Tim Brewster once again goes back to the NFL to hire an assistant coach.  This time former Denver Bronco wide receiver and coach, Steve Watson is the man charged with teaching the young Gopher receivers.

The official release...

University of Minnesota head football coach Tim Brewster announced today that Steve Watson has been hired as the Golden Gophers' new wide receivers coach. Watson has eight seasons of coaching experience in the National Football League, as well as an outstanding nine-year career as a player.

"Steve and I coached together with the Denver Broncos and in that time I developed a real admiration of him as both a coach and a person," Brewster said. "He is an outstanding teacher of fundamental wide receiver play and I expect our players will benefit greatly from his experience. I am very excited that he has agreed to join our staff."

Watson coached with the NFL's Denver Broncos from 2001-2008. He was a defensive assistant in 2001 and 2002, before moving over to the offensive side of the ball. Watson was Denver's wide receivers coach from 2003-2006. He held the title of associate head coach from 2007-2008. Watson and Brewster were on the Denver coaching staff together in 2005 and 2006.

"It's not often that you get an opportunity to coach in the Big Ten," Watson said. "I'm very familiar with the Minnesota football program. I'm very excited to team back up with Coach Brewster. After coaching with him in Denver, I know what football means to him. It's physical, it's fun and it's getting after people. I'm really thrilled about this opportunity."

In his four seasons as wide receivers coach, Watson helped three different players record a total of four 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Rod Smith (2004, 2005), Ashley Lelie (2004) and Javon Walker (2006) all had 1,000-yard receiving seasons under Watson's tutelage.

Smith was a Pro Bowl selection in 2005. Lelie led the NFL in yards per reception average in 2004 (20.1 ypr) and 2005 (18.3). Walker had a 1,000-yard receiving season just one season after missing all but one game with an ACL injury.

Under Watson's guidance, the Broncos' wide receivers helped Denver to a No. 6 ranking in passing offense in 2004. The 3,999 yards Denver passed for that season was the fourth-most in franchise history. The Broncos' offense ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in total offense in three of the four years that Watson coached the receivers.

In addition to his coaching career with the Broncos, Watson is also one of the most popular players in team history. He played wide receiver for Denver from 1979-87, finishing his career with 353 receptions for 6,112 yards (17.3 avg) and 36 touchdowns. He ranks fifth on the Broncos' career list for receiving yards, seventh in receptions and eighth in touchdown receptions.

Watson was a Pro Bowl selection in 1981 and was a member of Denver squads that played in Super Bowl XXI (1986) and XXII (1987).

Watson had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons (1981, 1983, 1984). In 1981, he tallied career-best numbers for receiving yardage (1,244), touchdowns (13) and yards per reception (20.7). He pulled down a single-season best 69 receptions in 1984. Watson totaled 16 100-yard receiving games and had a streak of 49 games with at least one reception during his career.

Watson joined the Broncos as a free agent from Temple University in 1979. He was a four-year letterman with the Owls and played in the East-West Shrine Game to close out his career. He also earned three letters and won two conference championships as a long jumper on the Temple track and field team. Watson graduated from Temple with a degree in parks administration.

The Baltimore native was born May 28, 1957. Watson was a three-sport star at St. Mark's High School in Wilmington, Del. He and his wife Pam have two daughters (Brittany, 23 and Rachel, 20) and a son (Stephen Ross Jr., 21). Their son plays defensive end for the University of Michigan, where he will be a junior in 2010.

There are a number of talented and young receivers ready for Watson to teach them a few things about running clean routes and separating from the secondary.

Previously - Quarterbacks, Fullbacks, Running Backs, Tight Ends.

For the past two years, the Gophers' passing attack largely centered around Eric Decker, and why not? A splendid route runner, quality blocker, and possessed with glue on his gloves, Decker had 50 receptions in 8 games in 2009 before a weird pivot on an out route in the Horseshoe effectively ended his season. This almost doubled the number two producer at wideout in 2009 (Troy Stoudermire with 26).  A couple of viable options emerged in 2009 and give optimism for the 2010 season (Ben Kuznia also departs, FTR). Let's run it down.

