Despite getting a late start on the recruiting trail, Gophers football coach Jerry Kill managed to hold on to most of the top high school prospects that had made previous verbal commitments to ousted coach Tim Brewster.
Wednesday was college football’s national signing day, and by early afternoon Kill had received signed letters of intent from quarterback Max Shortell of Bishop Miege (KS) High School, Holy Family linebacker and Minnesota’s Mr. Football Peter Westerhaus, Mahtomedi offensive lineman Tommy Olson, Edina wide receiver Devin Crawford-Tufts, Rosemount offensive lineman Joe Bjorklund and Moorpark (Calif.) High School linebacker Quinn Bauducco.
All six are rated as three-star (out of five) prospects by the recruiting site, Rivals.com. The Gophers’ 2011 class features no players listed on that site’s top 100 list, and none rated higher than three stars.
Minnesota, Indiana, Northwestern and Purdue are the only Big Ten teams without a four- or five-star recruit in their 2011 class.
Kill is scheduled to hold a 3:00 p.m. press conference to discuss the signing day results.
|
2011 GOLDEN GOPHER FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS |
||||
|
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
DE |
6-2 |
218 |
Arlington, Texas/Bowie HS |
|
|
LB |
6-3 |
225 |
Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark HS |
|
|
OL |
6-5 |
285 |
Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS |
|
|
OL |
6-5 |
270 |
Menasha, Wis./Menasha HS |
|
|
OL |
6-5 |
320 |
Fergus Falls, Minn./Fork Union Military |
|
|
DE |
6-6 |
210 |
Homestead, Fla./Homestead HS |
|
|
WR |
6-2 |
180 |
Edina, Minn./Edina HS |
|
|
WR |
6-0 |
190 |
Denton, Texas/Guyer HS |
|
|
TE |
6-5 |
234 |
Shawnee Mission,, Kan./Northwest HS |
|
|
WR |
6-3 |
210 |
Corona, Calif./Arizona Western College |
|
|
K |
6-4 |
180 |
Raleigh, N.C./North Carolina State |
|
|
DB |
5-8 |
170 |
Wake Forest, N.C./Rolesville, N.C. |
|
|
DB |
5-11 |
195 |
Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS |
|
|
LB |
6-1 |
218 |
Delray Beach, Fla./Atlantic HS |
|
|
OL |
6-5 |
293 |
Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington HS |
|
|
OL |
6-5 |
278 |
Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington HS |
|
|
DB |
5-10 |
184 |
Miramar, Fla./Miramar HS |
|
|
OL |
6-4 |
275 |
Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS |
|
|
TE |
6-4 |
245 |
Iowa Falls, Iowa/Ellsworth CC |
|
|
QB |
6-6 |
215 |
Shawnee Mission, Kan./Bishop Miege HS |
|
|
DB |
6-0 |
180 |
Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh HS |
|
|
LB |
6-3 |
205 |
Chanhassen, Minn./Holy Family HS |
|
|
*already enrolled |
||||
|
2011 Recruited Walk-Ons |
||||
|
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown/Previous School |
|
Jon Christenson |
OL |
6-4 |
275 |
Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka HS |
|
Ernie Heifort |
TE |
6-5 |
225 |
Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji HS |
|
Peter Mortell |
P |
6-2 |
193 |
Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy |
|
David Platner |
K |
6-0 |
160 |
Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS |
|
Luke Trucilla |
ATH |
6-0 |
190 |
Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep HS |
Source: gophersports.com
–Andrew Baker
