Recruiting - Football
National Signing Day 2012 - The Future of Golden Gopher Football - OPEN THREAD
by GopherNation on Feb 1, 2012 1:42 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
Below you have the two posts (and the one from December) that has all 29 commitments.
- TDG - Midwest Recruits
- TDG - Non Midwest Recruits
- TDG - JUCO Recruits
- Gopher Sports official Signing Day Central Page
Lets use this one to combine all of the comments. Who do you guys like? Favorites? Sleepers? Future All-Big Ten performers?
33 commentsNational Signing Day, The 2012 Golden Gopher Recruiting Class - Outside the Midwest Recruits
by GopherNation on Feb 1, 2012 1:24 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
And now we move on to the non-midwest kids. These are supposed to be your skill position players from the football hotbeds of Florida and Texas. The game plan is always to keep the best Minnesota kids here and then you have to go out and get some good players elsewhere because there are not enough great players in Minnesota to sustain a winning program.
By state here are the commitments that we have (including the December JUCOs and the midwest kids).
Minnesota - 10
Florida - 5 3
Texas - 5
Wisconsin - 1
Alabama - 1
Delaware - 1
Illinois - 1
Kansas - 1
Missouri - 1
Mississippi - 1
North Carolina - 1
Ohio - 1
So do we have the foundation to build a great Gopher program? Time will tell and here are your non-midwest recruits in the class of 2012.
| Jamel Harbison |
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Position: WR Measurables: 6-0 /190 Rankings: Notes:Harbison is a tough and strong slot receiver out of North Carolina who chose the Gophers over offers from Wake, NC St, Vandy, Virginia and West Virginia. This may be one of the more impressive offer sheets of this class.
Harbison, in a GopherIllustrated article talks about how he likes to make big plays.
I am thrilled with the addition of Harbison. Be patient with this one and he'll become a Gopher fan favorite. |
| Roderick Williams Jr |
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Position: RB Measurables: 5-11 /220 Rankings: Notes: RW2 is more of a power back than a speed back who didn't appear to play on an outstanding Texas high school team. Williams is also a wrestler which ups my opinion of his toughness.
Not a ton of info or lengthy video of Williams. Sounds like a tough kid who will get yards but isn't going to break off anything game-breaking. I would imagine that he will be a redshirt candidate who can grow to become regular back in the rotation and possibly a bruising feature back. |
| Damarius Travis |
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Position: S Measurables: 6-1 /190 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes:2nd team Florida All-State (6A) selection. Travis will come to the Gophers as a safety who feels he has a chance to play immediately.
Travis is planning to be an engineering major and the U's program played a big part in his decision to attend Minnesota. I'm not convinced that he won't end up redshirting, but if he comes in ready to play right away then more power to him. |
| Jordan Hinojosa |
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Position: DT Measurables: 6-3 /265 Videos: [1 post game interview] Rankings: Notes: Huge position of need and Hinojosa is coming in ready to compete. The teammate of Nicholson had an impressive offer list that included Michigan State, West Virginia and Wake Forest.
We need help at this position but I still expect that Hinojosa will redshirt to add size, strength and perfect his craft. Hinojosa's interception in the state semi-finals was the clincher that propelled Central into the title game. |
| Scott Ekpe |
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Position: DT Measurables: 6-4 /250 Videos: Rankings: Notes:Ekpe is already enrolled and on campus, which is a great plus for high school kids who want to compete and play as true freshmen. He is a bit undersized to play DT in the Big Ten at 250ish, but he does have several months to add strength and he will have spring practice to learn the defense. Given he is only 250, I would assume he redshirts, but also given that he is on campus early and we need help there it is possible that he gets into the rotation this fall. |
| Lincoln Plsek |
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Position: DE Measurables: 6-4 /235 Videos: Rankings: Notes: Plsek played on both sides of the ball in high school but will likely come in with the intent to play DE.
