Your New Gophers: Brandon Green

PJS Note: In an effort to prepare you for the myriad new faces on Tim Brewster's 2008 Golden Gophers, we're going to methodically brief you on each newcomer. To Brewster's credit the Gophers compiled their best recruiting class in recent memory (17th best in the country by Rivals' rankings).

Your New Gophers: Brandon Green

Probably the most hyped wide receiver in Tim Brewster's Class of 2008, Brandon Green picked Minnesota over his home-state school Illinois, as well as Wisconsin, West Virginia and most every other Big Ten school, except the one he really wanted to attend.

Growing up, Green reportedly rooted for the Ohio State Buckeyes. And in this Rivals interview, Green openly admitted he wanted an offer from the Buckeyes. It never came, and the Chicago Robeson, 4-star wideout will now have a chance to compete against his boyhood team when he suits up for Tim Brewster and the Golden Gophers this fall.

Green's decision to come to Minnesota seemed to be swayed by two things. First was playing time. He told the Chicago Tribune that had he attended Illinois he likely would have been redshirted and would have had to battle other wide receivers for playing time. At Minnesota? Green said, "Tim Brewster said I would have a chance to start right away. That had a big impact because I didn’t want to red-shirt my freshman year. It looks like they could use a little help on offense."

Maybe most importantly, however, was Brewster's willingness (or perhaps desire) to recruit Green's teammate Johnny Johnson. The same Chicago Tribune report indicated that it wasn't a package deal, and even if Green had picked the Illini, for instance, the Gophers still wanted to sign Johnson, a two-star quarterback/defensive back. Johnson would play in the defensive backfield with the Gophers.

To be thorough, Green also indicated he liked the U's diverse campus and its computer graphics program. It is nice to see a heavily recruited college athlete consider academics.

Coming off a 1-11 season, Brewster's sales pitch was obviously important. While Green isn't considered the premiere talent that someone like Michael Floyd is, getting a relatively highly coveted wideout from your conference foes was somewhat of a coup for Brewster. He clearly sold Green on an ability to contribute now and playing time, something West Virginia, Illinois and others couldn't provide.

So, what are are Gophers fans going to see next year? Well, Green could well move into a starting role alongside senior Eric Decker and will almost assuredly battle fellow four-star wideout newcomer Vincent Hill for a chance to see vast minutes on the field. The Gophers were so thin at wideout last season that there is room for both athletes and others.

Green is described by ESPN Insider as "one of the better athletes in this class at wide receiver." He would seem to be the ideal wideout for the spread coast offense Brewster and Mike Dunbar want to install. He's described as a deep threat and an "explosive threat with the ball in his hands after the catch, which is why he is so dangerous on screens and underneath routes." Green is also described as a wideout with good leaping ability, solid hands and a toughness that doesn't preclude him from running routes over the middle.

That last trait, speculates ESPN Insider, might make Green a prototypical slot receiver. He also could see time at punt returner, given that Harold Howell has been recently dismissed from the Gophers.

Essentials: Height: 6'0

Weight: 160-185 pounds

Position: Wide Receiver

High School: Chicago Robeson

Eligibility: Freshman

Rivals Ratings: 4-stars, #6 rated player in Illinois, #39 wide receiver nationally

Your New Gophers: Vincent Hill

PJS Note: In an effort to prepare you for the myriad new faces on Tim Brewster's 2008 Golden Gophers, we're going to methodically brief you on each newcomer. To Brewster's credit the Gophers compiled their best recruiting class in recent memory (17th best in the country by Rivals' rankings).

Your New Gophers Wide Receiver: Vincent Hill

If Tim Brewster is going to be successful at Minnesota, and specifically with his desire to install a spread offense, he is going to need play makers at the wide receiver position. While losing Michael Floyd stings, Brewster landed his fair share of talent at the wide receiving position.

