Connor Wilkie, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound rising senior quarterback from Andover (MN) High, is one of the state’s most talented signal caller.
Connor Wilkie, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound rising senior quarterback from Andover (MN) High, is one of the state’s most talented signal caller. He was a second team Star Tribune All-Metro selection and was regular attendee at Minnesota Golden Gopher home football games this past year. Wilkie attended the Gopher football camp two straight weekends and talked to GopherHole.com about the latest on his recruitment.
Wilkie completed 136 of 241 passes (56.4%) for 2090 (8.7 yards per competition) with 24 touchdowns and just ten interceptions. He threw for three touchdowns five times and two scores four times.
Wilkie started as a sophomore, completing 78 of 146 passes for 628 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions.
Gopher Hole: You attended two Gophers camps. What other camps have you had a chance to attend?
Connor Wilkie: I went to the Northern Illinois camp and Northern Iowa.
Gopher Hole: Do you feel like you are able to pick up some things at each of these camps that you can incorporate to make yourself a better quarterback?
Connor Wilkie: Yes. They all focus on balance and having good footwork in the pocket and getting the ball out of your hand fast. That was one thing that I picked up, mainly and just overall getting faster because the pace of the game is so much faster.
Gopher Hole: What schools are you hearing from right now?
Connor Wilkie: North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, the Gophers, Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois.
Gopher Hole: Any offers yet?
Connor Wilkie: No, not yet.
Gopher Hole: What are you hearing from the Gophers?
Connor Wilkie: They just had that Dimonic (McKinzy) commit, so they said that they are only taking one. I don’t really know where that is going right now. I am hearing good things, right now, from the coaching staff, personally as a quarterback.
Gopher Hole: Dimonic is considered a bit more as an athlete-type, while you are more a pure quarterback. Does that make you think that the Gophers would still be interested in you?
Connor Wilkie: Yes. I would like to think so. He was there today and he is a fantastic athlete. We kind of talked about that. I was talking to Coach Z and he was saying that there is a possible chance for a preferred walk-on quarterback. They might take another. Maybe that will come into play. I’m not sure. I guess that is their decision.
Gopher Hole: What things have you been really working on in the offseason to improve yourself as a player?
Connor Wilkie: I am working on my mechanics. Some of the college coaches said that they would like me to throw the ball a little bit better and I have changed that. They have all been pretty happy and seen that I am throwing a lot better, a lot faster and with a lot more velocity. I’m working on my strength and just becoming a better overall player.
Gopher Hole: What are the expectations for Andover this upcoming season?
Connor Wilkie: Play well in the playoffs and hopefully make a state tournament appearance.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought about when you might decide on a school or is hard to know because you are fairly early in the recruitment process?
Connor Wilkie: It is pretty hard to know this early in the recruiting process. If I were to get offered by a school, the decision would be tougher, but for right now, I am just playing the waiting game.