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They've yet to prove they'll be any better, but they should be faster and they will be younger. On the two-deep lineup unveiled Monday, the first day of fall practice, nine out of 18 players are new to the program.
Seven players who were starters at least part of the time last season are back, but defensive end Willie VanDeSteeg and linebacker Steve Davis — two of the team's four captains — are probably the only players assured of keeping their spots.
Two of the four junior-college transfers, free safety Tramaine Brock and cornerback Traye Simmons, will be asked to lead an overhauled secondary. Two others, defensive end Cedric McKinley and linebacker Rex Sharpe, will also play important roles and could wind up in the starting lineup for the first game against Northern Illinois on Aug. 30.
Five freshmen from coach Tim Brewster's acclaimed 2008 class — ranked between 17th and 28th in the nation by three prominent recruiting services — will be in the mix, too. Cornerback Troy Stoudemire, safeties Keanon Cooper and Tim Dandridge, safety/linebacker Simoni Lawrence and defensive tackle Jewhan Edwards are competing for spots.
``They're not going to take a backseat to upperclassmen, and I told them not to,'' Brewster said. ``We're not worried about hurting guys' feelings around here. We're trying to win football games. I think it's really exciting, these young kids coming in here. They've got a little arrogance to 'em. They've got a little cockiness to 'em. And I think that's a good thing. I like it. I really do. I don't think it's in a bothersome way at all. They just feel pretty good about their abilities, and they certainly should.''
Last year's lineup was largely filled by two types of players: overachieving seniors left from Glen Mason's teams who fought through injuries and the most frustrating season of their careers, and in-over-their-heads freshmen.
As a result, the Gophers gave up more yards (6,224 in 12 games) than any of the 119 teams in the NCAA's first tier. They were also near the bottom in points allowed, with an average of nearly 37 per game while winning only once.
So it was no surprise that 20 of the 31 players signed to scholarship tenders last winter were brought in on the defensive side.
``The more competition we bring in here, the more we have to fight for our spots,'' said senior defensive tackle Eric Small, who will be pushed by Edwards. ``The more competition, the harder we're going to push each other during practice and the better we're all going to get. Everyone on this team, we need a swagger. We can't walk in here feeling sorry for ourselves because we were 1-11 last year. We're a brand-new team. We need swagger. We need to walk into that stadium knowing we're going to win, knowing we're going to be a tough team.''
Linebacker Deon Hightower, who is recovered from a shoulder injury, will have to hold off Sharpe.
``I definitely think it's a different energy, because we're all disappointed with the season last year,'' Hightower said. ``All the guys are coming in looking to contribute right away. So it's a great feeling to have.''
The Gophers have yet another defensive coordinator in charge, too. Ted Roof, who was fired after 4½ seasons as the head coach at Duke, has taken over and simplified some of the terminology that was apparently too complex under Everett Withers — a former NFL assistant who made a lateral move to North Carolina.
``Sometimes last year you wonder if those young guys knew what they were doing in the back end,'' VanDeSteeg said. ``So I think he made it a little bit easier and made 'em understand.''
Brewster was so desperate to beef up the depth in the secondary that he moved wide receiver Marcus Sherels to cornerback. Sherels had an excellent spring game and is listed on the first team for now.
The Rochester native is, of course, the younger brother of Mike Sherels, a three-year starter at linebacker who recently graduated.
``There's a tremendous sense of trust in the Sherels. If he's anything like Mike, we'll take two more of 'em, too,'' Brewster said.
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