Gophers put defense first

When Gophers football coach Tim Brewster sat down with his staff to formulate a strategy for the 2008 recruiting class, it was painfully obvious that finding defensive help had to be their No. 1 objective.

"A big priority," Brewster said.

The results reflect that. Brewster officially unveiled his class of 31 recruits Wednesday on national signing day, and the defensive players the Gophers attracted enabled them to finish with a top 20 class nationally.

Brewster's recruiting success brought national attention -- especially coming on the heels of a 1-11 season -- and solidified his reputation as one of the premier recruiters in college football.

And while a lot of attention was focused on four-star quarterback MarQueis Gray and a crop of talented wide receivers, Brewster and his staff did their best work in addressing the myriad needs on the other side of the ball.

As many as 20 members of the incoming class -- including all seven junior college transfers -- will play defense. The Gophers added help at all three levels, particularly in the secondary, which could feature four new starters.

"We had to get better across the board defensively," Brewster said. "I don't think there was any area on our defense where we didn't need to improve. When you finish 119 [nationally] in total defense, there is nowhere to go but up."

The Gophers finished last in NCAA Division I-A in total defense and ranked 103rd or worse in seven major defensive categories. They gave up a school-record 6,224 total yards, nearly 520 per game. Drastic steps were needed.

"The night before games I want to be able to sleep well knowing that I've got a good defensive football team," Brewster said. "That we're going to be able to stop people."

The secondary, which has long been a problem area, likely will see the most dramatic change. The Gophers are losing their best defensive player -- safety Dominique Barber -- and have no returning players in the secondary who are considered guaranteed starters.

Four-star junior college cornerback Traye Simmons is considered a lock to start if he gets admitted to school. Simmons had hoped to enroll this semester, but he did not meet entrance requirements and will try to enroll this spring after taking an online course.

Junior college transfer Simoni Lawrence figures to win one starting job at safety. Junior college transfer Tramaine Brock also will be in the mix, and Dallas four-star safety Keanon Cooper, who switched his commitment from Texas Tech at the 11th hour, will add even more competition.

The coaches also are high on cornerback Tim Dandridge of Detroit, and four-star wide receiver Vince Hill II has asked to play cornerback. Junior college transfer David Pittman, who plays several positions on offense, also will see time in the secondary.

Suddenly, a position that was a major deficiency has good depth and strong competition.

"The most important thing is they're talented players," Brewster said. "We're adding speed and athleticism and toughness."

Champlin Park's Sam Maresh likely will find immediate playing time -- if not a starting job -- at middle linebacker. Brewster became emotional when he talked about Maresh, calling him a "flag bearer for the University of Minnesota."

"Sam Maresh is the guy we identified as the No. 1 most important football player to this program in this recruiting class," Brewster said.

Two junior college transfers -- Tim McGee (6-4, 300 pounds) and Cedric McKinley (6-5, 250) -- and mammoth Philadelphia recruit Jewhan Edwards (6-2, 320) will provide some much-needed size along the line.

Asked if his defense could possibly see as many as eight new starters next season, Brewster agreed, adding "And need to."

"We really feel like we added a number of kids in this class that will help us be a better defense," he said.