Sophomore wide receiver Andre McDonald was one of head coach Jerry Kill’s top recruits last year, but he hasn’t suited up for the Gophers yet this season.

That won’t change anytime soon.

Kill announced Tuesday that McDonald will not play this semester.

The announcement comes in response to last month’s news that McDonald would sit out the rest of fall camp after violating team rules.

“Right now, he’s not going to play for us this semester,” Kill said at his weekly press conference Tuesday. “That’s all I’m going to say on the matter.”

McDonald was the No. 3-ranked player in Minnesota at the time of his graduation from Hopkins High School, according to Rivals.com.

He originally committed to Vanderbilt, but switched late in the recruiting process.

McDonald has battled off-field issues since he started with the Gophers. He was suspended for the Gophers’ bowl game last season against Texas Tech and didn’t enroll in spring semester classes.

McDonald rejoined the team this offseason and worked out for the majority of the summer. He would have provided some much-needed playmaking ability to a so-far anemic Gophers receiving corps.

In last week’s 51-23 victory over Nevada-Las Vegas, most big plays through the air were made by Gophers tight ends — not the wide receivers.

It started in the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson rolled out after a perfectly executed play-action fake and threw a 21-yard pass to junior tight end Drew Goodger that helped set up Nelson’s 48-yard touchdown run.

Then, a little later in the quarter, redshirt freshman tight end Maxx Williams dove for a 10-yard touchdown reception from Nelson. It was Williams’ first career reception and touchdown.

Sophomore receiver KJ Maye made some plays in the slot for Minnesota, coming away with three receptions for 30 yards. 

“Offensively, we’ve got to move forward and get better,” Kill said. “I think we know that as a group, and we will.”