The Presumed Starters - Da'Jon McKnight (Jr.) and Stoudermire (Jr.) - I list these two, both part of the "Skyline Four", as presumptive starters because they were starters against Iowa State in the Insight Bowl. Stoudermire is the jack of all trades on the team, contributing on kickoff returns (with devastating effect, particularly against Cal in 2009), on end arounds, as well in the passing game with the aforementioned 26 receptions. McKnight is a tall threat at 6-3, and had a breakout performance in the Insight Bowl, catching 7 of his 17 receptions in 2009, and going for 124 yards. All in all, these starters have significant experience, good speed, and are solid WR options.

The Backups - Brandon Green, a junior from Chicago, caught 21 balls in 2009 but was shut out in the bowl game. Sophomore Bryant Allen, currently moonlighting on Tubby Smith's bench, is the team's punt returner and had 5 catches in 2009. Xzavian Brandon is a redshirt sophomore that did not catch a ball last year. Hayo Carpenter was a five-star JUCO recruit in the 2009 class. In 2009 he contributed 3 kickoff returns and two receptions, one of which was a momentum-killing fumble against Cal. He was epoxyed to the bench the rest of the year (and is a similar year away from being an epic fail recruit), and presumably the coaches used the same material with which they kept David Pittman on the sidelines all of 2009 (one side note that I will try and sort out: Pittman is still listed as a senior after the post-Signing Day roster updates at the Gopher website. As he was a 2008 JUCO signee, I'm not sure why.)

A.J. Barker, a sophomore from De La Salle, Victor Keise, a 2009 recruit whose only reported offer on Scout was from Minnesota, and Sahr Ngekia, a redshirt freshman from Holy Angels, fill out the returnees. I will be surprised if their play extends beyond mop-up and possible special teams work.

The New Guys - Marquise Hill and Logan Hutton - Hill is 6-0 with a fake 40 of 4.49. He is guru approved, with offers from Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Hutton was a Signing Day Surprise, having been poached from Sam Houston State or Navy. I expect to see neither of these recruits play this year. Redshirts beckon.

Obviously, the de-commitment of Chris Hawkins, the academic failings of James Green, and the unsuccessful flirting with James Louis will affect the receiver corps down the line. The position likely needs 2-3 signees in 2011.

Overall Grade: B. Once again, look to the offensive line to determine whether Weber/Gray/Alipate and the  wideouts will be given time to, respectively, pass downfield and  run effective routes. If so, there are a few players with speed and experience that will be able to stretch the field. Add to that Stoudermire's ability to run the occasional end around, and perhaps a light mixing of MarQueis Gray into the WR rotation, and the options look promising. McKnight, in particular, is a matchup problem for many DBs at his height.

One thing that is a concern is run blocking. Decker was a master, and after he was lost for the year the edge running game was largely thwarted. The returnees haven't shown GREAT blocking ability, and improvement will be expected if the backs can break long runs in 2010.

If either Stoudermire or Brandon are hurt or non-effective, the depth is a concern, and the high impact speedster that Brewster wanted to get in either James Green or Louis would have been useful and would have slotted into the rotation right away. Here's hoping Carpenter lives up to his JUCO stars, and Allen becomes a bigger contributor in year two.

Previously - Quarterbacks, Fullbacks, Running Backs.

When Coach Brewster made the decision to switch from a predominantly spread-based formation to a pro-style offense, it could be argued two positions were positively affected more than any other on offense: fullback and tight end. We all learned the importance of the two positions in the Fisch offense, as they were both needed to assist in pass protection on a regular basis, thereby thwarting most attempts, Sparty aside, at a downfield passing game.

The fullback position is being manned by a returning starter in 2010. There is a little more uncertainty surrounding the tight end position. First, the Gophers are beginning the painful process of de-Tow-Arnetting themselves (to be completed in 2011) by losing their second leading receiver, Nick, who caught 37 passes for 505 yards and 3 TDs (including a pair of TDs against Sparty that stick in the memory). Second, highly regarded and guru approved redshirt freshman Ra'Shede Hageman (how approved? Try reported offers from Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and FLORIDA) is now reportedly up to about 290 pounds and is expected to permanently switch to defensive end. Taking that news glass half-full would indicate that the coaches have confidence in the other TEs on the roster, as well as those who are incoming. Let's see if it's warranted.