Brewster added two Rivals 4-star wide receivers, including Vincent Hill graduated high school in Fort Washington, Md, and subsequently attended Milford Academy Prep in New York. Hill's eligibility will be that of a true freshman, and could be red shirted, but with the dearth of talent at the wide receiver position that is unlikely.

The 5'11", 185 pound wide out was pursued by Syracuse, Temple, Utah, Virginia and Illinois, though it appeared that his two top choices were the Gophers and Illini, both of which offered scholarships. For the Gophers to win a battle with the suddenly tough Illini is a good sign.

In this Rivals article, Hill calls himself a speed guy, stating that before he had knee surgery he ran a 4.35 40. Now he says he's in the low 4.4s. In that same article, Hill indicates the Illini were his favorites at that time. Brewster and wide receiver coach George McDonald began recruiting Hill relatively late in the game but were able to secure a commitment without Hill ever visiting the Minneapolis campus.

While Hill was recruited as a wide receiver, Rivals speculates here that Hill could potentially be used in the defensive backfield, an area where we all know the Gophers desperately need help. We'll know more about this once camp battles begin, but Hill seems to like the idea according to this article.

"One of the things I really liked about Minnesota is that they are going to give me a chance to play both ways. Defense is where I have always played and it is really where my heart is. I pretty much played quarterback on offense up until my sophomore year, but he already had a good quarterback and my coach asked me to be a weapon at receiver. So I have not really been playing receiver for very long. I am really excited that they want to give me a shot to play on both sides of the ball. They have some young guys at corner back who look good, but they still need some help back there and I know that I can do that."

Talent is talent, and if Hill can contribute in the defensive backfield, and he excels there, then maybe he can be a two-way player.

The criticisms of Hill mostly center around his diminutive size. ESPN Insider's take suggests he will need to add bulk, but they suggest "Hill is going to be a serious threat in the vertical passing game and his route-running skills make him very productive all over the field."

With the graduation of the enigmatic Ernie Wheelright and the departure of Tray Herndon, Minnesota's already thin receiving corps needs an infusion of talent. Hill, who is probably still learning the position, is one candidate to give the Gophers increased production in the spread offense.

One Less Wide Receiver/Cornerback/Receiver On Roster

News broke late last night that redhsirt sophomore wide receiver Mike Chambers is leaving the team because he wasn't happy with playing time.

This is the same Mike Chambers who began camp this summer as a wide receiver before the coaching staff moved him to cornerback. Chambers, if memory serves, played in the first game of the year against Bowling Green at corner. The coaching staff then moved Chambers back to wideout for the Miami (Ohio) game. He looked impressive in that game, running an end-around for 30+ yards and catching three other balls. But Chip Scoggins reports that Chambers was moved to the third team after that game. That move seems strange to me.

With the Gophers' young and shallow wide receiving corps, Chambers seemed to be an acceptable option to for an offense struggling to find enough receivers to run the spread.

Here's what Chambers told Scoggins: "I felt like I was going nowhere," he said. "It just seemed like a lot of politics."

Ouch. One thought here re: politics. I would imagine Chambers felt slighted when he was moved to the third team, behind true freshman and new Brewster recruits. I'm guessing Chambers wasn't feeling the love and felt slighted when Brewster's personal recruits were moved up the depth chart.

It's hard to tell in these situations exactly what has transpired. But it would seem that jerking around Chambers from wideout to corner and then back to wideout didn't help matters. It's troubling that Chambers cited "politics" as a reason to leave.

The biggest concern here isn't why Chambers left but is how it appears to the general public and future recruits. And players leaving midseason can never be spun as a positive development. No matter the real reasons, the Gophers now have one less receiver, even if it is a receiver the coaching staff for one reason or another decided was third-team material.

It's Weber's Team

Tim Brewster named redshirt freshman Adam Weber his starting quarterback today, which isn't a surprise if you've been following camp. But Weber came into camp as the #2 behind junior Tony Mortensen.

