I think Marcus has done a pretty darn good job while Kent...is a little out of his element. Sorry for the random thought...
 

I like what I read on the cover story here that Dandaridge is going to push Theret for time. That will make Theret even a better player. I can't wait to see him play this year.
 

I think youngblood has a tough time dealing with the idiots on his blog. I think he posts as little as possible.
 


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