The Presumed Starter - Eric Lair (Junior) - Lair played in eight games in 2009, catching two balls for 20 yards. At 6 foot 3, 230 pounds, he has an ideal build for a blocking TE. Ideally, he could become a somewhat regular option in the middle zone or stretching a linebacker wide. He is still an unknown, however, but has good upside.

The Backups - Curtis Hughes (Senior), Collin McGarry (Senior) - Neither of these guys played a snap in 2009 outside of special teams, according to the Gophers' stats releases. That corresponds completely to my memory of the 2009 season. I would be surprised if they played beyond mop-up time or again on special teams.

The New Guy - Tiree Eure (Lackawanna CC) - part of the Lackawanna pipeline that brought you Jeff Wills and also brought in DBs Herschel Thornton and Dwight Tillman this recruiting cycle, Eure is a 6'7", 242 lb. beanpole (why can I say this? I'm also 6'7" and weigh 235 pounds). He was moderately guru approved (3 star to Rivals), and sported offers from Colorado, Syracuse, UConn, Purdue and Rutgers. I would expect he'll play from the start, and would be expected to be more of a downfield threat than Lair. Note: Middle Tennessee State's top three returning secondary members are 5-10, 6-0 and 6-1. End zone jump balls anyone? Settle in quickly pleez, Tiree.

Overall Grade - Ack. How about a.........C-? I would give this position group an A on potential if Hageman were staying on offense. However, there is a huge hole at this position coming in 2012 with no TEs in the freshman or sophomore classes on the roster. This is a significant issue for a Wisconsin-style power offense (given that Horton and Davis are both from Wisconsin, that's what I'm calling it). Brewster went for and struck out on a few high-end TE recruits in the weak 2010 cycle (Alex Smith stayed at home to play at Cincinnati, Jerome Lewis went to Virginia Tech, and Sean Fitzpatrick signed for North Carolina), and seeing this roster imbalance makes the Hageman decision courageous yet curious. Getting a TE that can redshirt in 2011 and take the field as a RS freshman in 2012 is essential (Brewster has a 2011 offer out to Brookfield (WI) TE Sam Rohr - bad clothes, nice shades).

Looking instead at 2010, the depth chart shows an unproven potential starter, two guys who haven't played a down on offense since 2008, and a JUCO transfer, which provides equal parts excitement (Simmons and Lawrence) and trepidation (Pittman and Carpenter thus far). The ceiling for the tight ends in 2010 is, again, largely dependent on others. If the offensive line can pass protect, Lair and Eure will be free to run passing routes and provide another option for Weber in the passing game. If the guards can't stop the pass rush, the tight ends will not be as greatly utilized in space in 2010. It's obvious from 2009 that the position is a key cog of a Fisch-turned-Horton/Davis offense. The hope here is that the line permits Lair, Eure and the others to fulfill that promise.

My post last Fall that used recruiting ratings for current rosters to predict Big Ten team strength was one of my more popular articles for the year.  Building off of that article, let's take a look at how predictions for the 2010 season might look now that signing day has passed.

The scores for each team are calculated using recruiting ratings of the players that are on the roster.  Ratings are pro-rated so that the impact of seniors and juniors versus freshmen is taken into account.  Rivals.com ratings are used for the calculations.

For reference, let's look at the 2009 predictions:

And for the upcoming 2010 season:

For 2010, Ohio State and Michigan still have the definitive advantage in talent.  Michigan fans have previously given feedback that many of Michigan's talented players left the program.  In fact, Michigan has lost quite a few more of their recruits than other programs.  Therefore, their predicted strength is probably overstated. 

Minnesota fans can look forward to a squad that should finally have a similar talent level to border rivals Wisconsin and Iowa.  Let's take a closer look at how improved recruiting classes should finally begin to pay off for the Gophers:

Now, it is important to remember that these ratings are estimates and do not account for attrition.  For example, the 2007 Minnesota rating does not account for the loss of Alex Daniels, Dominic Jones, and several others.  2008 was the first middle-upper tier recruiting class for the Gophers, and in 2010 that class should be expected to start making a strong impact as juniors.

These predictions are based on recruiting ratings, and recruiting ratings only.  Coaching, strength of schedule, player attrition, and other intangibles indefinitely contribute to the strength of a team.  Regardless, Minnesota fans can reasonably expect a more talented squad in 2010 than they have seen in several years.

