The Golden Gophers are in desperate need of help in the defensive secondary and they have been hitting the JUCO circuit pretty hard to bring in some more mature help for the 2012 season. On the weekend of the Wisconsin game, Minnesota hosted official visits from three JUCO defensive backs. All three reportedly had great visits but the following week saw some bad luck for the Gophers.
- Jeremy Baltazar - played last season for Blinn C.C. and has committed to the Gophers
- Clifford Stokes - played for Trinity C.C. and took a visit the following week to Iowa State. His visit was the Cyclones win over then undefeated Oklahoma State. He committed to ISU that weekend.
- Martez Shabazz - also played for Trinity C.C. and also took another visit the following weekend. Shabazz went to Baylor witness the Bears win over Oklahoma. He committed to Baylor that weekend.
But things have changed for Mr. Shabazz. Due to some admission issues with Baylor, he has decided to take his talents to Minnesota. Shabazz is 5-11 and reportedly has very good speed and the staff is ready for him to make an immediate impact. The Gopher secondary is thin and needs some immediate bodies who will be able to cover Big Ten receivers.
"I called Coach Sawvel that night and when I told him he said, "What? You what?! You almost made me wreck my car Martez!" So I'd say they were pretty happy to have me. I've talked with Coach Kill almost every day since I committed as well. He keeps telling me that he's real excited for me and can't wait until I get up there. He also told me that I immediately make them better in the secondary. The coaches have been telling me that they want to use me like LSU uses Tyrann Mathieu type of player. A corner that would be on the inside receivers and can jam them at the line, but also can blitz and make plays."
This is a very nice recovery for the 2012 recruiting class. Secondary help, particularly JUCO help, is a must and we got one who should be able to contribute quickly.