Eared 1st team all-state out of Waco, Texas. Plsek is only 17 so redshirting is very likely so his body can mature while gets stronger. I think he projects to be a solid contributor down the road. |
| K.J. Maye |
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Position: ATH Measurables: 5-10 /195 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Alabama native and a late commitment to the Gophers. Maye played QB in high school where he threw for 1,400 yards and 14 TDs while rushing for nearly 1,200 yards and 10 scores as a JR. 1,100, 13, 1,000 and 8 as a SR.
Given our QB situation, I assume that Maye will in fact move to DB or WR. Unless he becomes too valuable as a return man or even on offense I suspect he will redshirt. His quickness and speed should be assets that he will use to be a playmaker for the Gophers. |
| Yoshoub Timms |
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Position: DT Measurables: 6-2 /265 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Timms is the last Gopher to verbally commit and he is another kid filling an area of need. Also a bit undersized, but what high school senior wouldn't be undersized for a Big Ten program. The weight room is where he'll need to live but he does seem to be a good inside prospect and lifting weights is not a foreign concept to him.
Timms played his high school ball in Florida but he is actually from Chicago so the winter didn't exactly scare him away. Syracuse was the only other BCS level offer for Timms. Likely a redshirt. |
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The highlights of the group for me are KJ Maye and Harbison. I think both of those guys will be playmakers on offense and on special teams.
National Signing Day, The 2012 Golden Gopher Recruiting Class - Midwest Recruits
by GopherNation on Feb 1, 2012 9:00 AM CST
in Recruiting - Football
Today is National Signing Day! It is like Christmas for college football coaches. Really it is probably more of a relief than anything else as they no longer have to recruit the following kids who have already verbally committed to the program. It is the final day of the 2012 recruiting cycle and day 1 of 2013. But for now let us take a look at your future Golden Gophers.
Below is part 1 of your 2012 Gopher recruiting class. I am listing all of the kids who have committed to the program, I am not waiting for each individual kid to sign their LOI.
JUCO early commits were covered last month.
This list is all of the midwest recruits who have signed (or plan to sign) a letter of intent to play for the Gophers. I have listed the Minnesota kids first, followed by the rest of the kids who have committed from the midwest.
| Andre McDonald |
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Position: WR Measurables: 6-3 /195 Rankings: Notes: The late addition to the 2012 recruiting class was one of the first and the last to commit. As most of you know McDonald committed to Coach Kill about a year ago. He then changed his mind and decided he'd play at Vandy. Then he changed his mind again and came back to MN. He led the state in receiving yards and touchdowns in both his JR and SR year. The kid has very good size, decent speed and good strength.
McDonald may not have an huge impact as a freshman but I do expect that he will play as a true freshman and grow to become one of the better receivers in the Big Ten. |
| Philip Nelson |
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Position: QB Measurables: 6-2 /215 Videos: [1 news clips] [2 rushing TD vs. Winona] Rankings: Notes: Nelson racked up some very impressive stats in his Mankato West career. But more impressive is that the Gophers landed a kid who's father played for the Badgers and who grew up in Madison going to Badger games. The kid is accurate, has good arm strength and has some athletic ability to get downfield with this legs.
He has been heralded as the perfect fit for Kill's offense, the same mold as a Chandler Harnish at NIU. He will surely redshirt a year and then compete with Shortell to start in 2013. I am looking forward to the Nelson era under center for the Gophers. |
| Isaac Hayes |
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Position: OG Measurables: 6-2 /270 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: ESPN loves Hayes and is the only recruiting service to give him four stars and ranking him the #6 offensive guard in the country. Hayes is an outstanding pass and run blocker; dominates at his present level with very good explosion along with a nasty finishing effort. Has the size and athleticism for the offensive guard position at the major level of competition. I assume he'll redshirt to develop the necessary strength, but maybe his mean streak and toughness get him the opportunity to push for that open RG starting spot. He is reportedly quick for his size and is used to pulling on a regular basis which should help him to assimilate into Kill's offensive system. His brother played at Stanford and Hayes eventually chose the Gophers over offers from Boise St, Virginia Tech and several non-BCS schools.