Previously: Quarterbacks, Fullbacks.

Holy cow, the Gophers' rushing attack was just deplorable in 2009. A starter returning from an ACL tear, an ineffective offensive line, and frankly ridiculous play-calling by Jedd Fisch (and yes, I'm blaming him at every opportunity I get because it's well-deserved) led to another 11th-ranked rushing offense in the Big Ten for the Gophers. 68 rushing first downs, 97.6 ypg, 13 TDs, and the longest run of the year was.........TWENTY-NINE YARDS (points for you if you know who it was and when it happened, leave it in the comments). It can't help but get better, uh, right?

The Starters - Duane Bennett (RS Junior) and DeLeon Eskridge (Junior) - I'm listing these guys as the returning starters because one of them will be the starter for 2010, at least at the beginning of the year, but it's 50/50 as to who it will be.

Bennett, obviously, was returning from the torn ACL last year and his play reflected that. He played in all games but only gained 395 yards and tallied 6 TDs. He's been here forever, and will be here in 2011 as well. I would expect Bennett to show full recovery from his injury and be a signficantly improved runner.

As for Eskridge, he got slightly under 6 attempts per game in 2009, gaining 259 yards and 3 TDs. No reports on whether HE tore his ACL in 2008 and was slow in recovering like Bennett.

The Others - R.J. Buckner (Senior), Shady Salamon (Junior) - All you need to know: these guys' collective 2009 stats: the null set. Rumblings are that Salamon might move to the defensive backfield for 2010. I wouldn't expect much contribution from either of these guys outside of special teams.

The "Non-Running Back" Running Back - MarQueis Gray - Gray had 44 rushes for 243 yards last year, not counting the postseason where his rushing was hit and miss (I'd prefer not to discuss it). I would expect his influence to increase in 2010, as well as his touches. To reiterate from the Quarterbacks analysis (link above), he is the most dangerous player on the team, and needs to touch the ball, on plays called for him, at least 15-20 times a game in 2010.

The New Guys - Lamonte Edwards, Donnell Kirkwood, and Devon Wright - As you can see above, Minnesota has just about zero depth at the RB spot, so I would expect at least two of these guys to get their redshirts burnt during or before the South Dakota game. Edwards, a Woodbury, MN product, is a tall, strong runner, who I heard Justin Conzemius declare as an Adrian Peterson clone on KFAN this past Friday (uh, that's flattering to Edwards, but patently ridiculous). My thoughts, however, instantly turned to just-graduated Michigan RB Brandon Minor, who had the exact same measurables as Edwards, and unfortunately was injured for about 97% of his college career. Why? Upright runner, decided to run through instead of around runners. I've read similar scouting reports about Edwards. I hope he doesn't end up having a similar career to Minor.

As for Kirkwood and Wright, both are from Florida and both are speedsters. Kirkwood, who has a close friend who you might remember Facebook flirted with the Gophers before signing for Ohio State last week, is also notable for another reason in Minnesota's 2010 class: he's the only commit under six foot tall (5'9").

The jury is out on all three of these guys, of course, until fall camp starts. However, one or two of them has to play this year with the losses of Jay Thomas (albeit, special teams), as well as Kevin Whaley (stupidity).

Overall Grade - C-. Of course, a running back's grade will always be somewhat determined by things beyond his control: the offensive line's blocking, the quarterback's ability to stretch the field to move linebackers and safeties off the line, and his offensive coordinator's ability to not call plays like he is playing Super Tecmo Bowl at 3am after drinking a case of Tahitian Treat and a six pack of Texas Donuts.

The returning players are experienced but are not spectacular. On the other hand, the youngsters have the potential to be spectacular, but have zero experience. Further, a couple of the freshmen will have to play this year, and might get exposed if the offensive line doesn't take quantum steps of improvement. All in all, there is the chance the rushing attack could significantly improve, but an increase from worst in the conference to about 120-130 yards per game (and how about one or two rushes over 50 yards? Kthx) is a reasonable expectation for 2010.

Previously: Quarterbacks


Again, we're reviewing the Gopher depth charts in anticipation of Spring Practice, and we're also adding in the new commits. First off, thanks for the civility in your comments in the quarterbacks thread. Near the end of the 2009 season I think everyone was exasperated with the performances of Fisch, Weber, and the lack of time given to Gray. There are functional arguments for all options for 2010, and they are well-represented in your comments. Let's give them a chance to succeed in 2010 with new coaching.

