With essentially two weeks to put together a recruiting class, Brewster turned on his considerable charm and lured five players in the 22-man group made public at February's signing day.

While most of the recruits (including five junior-college transfers already on campus) committed to Mason before his firing, the fistful that Brewster brought in showed he plans to take a back seat to no one in years to come.

For starters, Brewster stole a four-star quarterback from Illinois less than 72 hours before signing day. Yes, the quarterback happens to be his son, Clint, but the youngster said even after his father's hiring that he was 100 percent solid with Illinois.

Brewster also gave the Gophers' athleticism an upgrade when he brought in 5-foot-8 Harold Howell from Jacksonville, Fla. Howell can be a cornerback, slot receiver, kick receiver -- or a combination of all three.

The spring focus is to generate a sense of continuity. Brewster's background should make the noted Gophers' running game a cinch to be a strong point. The defense, though, is another story.

Nine defensive starters are back, but the unit was mediocre. It's one of the places where the Gophers suffered all of last year -- never more so than during Texas Tech's 31-point comeback in the Insight Bowl.

That's good news, you'd think, for Amir Pinnix, who inherited the starting job last season and returns knowing the ball will be in his hands a lot.

Pinnix has a one-cut running style that should fit Brewster's preferred zone-blocking running scheme. It isn't a revolutionary approach -- Wisconsin long has used a similar blocking scheme -- but the results are almost universally lauded.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "If he's good enough to play, he's going to play. If he's not good enough, it will be very obvious to everybody and he won't play. He will earn his ability to get on the field just like everyone in this program." -- Coach Tim Brewster on his son, Clint, an incoming freshman who'll be one of four quarterbacks vying to replace Bryan Cupito.

WR Ernie Wheelwright -- Another senior class weapon, Wheelwright has 17 career TDs and needs just one more touchdown to move to No. 2 in receiving touchdowns in Minnesota history.

TE Jack Simmons -- Tim Brewster can count on the proud TE tradition at Minnesota continuing. Simmons caught seven passes for 134 yards and one TD in the Insight Bowl after spending much of the year stuck behind Matt Spaeth.

DE Willie VandeSteeg -- As the defense tries to build an identity, VandeSteeg (10 sacks) figures to be a pillar. MLB Mike Sherels and DB Dominic Jones should lead their respective units.

TOP NEWCOMERS: QB Clint Brewster -- We're not saying Brewster was the greatest prep quarterback in the country. But when the four-star recruit switched from Illinois to Minnesota in the days leading up to national letter of intent day, the Gophers' pair of quarterback recruits quickly uncommitted. In his senior year, the new coach's middle son completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,257 yards and 27 touchdowns. While it's not likely he'll overcome redshirt freshman Adam Weber for the quarterback job, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

RB Andre Tate -- Minnesota might be switching to a spread offense, but there will still be plenty of opportunities to run the ball. This Minnesota product has the size (6-2, 215) to be a workhorse and he piled up 2,800 rushing yards in his final two prep seasons.

ATH Harold Howell -- Though just 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds, Howell sounds like a kid with an unbelievable nose for the end zone. In his senior year, Howell scored 7 touchdowns on offense while returning four punts, three kicks and two fumbles for scores. Look for him to contribute immediately.

ROSTER REPORT: LB Logan Uu was part of the 22-man recruiting class that signed with Minnesota, but he's going to be behind his classmates. After undergoing knee surgery, Uu will miss spring practice.