BleedGopher
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per his Q&A:
Q: Will Jerry Kill ever be able to recruit? I am sick of the diamonds in the rough routine. No quarterbacks who can throw, no quality WR, lack of depth with linebackers. This teams seems like it is going backwards again. -- Dennis, Youngstown, Ohio
A: Depending on how much stock you put in recruiting experts and ranking systems, the Gophers ranked near the middle of the Big Ten this past year in recruiting. Scout.com had Minnesota No. 49 overall and ninth out of 14 teams in the conference. The Gophers did land a pair of four-star recruits, including offensive lineman Connor Mayes and running back Jeff Jones (who still needs to work out some academic issues to become eligible). The fact that Kill and his staff were able to keep Jones, a Minneapolis native, in the state was a sign that their recruiting is making strides.
I'd disagree that the Gophers have no quality wide receivers. We saw some positive glimpses from Drew Wolitarsky and Donovahn Jones last year as true freshmen, and both should continue to progress. It's hard to truly evaluate the wide receivers, though, when the quarterback can't get them the ball. As for the linebackers, I'll admit that I was skeptical of that position group entering the season, but they've impressed me. Damien Wilson is the Big Ten's leading tackler and forced (and recovered) a fumble against San Jose State. De'Vondre Campbell has also been solid this year. Both of them were junior college players, a recruiting tactic that has panned out well for Kill and Co. at Minnesota. On top of that, though, the coaching staff has been high on a few freshmen linebackers, Jonathan Celestin and Everett Williams, both of whom have already played in non-conference games.
http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/tyler-mason-s-sept-24-gophers-mailbag-092414
Go Gophers!!
Q: Will Jerry Kill ever be able to recruit? I am sick of the diamonds in the rough routine. No quarterbacks who can throw, no quality WR, lack of depth with linebackers. This teams seems like it is going backwards again. -- Dennis, Youngstown, Ohio
A: Depending on how much stock you put in recruiting experts and ranking systems, the Gophers ranked near the middle of the Big Ten this past year in recruiting. Scout.com had Minnesota No. 49 overall and ninth out of 14 teams in the conference. The Gophers did land a pair of four-star recruits, including offensive lineman Connor Mayes and running back Jeff Jones (who still needs to work out some academic issues to become eligible). The fact that Kill and his staff were able to keep Jones, a Minneapolis native, in the state was a sign that their recruiting is making strides.
I'd disagree that the Gophers have no quality wide receivers. We saw some positive glimpses from Drew Wolitarsky and Donovahn Jones last year as true freshmen, and both should continue to progress. It's hard to truly evaluate the wide receivers, though, when the quarterback can't get them the ball. As for the linebackers, I'll admit that I was skeptical of that position group entering the season, but they've impressed me. Damien Wilson is the Big Ten's leading tackler and forced (and recovered) a fumble against San Jose State. De'Vondre Campbell has also been solid this year. Both of them were junior college players, a recruiting tactic that has panned out well for Kill and Co. at Minnesota. On top of that, though, the coaching staff has been high on a few freshmen linebackers, Jonathan Celestin and Everett Williams, both of whom have already played in non-conference games.
http://www.foxsports.com/north/story/tyler-mason-s-sept-24-gophers-mailbag-092414
Go Gophers!!
