Although the Gophers have not yet hired a permanent successor to ousted coach Tim Brewster, Holy Family linebacker and three-star recruit Peter Westerhaus will honor his verbal commitment to the University according to his coach, Dave Hopkins.

“Peter committed to the U of M football team,” Hopkins told the Daily Wednesday. “He loves the Gophers and he loves the Big Ten and is looking forward to honoring his commitment.”

Upon hearing of Brewster’s firing, Westerhaus had previously told the Minnesota Rivals.com site, GopherIllustrated.com, that he was undecided on whether he would stick to his pledge to play for Minnesota. According to Hopkins, though, Westerhaus knew coming in that the coach he committed to would not necessarily be the coach he would play for.

“In a general sense of thinking, [Westerhaus] understands that any university could go a different direction in any given year, but he loves the U of M and he loves the brand-new facility and being a home-state football player,” Hopkins said. Holy Family is a private Catholic school near Chanhassen.

Westerhaus, ranked 64th nationwide among inside linebackers by Rivals, also received offers from Harvard and Iowa State.

Mahtomedi offensive lineman Tommy Olson told GopherIllustraded.com that he too will honor his commitment, while Edina receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts, who also received an offer from Wisconsin, said his decision will hinge largely on who the Gophers hire to replace Brewster.

The Gophers fired Brewster Sunday after their sixth consecutive loss. Offensive coordinator Jeff Horton will serve as interim head coach until a replacement is hired.