Now, onto the fullbacks:

The Starter - Jon Hoese (Junior Senior) - he had a solid season, with 29 carries for 103 yards and 1 touchdown. It has to be mentioned that he was operating at a disadvantage due to the horrid offensive line play, which often left him blocking D-linemen instead of linebackers. At six foot two, two hundred and thirty-three pounds, he might be a teeny bit small for a FB, but his effectiveness should increase in 2010.

The Others - Nick Rengel, Willie Schneider, Ed Cotton. All freshmen, and I presume, all redshirted because I don't recall them seeing the field.

The Wildcard - Ra'Shede Hageman? This is a shot in the dark, but Hageman has gained 20 pounds from last fall and is now near 290 pounds. Although he is slated for the defensive line, he could be a fine option in goalline and short yardage situations and has obvious experience blocking on offense.

The New Guy(s)? The only incoming RB that could really grow into a FB role is Lamonte Edwards, and I don't think that's why they recruited him. With 3 FBs in the 2009 class, I don't see one incoming outside of walk-ons (which, honestly, is a preferable way to stock the FB position).

Overall grade - B-. The options are not overpowering, and Hoese's ineffectiveness last year was largely due to D-linemen being in his face. Such is the life of a FB. If Hoese and others are able to get free blocking on the second level, Minnesota will be able to break many more 20+ yard rushes in 2010, and sustain more drives.

Two last bits about Seantrel: (1) it would be very interesting to quantify how much it cost Minnesota to unsuccessfully recruit him (perhaps we include the tuition and fees Tim Davis paid Cretin-Derham Hall so that he could enroll his son there and have unlimited access to Seantrel), and (2) maybe Brewster deserves a mulligan on the rest of the 2010 class, because had he understood he was fighting a losing battle versus Doggy Fizzle Televissle, he's have saved the hundreds of hours wasted on Sean Henderson's recruitment and would have been able to secure other highly ranked recruits (Earnest Thomas? Corey Nelson? Securing Josh Huff's hand in commitment - this proved elusive).

Well, enough about Sean Henderson. Let's talk about players who not only have spent or plan to spend a lot of time eating pizzas, playing video games, going to basketball games at the Barn, and taking stuff out of the U's budget, but also plan to actually play for the team we support and put something back into TCF Bank Stadium.

This piece begins TDG's attempt to formulate 2010 depth charts at each position, taking into consideration the returning starters and the incoming recruits. This is done in the hopes of understanding what Spring Ball will uncover, and what we have to look forward to, or from, this fall.

First up, the quarterbacks.

The Starter - Adam Weber (RS Senior) - Yes, he's the starter, and he better darn well be this fall. He didn't have a good year in 2009 at all, but we should understand the reasons why: (1) Fisch screwed up his throwing motion; (2) Fisch introduced a Byzantine hieroglyphic scheme which required Weber to take more time in the huddle to decipher and explain, thereby causing confusion in the pre-snap progressions; (3) the offensive line was deplorable, to be kind, and forced Fisch to take receivers out of route running to protect Weber from linebacker induced death; (4) no Decker? big problem; (5) young wideouts who needed to gel with their QB; (6) oh yeah, back to Fisch - terrible playcalling and a complete lack of understanding on how to rotate Gray and Weber to maximize their talent and keep momentum in the offense; and (7) back to those linemen, the rushing game was non-existent.

So, I expect Weber to improve this year under the new OC, Jeff Horton, who has quite a track record developing quarterbacks. If Weber were to revert to his form of sophomore year, that'd be good enough for me, and it's make me chuckle that we let Fisch go to work for that former Trojans coach. Watch Hasselbeck turn into 2009 Adam Weber!

The Backup - Moses Alipate (RS Freshman) - Hear me out. Alipate is a traditional drop-back passer, with a rocket arm, and is guru-approved. I expect him to be at a point where he could contribute this year. If he is, well, we should hope he's the number 2 and can get some time (perhaps in the blowout loss to USC or blowout win over South Dakota) in anticipation of 2011.