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| Jonah Pirsig |
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Position: OT Measurables: 6-9 / 300 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Pirsig's offer list may be the most impressive of any of the Gopher recruits. The Blue Earth native ultimately picked the Gophers over Iowa and Wisconsin but he reportedly had offers from Auburn, Ohio State, Michigan St, Michigan, Miami Illinois and others. Standing at 6-9, he obviously has a huge frame. I would be shocked if he doesn't redshirt this year to fill some of that frame out and hone some of the more technical skills required. But a redshirt year then a year on the bench and he may be the favorite to start at LT for three years. |
| Maxx Williams |
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Position: TE Measurables: 6-4 / 220 Videos: none found Rankings: Notes: Williams was a do-it-all player for Waconia. He was often seen at QB, he split out at WR, he lined up at TE and he played on the defensive side of the ball, usually as a LB. Oh, and he punts and kicks. With all of that position flexibility, most expect that Williams will end up playing TE in his college career. He has good size, good athletic ability and this is a position of need. With only John Rabe (SR) and Drew Goodger (SO) as scholarship TEs on the roster (and Alipate moving there as well), there is a chance that Williams could come in and play as a true freshman. Getting a year to add muscle and let his body mature would be best, but there a chance. His father was a former Gopher and went on to play for the NY Giants. |
| Nick Rallis |
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Position: S Measurables: 6-0 / 205 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Tough and physical run-supporting safety who I believe will be in the mold of Kyle Theret, though will come into the program larger than Theret as a senior. Giving a year or two, I wouldn't totally be surprised to see Rallis move to LB after he puts on a few pounds of muscle.
I don't see Rallis being a multi-year impact type player. But there is always room for fundamentally sound players who work hard and can do exactly what is asked of them. Solid contributor and solid depth guy who may be a starter near the end of his career. |
| Mitch Leidner |
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Position: QB Measurables: 6-4 / 220 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Good size and pretty good athleticism for a quarterback, but that may not be where Leidner ends up in his college career. Most people assume that with Shortell as a good young QB and Nelson getting a scholarship that Leidner will quickly move to TE once he arrives on campus.
6-4, 220 is basically the same size as Maxx Williams, who also played (mostly) QB in high school and will be making the switch. As a QB I don't see him seeing the field very often, but the kid may develop into a solid TE. Almost certainly will redshirt. |
| Duke Anyanwu |
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Position: ATH (H-Back, DE, OLB) Measurables: 6-4 / 220 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Duke received a late offer from the Gopher staff and he quickly accepted. There is a possibility that he will be a "grey shirt" candidate which means he will not actually enroll at the U until next January so the clock on his eligibility will be delayed a year (FBT talks Duke and greyshirting here). This may be the ideal scenario to allow Anyanwu an extra year to mature. The kid has very good size and athleticism. My best guess at which position he'll end up is either an H-back or DE. Offensively he has good size and frame to be a big TE who can move well. Or on the other side of the ball he could put on some bulk and be an athletic pass rusher. Those are just guesses though and he'll likely have 2 years to figure it out. Good kid with solid academics and plenty of flexibility for his future. I believe this will be one of those lightly recruited kids who becomes a reliable contributor during his Gopher career. |
| Ben Lauer |
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Position: OT Measurables: 6-4 / 225 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: Another late scholarship offer and a kid who may very well greyshirt. Lauer had offers from NDSU and UND, but once the Minnesota offer came he took it, even with potential greyshirt strings attached. Linemen are often hard to project but getting an extra year before enrolling might give Lauer an edge down the road with an opportunity to contribute. Lauer reportedly has a 3.75 GPA and a 30 on his ACT. In my opinion, if you room and you can land a local D1 prospect who brings with him that kind of an academic record you absolutely should do it. At the very least he will add solid depth to the line in years to come and he will strengthen your APR. He will need to add strength and size. |
| Antonio Johnson |
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Position: S Measurables: 5-11 /190 Videos: [1] check out the hit at 38 seconds Rankings: Notes: Formerly a Ball State commit who flipped to the Gophers. Johnson is a physical safety who also played running back in high school.