Weber gives the Gophers an added dimension with the athleticism to run the option. The Pioneer Press has a story up here. An AP version is here, and in that report Brewster says he won't have a "quick hook" on Weber. To me that means Weber is the guy until he proves incapable of running the team.

The Star Tribune's Chip Scoggins, on his blog, reports a few other camp battle results. Freshmen wideout Tray Herndon will start as the slot receiver alongside Ernie Wheelright and Eric Decker. Decker will join freshmen Harold Howell on punt returns. And Scoggins reports the second-team secondary looks a little weak. That group includes wideout-turned-corner Mike Chambers and three true freshman.

Camp Battles: Wide Receiver

Calling the competition for time at wide receiver a battle would presume there is enough depth on the Gophers football roster to pick and choose. The ugly fact is the Gophers are woefully thin at the position.

For a Glen Mason team, this likely would have been no big deal, as the run-first, second and third offense would have survived. But with Mike Dunbar's spread offense taking over, the lack of talent at the wide receiver position poses a significant problem. There seem to be two sure things for the Gophers, though even that's a generous statement.

Senior wide receiver Ernie Wheelright would be one of those 'sure things.' But he has been different things at different times. He's flashed talent. He's looked lost. He's dropped passes. And he's your 2007 go-to receiver in the new spread offense. Here's what STrib beat writer Chip Scoggins wrote about Wheelright:

A starter since his freshman season in 2004, Wheelwright has spanned the spectrum. He's been good, bad and indifferent. He's been a star, a mystery and a tease. His first three career receptions went for touchdowns, and he's dropped more balls than anybody this side of Troy Williamson.

Well written and completely true. In his junior season, Wheelright was relatively ignored in Mason's offense. He grabbed 26 passes for 437 yards, a modest total for a receiver who at times shows tremendous talent and stands at 6'5. For the Gophers to be able to withstand the lack of depth behind Wheelright, he'll need to drop fewer passes and be a leader amongst a host of youngsters. There is no reason Wheelright can't be one of the best wide receivers in the conference.

The number two wideout slot also seems to be set with sophomore Eric Decker. Decker redshirted in 2005 and played as well as Wheelright did last year. He grabbed the same amount of passes--26 for 378--while starting just three games. Decker looked good when he had the opportunity last year, and reports out of camp have him locked into a starting spot.

Decker's career started off on what was surely an unforgettable note for the wideout. He grabbed a 39-yard touchdown pass during the season opener against Kent State--his first college touchdown and reception. Decker has the athleticism to be a decent receiver in the Big 10. A Wheelright-Decker combination could be much worse. But the questions start with what comes after the big two.

Scoggins reported on his blog that the presumed number three wide receiver, sophomore Mike Chambers, has been moved to cornerback--another problem area for the 2007 Gophers. After Wheelright and Decker, Chambers was the only wide receiver on the roster to have caught a pass--19 to be exact--in 2006. Assuming Chambers stays in the secondary, that will leave a host of unprovens to battle for multiple spots in Dunbar's spread.

Marc Cheatham, a JUCO transfer from Oakland's Laney College, should have every chance to nail down one of those spots. Brewster has said publicly that he won't sign JUCO kids unless they fill a specific need. Cheatham would seem to be in that category. He stood out in Oakland, averaging more than 18 yards per catch. This FOX Sports Gophers preview suggests Cheatham could be a big-time playmaker and could emerge as the Gophers' number two option.

After Cheatham it's anybody's guess. Scoggins makes that point clear in another article.

Don't be surprised if four or more true freshmen receivers see action right away. That group includes Tray Herndon, Harold Howell, Ralph Spry and Damien White. It's certainly not an ideal situation, but the Gophers have little choice at this point.

Best case scenario for the maroon and gold would have Wheelright be a go-to guy all season, Decker emerge as a consistent possession receiver, Cheatham be a competent third option and have one or two of the freshman step up and prove they can compete at the Big 10 level. Anything less than that and the Gophers' first season in the spread might be difficult to watch.