Wait, you're asking, where is:

The WildCard - MarQueis Gray (Sophomore) - I know. I have heard Brewster's bluster about a full-on QB competition in spring camp. I've also heard Brewster talk about an unchanged staff in 2010, that Roof was going nowhere after 2008, and that Minnesota would stay a spread offense after Tim Davis was hired. Here's what I expect: Weber and Alipate, with proper QB tutelage this spring, will solidify themselves as numbers 1 and 2 at QB.

Ever heard of Marvin McNutt? Yep, he was a QB in high school and when he signed for Iowa. Well, he's the same height as Gray, and you saw Gray catch that beautiful over the head pass in the Insight Bowl. Also, don't we need a slashing threat with Whaley off the team? Gray is a taller, slightly slower Denard Robinson (that freshman QB who wasn't Tate Forcier last year at Michigan) - a guy you need on the field more than 5 mixup QB options per game. Brewster and Horton should use Gray in multiple sets, with multiple looks, at WR, at H-back (remember that sneak against Cal?), at RB, as the WildRodent. Gray should only be used as the drop-back QB as a last resort or if Alipate can't handle it. Gray is the offense's biggest weapon and needs to get the touches this year. Brewster keeps him under wraps this year to the potential peril of his continued employment in Dinkytown.

This would also solve the "uh, will Alipate really be the starter for only one year at QB?" issue. Of course, this could all blow up and Gray could transfer after losing the QB battle in the spring. However, I'm trying to find a solution for this QB logjam.

The Signal Caller on the Sideline - Adam Lueck (RS Sophomore) - bless you Adam, but if you're ever in a game within 3 scores I will spin my own head Goldy-style.

The New Guy Here This Summer - Tom Parish (incoming frosh) - Six foot three, two hundred pounds, went to Hartland Arrowhead in Wisconsin (which means to me he's a preppy kid - for Hartland, think Eastview). I expect him to be in the incubator this year safe in a crimson shirt.

Pre-Spring Ball Grade: A. This is easily the most talented, exciting, stocked, and developed part of the team. There is a jam of talent between Alipate and Gray that needs to be solved, because: Weber for 2010, Gray for 2011 and 2012, Alipate for 2013, Parish for 2014 and 2015 seems to be one too many QBs. Solving this issue, however, is a problem worth having.

From a practical standpoint, you can't blame Seantrel Henderson for choosing to attend USC.  He will have access to a great strength and conditioning program, he will be amongst other elite athletes, and he will play a schedule with strong opponents.  USC will provide him with the best possible tools to make a smooth transition to the NFL.  For those who think Henderson chose USC for reasons other than practicality, keep reading.

Matt Barkley will be the face of USC for most, if not all, of Henderson's tenure as a Trojan.  Henderson's picture will be shown on national television on a near-weekly basis...under or surrounding that of Matt Barkley.  Henderson couldn't have chosen USC for the fame and the glory, for those praises will inevitably be reserved for Barkley and whoever becomes the next star running back or wide receiver.  Announcers might occasionally throw a bone to the offensive linemen who make Barkley's greatness a possibility.

It would be surprising if Henderson chose USC for the television exposure.  If he was seeking tube time, he would have been better off at Notre Dame.  Notre Dame is on national television every week, and USC isn't.  In fact, if the Joe McKnight and Reggie Bush allegations ever materialize into sanctions Henderson may never play on television at all during his college career.  Unlikely, but a distinct possibility.

Coaching excellence is no advantage for USC, either.  Pete Carroll left for a reason.  Something isn't right in Trojan-Town.  Lane Kiffin, while he has assembled a great staff, has been highly unstable in his career decisions and has often exhibited erratic behavior.

If Seantrel Henderson were seeking fame and glory, he would have stayed in Minnesota to become the Joe Mauer of college football in his home state.  He could have been a local legend.  If he were seeking television time, he would have selected Notre Dame.  For coaching excellence and stability, Florida or Ohio State would have been likely choices.  No, Seantrel Henderson made a practical choice to spend a few years playing in warm weather while having access to premium NFL preparatory tools and facilities.

Ultimately, no one will benefit more from Henderson's choice than Matt Barkley.  His great big new sidekick will probably ensure his status as the next great gunslinger of college football. 

And in defense of Seantrel Henderson's choice, he will have as good of a chance to make it to the NFL from USC as he would from anywhere else.