This class seems to be heavy on kids who are tough and competitive with a bit of a nasty streak in them. Johnson should end up being pretty good against the run. I fully expect that Johnson will redshirt unless he cracks the two-deep and is deemed valuable on special teams. Teammates with 2013 DT prospect, Donovan Munger. |
| Jack Lynn |
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 (#14, Jack Lynn applying the hit) |
Position: OLB Measurables: 6-2 /205 Rankings: Notes: Lynn was a very good player on a very good team in Illinois. He earned 1st team all-state in class 7A (out of 8 classes) to go along with winning the Lake Shore Defensive Player of the Year. That second link really gives you the sense that this is a good kid who works hard and will be a great teammate. That isn't supposed to be code for a nice kid who won't ever play, I fully expect that after a year or two he will be on the field for the Gophers. He is a smart kid who will need a redshirt year to add strength. But he will be a contributor for the Gopher defense over his career, I'm sure of that. His Lake Zurich teams reached the state semi finals as a sophomore, state title game as a junior and the semis again as a senior. |
| Eric Murray |
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Position: CB Measurables: 5-11 / 175 Videos: none found Rankings: Notes: According to Rivals Murray is the #4 player in the state of Wisconsin. Murray attended a summer camp in Minnesota last year as a receiver, the staff asked to try playing corner and they liked what they saw. The staff asked him back for another camp and after their second viewing of the young man they offered him a scholarship. Considering this is a brand new position for Murray I'm sure he will redshirt with an opportunity to contribute later. |
| Alex Keith |
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Position: DE Measurables: 6-4 / 230 Videos: [1-2010 Highlights] Rankings: Notes: Columbia, MO native who played his high school ball for the Hickman Kewpies (not a typo). Minnesota was his only BCS level offer. ESPN's recruiting eval had this to say about him. Keith recorded 20 sacks over his JR and SR seasons and had 22 TFLs as a SR while earning all-state both years. His high school coach was an assistant for coach Kill back at Pittsburg State.
That picture is actually 2 years old and as a sophomore he had pretty good definition and size. With some decent depth at DE I don't think there is any doubt that Keith will redshirt. |
| Roland Johnson |
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Position: DT Measurables: 6-2 / 285 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: A much needed DT commit from a more seasoned and mature recruit. The unfortunate part is that Johnson was not able to enroll for the spring semester and participate in spring practice. But the plan is for Johnson to be here this summer and he should have the opportunity to compete for playing time immediately. The JUCO lineman comes to us from Butler CC, who finished the season ranked as the #2 JUCO program in the country. And Johnson was 1st team all-conference. |
There you have your midwest recruits. I believe that the highlights of this group are several of the Minnesota kids. Hayes, Pirsig, McDonald and Nelson are all potential multi-year starters who could be very good Big Ten players. I like the upside of Lauer and Anyanwu as well. The story of this recruiting class is really Kill's ability to lock down most of the local kids. We landed seven of the top eight in the state who we offered (Nick Davidson isn't being counted due to his short time in the state).
Of the non-Minnesota kids I think that I like Antonio Johnson and Alex Keith the most. Johnson fills an area of need and he should be contributing early. Lynn is a heady player who has been rather successful in high school, I think he will be a great addition to the roster. But the two who I think will play the most (down the road) and contribute the most are Johnson and Keith.
Minnesota Gopher Football: some quick thoughts on "closing up the borders"
by JDMill on Jan 27, 2012 1:12 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
A Twitter-ese response to yesterday's recruiting news might look something like this: "Glen Mason << Tim Brewster <<<<< Jerry Kill"
Remember how much of a priority Tim Brewster said closing up Minnesota's borders and keeping the states best players at home was? And we were ecstatic because it looked like he was doing it. His first full recruiting class locked up 4 of the top 10 recruits in Minnesota, followed by a 7 out of the top 10 class, and then a complete drop-off locking up only 2 of the top 10 in 2010.
