Brewster's Recruiting Class Looking Up

College recruiting guru Jim Stefani ranks Tim Brewster's 2008 recruiting class #20 in the nation, next to college football heavyweights such as Virginia Tech, Miami and Texas.

The class, which isn't finished, has gone a long way to demonstrate that Brewster in fact can recruit. The list of recruits includes some well-recruited in-state talent. Brewster has promised to keep the local kids home, and so far, he's doing that. Here's what Stefani wrote about Brewster's first recruiting class.

New head coach Tim Brewster is making an early statement by trying to lock up the in-state talent in an up year for talent in Minnesota. Maresh is the best of the bunch and among the top prospects in the midwest. Kelly has a great frame and runs well. Once he fills out he could be special. Grant is the gandson of former Viking head man Bud Grant.

Landing Maresh was huge, but there are a couple of other huge in-state targets out there in Michael Floyd and Willie Mobley.

1 Sam Maresh LB/DL/TE 6'3 257 4.70 Champlin Park Minnesota

2 Brendan Kelly DL 6'6 222 Richfield Academy of Holy Angels Minnesota

3 John Nance QB/WR/ATH 6'3 165 St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Minnesota

4 Shady Salamon RB/DB 5'10 180 St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Minnesota

5 Kevan Walker WR/DB/RB 6'1 189 4.50 Arcadia California

6 Ryan Grant QB/DB/LB 6'2 215 Eden Prairie Minnesota

7 Roszell Gayden DL/OL 6'7 240 Cooper Minnesota

Maresh picked Brewster and the Gophers over the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan and Wisconsin. Brewster will have to convince Michael Floyd and Willie Mobley to do the same. Floyd could prove to be the most pivotal challenge for Brewster in his first class of recruits. The local standout wide receiver could go a long way to making the spread offense successful in Minnesota. Floyd, at 6-3, 200, is being recruited by USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and others. Keeping him home would go a long way to turning around the Gophers football progam.

And Willie Mobley, a 6-3, 265 pound defensive end from Eden Prairie, will be another challenge for Brewster. While he's less hyped locally, Mobley is being pursued by Oklahoma, UCLA and Ohio State, among others. If Brewster can keep both local athletes home, the Gophers will climb up the the 2008 recruiting charts.

There was some worrisome news reported in Sid Hartman's column today. It noted that recruit Kevan Walker from California is considering backing out of his committment to the U.

Kevin Walker, the son of former Gophers defensive back DeWayne Walker, the defensive coordinator at UCLA, apparently still is sticking to his Minnesota commitment, although he told Gopher Illustrated.com that he had received an offer from UCLA and that he could be interested if San Diego State offered him a scholarship because if would give him a chance to play close to home.

Rivals.com, however, which requires a subscription, suggests Walker is comfortable with his choice to follow in his father's footsteps and play at the U. Walker, another star wide receiver, would look nice along side Floyd in 2009, with Clint Brewster tossing them the ball, don't you think?