Closing up the border is important because it means that your program makes a difference to the youngsters of the state. But it's not the full story. While Brewster landed 7 of 10 in 2009, only one of those, Ed Olson, has had a real and consistent impact. Ra'shede Hageman began to have in impact on the defensive side of the ball in 2011, despite being recruited as a TE.
Here we are again with the Golden Gopher program getting 7 of the top 10 in the state. This is huge for obvious reasons, but it also shuts everyone up who said that Kill couldn't recruit. As FrothyGopher so eloquently stated on Twitter last night by quoting Glengarry Glen Ross...
@FrothyGopherJerry Kill gets coffee today.
#CoffeeIsForClosers
But here's what's different about this class of 7 Minnesota recruits that we couldn't say about the 2009 class... these guys actually fit what Jerry Kill is trying to do.
I'm not going to break each of these guys down, you'll get plenty of that next week, but the way this group of youngsters fits what we need is almost uncanny.
You want an athletic QB with good feet and a strong arm? The 3rd best recruit in the state fits that description.
You need a physical WR who can bang in the middle but also has the ability to stretch the field? Sounds like the guy who did some flip-flopping, but announced last night he's staying home.
You need maulers to make sure we can back-fill the O-line when the current group starts graduating? We've got one, two of those guys in our top 10.
How about a linebacker who has a nose for the ball? Yep, we got one of those too.
Coach Kill and Staff got a group of really good, home-grown players who fit the needs of the team. Hopefully this is a sign of continued good things to come.
Andre McDonald is Reconsidering Minnesota
by GopherNation on Jan 9, 2012 4:01 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
The top high school player in the state of Minnesota has reopened his recruitment and is once again considering the Gophers.
Last February McDonald committed to Jerry Kill and was the first member of the class of 2012. Throughout the late spring and summer there were rumors that he was softening on his Minnesota commitment and then in September he made the surprise commitment to Vanderbilt. McDonald went on to become the highest rated player (according to Rivals.com) and the only four-star ranked recruit in the state after catching 60 passes for 1,200+ yards and 17 touchdowns for Hopkins.
Well, McDonald's primary recruiter at Vandy left the Commadore's staff and is now on the Illini coaching staff. That has caused McDonald to drop Vandy and take a look around (again). He will be giving Minnesota an official visit this coming weekend and was quoted in this GopherIllustrated.com story from Ryan Burns as saying Minnesota never stopped recruiting him throughout the process.
"With Minnesota, they never stopped recruiting me," McDonald told GI. "I talk with Coach Z and Coach Anderson all the time over Facebook and Coach Miller came and talked with me at school right before Christmas break. I talk with Coach Z the most just because he uses Facebook the most, but Coach Miller just told me how much I mean to the program and how I'd have great success on and off the field. He also kept telling me how great of a place Minnesota could be for me."
He is still considering Vandy, though the smart money is not on him returning, and he is also taking a look at Minnesota (Jan 13) and Illinois (Jan 27).
Were McDonald to re-committ to Minnesota he would instantly be one of, if not the, top recruit to sign his name on a Gopher letter of intent on national signing day.
| Stars | Overall Rank | Minneosta Rank | WR Rank | |
| Rivals.com | 4 | 219 | 1 | 35 |
| ESPN, Scouts Inc | 4 | NR | 2 | 32 |
| 247.com | 3 | NR | 2 | 61 |
According to ESPN's evaluation of McDonald we can expect a good sized receiver who lacks top-end speed but is very good and using his body to create separation and catch anything thrown his way. His 6-3, 200 lb frame is impressive for a high school senior.
McDonald is a big, physical receiver that may lack great speed and a second gear as a vertical threat, but he makes plays on the ball with size, strength, savvy and great hands. He is a very good athlete that works to get open and off the line.
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He is at his best in one-on-one match-ups on the jump ball as well as on underneath routes where he can use his frame to shield the ball for the defender. Is very good versus press off the line in terms of getting back on top of the DB and controlling the stem to give him a two-way go. Can stab and cut versus tight coverage and give himself just enough separation to use his frame and wide catch radius. Possesses strong hands that can fight for the ball in traffic.
Based on his skill set and the desire to land the best of our instate talent McDonald would be an outstanding get and a great recruiting recovery.
A Way Too Early Look Targets of the 2013 Recruiting Class
by GopherNation on Dec 24, 2011 11:42 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
I don't recall the Gophers being this far ahead of the recruiting game. At this time of the year during the last few recruiting cycles have typically been one of two scenarios. Either we have been going through a coaching change and the new staff is scrambling to keep the current class together while they maybe add a few guys here and there (2007 and 2011). Or Brewster and staff were still trying to complete their current class by stealing someone previously committed (Michael Carter-09 and Keanon Cooper-08) or working hard to secure a big name (MarQueis Gray-08 and Seantrell Henderson-10). But rarely do I recall so many visits and offers being made to kids for the next recruiting cycle.
There is a ton of discussion to be had about Kill's first full recruiting class. Are we getting a class full of MAC caliber athletes or is Kill snagging sleeper after sleeper? Are we wasting our time with too many JUCOs or are they a necessary evil?
Say what you want about the 2012 class that will be finalized in early February, but it is basically done as of mid-December and the staff has been able to get a jump-start on the 2013 class. The current class has 24 commitments (either verbal or actually signed). 25 is the max though you are allowed to oversign a few more. There are a handful of guys the staff is still pursuing but I believe the majority of the verbal commitments are safe and this class is largely done. So the staff is spending time visiting schools and the homes of 2013 recruits. As I type this we have reportedly given 15 official offers for the class of 2013.
Here is a brief look at some of the guys who according to GopherIllustarted.com have been offered Gopher scholarships for the class of 2013. I find this list mildly valuable but it will be very interesting to see if offering early has any measurable gain for the final class of 2013. Signing day is still nearly 14 months away but here are a few names worth paying attention to.
LB - Corey Vereen - a linebacker from Winter Garden, Florida is getting plenty of interest by SEC schools but his first and only offer is from Minnesota. Based on quotes from his father he is a loyal kid who claims the Gophers being the first to commit a scholarship to him is something he will not soon forget. I have read nothing that would indicate he is of relation to the Brock Vereen, who as you may recall is from California.
WR/DB - Tedric Thompson - in this case, the wide receiver & defensive back from Valencia, California is related to a current Gopher. The fact that he will have the opportunity to play with this brother, Cedric Thompson, will potentially impact his decision. He has interest from all around the country (Miami, Oregon, Pitt, Wisconsin, AZ St and Cal to name a few) but Minnesota is his only offer.
DE/TE - Jake Butt - the Pickering, OH native already has a bunch of offers. Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, UCLA, several other BCS schools and several MAC level schools. Currently Butt projects to be a very good rush end in college but he could also end up being a TE. With an extensive offer list it may be a stretch for the Gophers to get to the top of Butt's list.
QB - Aaron Bailey - a dual-threat quarterback from Illinois being offered by Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue and other smaller schools. With Shortell and Nelson as young QBs I can't imagine that this will be a huge position of priority but if Bailey is a stud then you'd never tell him he can't come. In September he said Illinois was a favorite but a lot has happened since then and his list of favorites has and will change before signing day.
RB - Chris Davis - at the start of his season the Cincinnati, Ohio back was one of the top juniors in the state. In game two of his junior season he tore three ligaments in his knee. The Gopher and Cincy are the two schools who had offered with previous interest from some of the top schools in the country. Maybe this is the kind of kid we take a chance on who turns out to be stud. But he will have to continue rehabing and should be ready for the start of his senior season.
DE/Ath - James Looney - Florida kid was excited to get his first offer and took some time to investigate what Minnesota was all about. In October he broke his ankle but we offered him in November so one would assume that is not going to be a negative factor as far as the Gopher's staff is concerned.
FB - Harold Atkinson - interesting that we are pursuing a full back. Atkinson plays his high school ball in Myrtle Beach, SC and has offers from NC State and South Carolina.
DE - David Kenney - Indianapolis Pike High School is where Kenney plays his high school ball. Iowa, Indiana and Iowa State have also offered with interest from every other Big Ten school and more.
LB - Tim Kimbrough - Another Indianapolis kid, this one from Warren Central. That is the high school of James Manuel but these guys would be three years apart and while that should bring some level of familiarity or a trusted face it isn't like these guys were best friends. The junior recorded 176 tackles on a team that finished 11-1! Indiana, Purdue, North Carolina and Cincy have also offered.
CB - Brian Walker - This past year Walker was the teammate of Jamel Harbison who is a current Gopher commit. Auburn, NC State and South Carolina have also offered the 5-11 corner. There seems to be a real push by the Gopher staff to recruit the Carolinas so I would expect to see us making a push for Walker.
CB/RB - Ross Douglas - Currently the Ohio native has offers from UConn, Tenn and Minnesota. Those are three very different schools so if his recruiting ended today he'd have an interesting decision to make. Douglas is likely a 5-10 corner who has good academics and would be a nice addition. His team was the Div II runner-up in Ohio.
DT - Donovan Munger - offered from West Virginia and a few MAC schools, Munger is a 6-3, 280 defensive tackle. Shaker Heights, OH is where he currently plays and academics appear to be very high on his list of what is important in his recruiting process.
Others with Minnesota offers
RB - Greg Bryant - offers from a ton of major BCS programs
WR - MarQuez North - offers from 10 BCS programs
DE - Elijah Daniel - offers from Florida, Oklahoma, Ohio State and many others.
The last three on the list appear to be guys who will be very highly ranked and likely out of reach for the Gophers at this stage in their rebuilding. I really am most curious to see how many of these guys keep Minnesota as a serious contender throughout the process considering we offered so early. For no great reason I am enamored with Corey Vereen, Tim Kimbrough and Chris Davis. Then I would like to see them land Tedric Thompson to keep that family connection going. Based on position need I'd love to see them land Donovan Munger who is around 280 as a high school junior and could be a nice sized DT by the time he gets on campus.
But that is not the point. Chance are we won't land more than one or two of the guys listed, if that. But it is always fun to speculate.
National JUCO Signing Period, The First Piece of the 2012 Golden Gopher Recruiting Class
by GopherNation on Dec 21, 2011 1:38 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
December 21st is the national mid-year signing date for junior college transfers. Jerry Kill and staff have hit the JUCO ranks pretty hard trying to get some experienced talent into the program. Five guys are expected to officially sign the dotted line and bring their talents to Minnesota.
One running back who may be your feature back next fall, one wide receiver who will likely be a depth guy and three defensive backs. I would expect that at least one of the DBs, maybe two of them will be starting in September 2012.
Nothing official has yet been released but these are the expected signees.
| James Gillum |
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Position: RB Measurables: 5-11 /195 Videos: none Rankings: Notes: Gillum recently finished up his JUCO season amassing 1,297 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman at Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. and then another 1,047 this past year. Out of high school Gillum was a lightly recruited back from a small town in Louisiana. Kill's staff recruited him to Northern Illinois but grades became an issue and he was forced to the JUCO route. But those two years have prepared him for BCS level football.
There is a huge hole to fill at RB and Gillum will have every opportunity to be the go-to back for the Gophers next year. |
| Jeremy Baltazar |
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Position: CB / S Measurables: 6-0 / 196 Rankings: Notes: Baltazar recently was named honorable mention on the NJCAA All-America teams. The defensive back can play safety if needed but was told that he was being recruited to play corner. A great position of need and I fully expect that Baltazar will see plenty of playing time in 2012 for the Gophers. He was the first JUCO defensive back to commit after a handful came to visit the weekend the Gophers lost to Wisconsin. Baltazar will be a December graduate and assuming everything goes according to plan he will be on campus for spring practice, giving him more time to acclimate and to be ready to play this fall. |
| Martez Shabazz | |
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Position: CB Measurables: 5-11 /170 Videos: none Rankings: Notes: Shabazz enjoyed his official visit to Minnesota but the following week was enamored with Baylor's upset win over Oklahoma. He committed to Baylor, but admission issues prevented that from going through. Prior to his Baylor visit he sounded as though Minnesota was his clear-cut leader. When admission issues set in, he quickly switched to Minnesota.
Shabazz is a fast corner who should greatly help the secondary with his speed alone. |
| Isaac Fruechte |
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Position: WR Measurables: 6-3 / 210 Videos: [1] Rankings: Notes: The Caledonia prospect spent his first season, post-high school at Rochester Community College. When offered a scholarship from the Gophers last June he immediately accepted and is very excited to play for Minnesota.
He is a unique JUCO in the fact that he only spent on year playing at Rochester and will have three to play for the Gophers. Wide receiver is also a position of need for the Gophers. |
| Briean Boddy |
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Position: CB Measurables: 5-11 / 175 Videos: [1-high school highlights] Rankings: Notes:Like Fruechte, Boddy will have three years of eligibility at the U. Technically he has four years to play three so if they wanted him to redshirt, that is also a possibility. Boddy played his high school football in Delaware and was lightly recruited so he took his talents to Coffeyville C.C. in Kansas. Clearly he improved his stock enough to garner this BCS offer, which he took. There can't be too many kids who take the Delaware to Kansas to Minnesota route. Boddy finished his season at Coffeyville with 40 tackles and 4 interceptions. |
Rumor has it that we are still pursuing defensive tackles as that is a huge position of need. When that DT is signed I will update but for now these are the five guys JUCOs who have verbally committed to play for Coach Kill.
JUCO Corner Flips Commitment From Baylor to Minnesota
by GopherNation on Dec 13, 2011 4:58 PM CST
in Recruiting - Football
The Golden Gophers are in desperate need of help in the defensive secondary and they have been hitting the JUCO circuit pretty hard to bring in some more mature help for the 2012 season. On the weekend of the Wisconsin game, Minnesota hosted official visits from three JUCO defensive backs. All three reportedly had great visits but the following week saw some bad luck for the Gophers.
- Jeremy Baltazar - played last season for Blinn C.C. and has committed to the Gophers
- Clifford Stokes - played for Trinity C.C. and took a visit the following week to Iowa State. His visit was the Cyclones win over then undefeated Oklahoma State. He committed to ISU that weekend.
- Martez Shabazz - also played for Trinity C.C. and also took another visit the following weekend. Shabazz went to Baylor witness the Bears win over Oklahoma. He committed to Baylor that weekend.
But things have changed for Mr. Shabazz. Due to some admission issues with Baylor, he has decided to take his talents to Minnesota. Shabazz is 5-11 and reportedly has very good speed and the staff is ready for him to make an immediate impact. The Gopher secondary is thin and needs some immediate bodies who will be able to cover Big Ten receivers.
"I called Coach Sawvel that night and when I told him he said, "What? You what?! You almost made me wreck my car Martez!" So I'd say they were pretty happy to have me. I've talked with Coach Kill almost every day since I committed as well. He keeps telling me that he's real excited for me and can't wait until I get up there. He also told me that I immediately make them better in the secondary. The coaches have been telling me that they want to use me like LSU uses Tyrann Mathieu type of player. A corner that would be on the inside receivers and can jam them at the line, but also can blitz and make plays."
This is a very nice recovery for the 2012 recruiting class. Secondary help, particularly JUCO help, is a must and we got one who should be able to contribute quickly.
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