Mitch Leidner says yes

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Scout confirms also. Free article on the...

committment. This class is filling up fast.
 





I'm afraid our class could be filled before some of the blue-chippers even have a chance to consider us this fall.
 


Kill Warrior said:
Ya, I don't get what is going on here.

At least someone has the courage to say "the emperor has no clothes." I remember how long it took for anyone to say that with brewster.
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We'll see if they have more offers when/if they sign in February. A lot of time left. And it is the first year of a new coaching staff you gotta know people will be excited, especially with an in-state recruit and even more that he is a QB. When a coach is heavily recruiting in state (I am really pumped he is following through on what he said, which shows character) the home base will always be a little naturally riled up.
 




He doesn't have an impressive offer list, but how many colleges are really scouring the state of Minnesota for recruits? Iowa was pretty interested in this kid and they may have ended up offering him later in the fall. I've read that Iowa coaches felt Leidner has as good an arm as Gunner Kiel, which is huge praise since Kiel is the number rated pro style qb in this class according to rivals.
 

btowngopher said:
He doesn't have an impressive offer list, but how many colleges are really scouring the state of Minnesota for recruits? Iowa was pretty interested in this kid and they may have ended up offering him later in the fall. I've read that Iowa coaches felt Leidner has as good an arm as Gunner Kiel, which is huge praise since Kiel is the number rated pro style qb in this class according to rivals.
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Other top notch programs have never had a problem finding the Minnesota kids before if they were good enough. So a lot of schools recruit Minnesota if the kid is talented enough to warrant it.
 




GopherGod said:
Other top notch programs have never had a problem finding the Minnesota kids before if they were good enough. So a lot of schools recruit Minnesota if the kid is talented enough to warrant it.
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There's only about half a dozen Minnesota kids that have multiple offers. Obviously top notch programs know about the top kids in state, but I don't think a lot of programs spend a lot of time actually searching for talent in Minnesota.
 

btowngopher said:
There's only about half a dozen Minnesota kids that have multiple offers. Obviously top notch programs know about the top kids in state, but I don't think a lot of programs spend a lot of time actually searching for talent in Minnesota.
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That's my point that if the talent was anything special atleast several of the bigger programs would know about them. I just don't buy the argument that was made that a kid doesn't have many other major offers because he is from Minnesota. A lack of offers likely has more to do with the kids abilities than where he is from. If the talent is there the successful programs have and will find it.
 

If you look at the "Big name kids from Mn. that have signed with big programs", they have mostly come from Eden Prairie and Cretin. It is not hard to get recognized when playing for those schools. There are many other Mn. kids that develop latter and are not recruited nationally. Many have gone to smaller schools and become good football players. I am not saying we can win the big 10 with only Mn. talent, but we can be better than we have been if we get most of the good Mn. kids.
 

A family member of mine who lives in Lakeville has watched Leidner play on multiple occasions. The family member is a former college player and coach. He claims that Mitch is a solid get for the Gophers was very happy to see that Kill got after him and kept Mitch from going to Iowa or elsewhere. He said Lakeville had some brutal receiver corps last year but Mitch still put up big numbers. He seems to think Mitch will have a very nice Gopher career. FWIW.
 

dlw4gophers said:
If you look at the "Big name kids from Mn. that have signed with big programs", they have mostly come from Eden Prairie and Cretin. It is not hard to get recognized when playing for those schools. There are many other Mn. kids that develop latter and are not recruited nationally. Many have gone to smaller schools and become good football players. I am not saying we can win the big 10 with only Mn. talent, but we can be better than we have been if we get most of the good Mn. kids.
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While what you said is entirely true, there is another scenario which is not mentioned. That some kids here go to lesser known high schools, stand out as football players because of the competition around them and end up being really average college football players.

I'll say this though. We haven't seen a full Kill recruiting class this year. While this class looks about as disappointing as Brewster's first class was exciting, we all know how it turned out then. So I am, even being a glass half-empty guy, going to give Kill the benefit of the doubt, let him bring in this class and see how they develop. We'll know pretty quickly if Kill's in over his head. I sure hope he'll surprise us all...
 


andre mcdonald should take note: if you stick to your original commitment (note again what that word "commitment" actually means) you could have a couple of fellow minnesotans, and more importantly great, strong-arm qb's, in nelson and leidner throwing you deep bombs in a couple of years.

just saying mcdonald, just saying..........considering the above, it might be wise to think twice before one considers backing out on their strongly given initial commitment and selling-out their hometown team and home state because a slick-haired recruiter whispered a few "sweet nothings" in your ear.
 

THE Chitown Gopher said:
I bet Old BB has already placed a call to Nelson.
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You may be right... However, I have a sense that Kill is offering these guys and telling them up front that a position change is always an option. Both Nelson and Leidner have the ability to play other positions. At the end of the day, competition is not a bad thing.
 

For right now, I doubt this staff's recruiting philosophy is any different than it was at NIU, since that philosophy seemed to work out pretty well. That said, being at MN and playing in the Big Ten will afford them the opportunity to get at least a couple of high-end guys here and there (McDonald for example, if he stays). If they are able to get this program turned around with these less-heralded kids, imagine what they'll be able to tell the high-end guys when we get rolling? "You've got twice the talent of some of those guys we brought in our first year, and yet those kids worked hard and developed in our system to the point where we're now in the top half of the Big Ten. If you work hard, with the talent you have, imagine what you can accomplish here!"
 

THE Chitown Gopher said:
I bet Old BB has already placed a call to Nelson.
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I actually kind of doubt that.

Nelson isn't the kind of athlete that will likely be too succesful if moved and they already have a higher rated QB in their 2012 class. It'd be one thing if Nelson could switch to TE or S, but I think Nelson is a QB and pretty much only a QB.
 

THE Chitown Gopher said:
I bet Old BB has already placed a call to Nelson.
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Isn't Nelson already on campus? I thought he streamlined his hs courses and graduated early to so could enroll for this summer. If that is the case and Old BB has placed a call that would be one big no-no one his part.
 

SMU GOPHS FAN said:
Isn't Nelson already on campus? I thought he streamlined his hs courses and graduated early to so could enroll for this summer. If that is the case and Old BB has placed a call that would be one big no-no one his part.
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Phillip Nelson will be a senior this fall. I doubt that he has earned enough credits to do what you are suggesting. He was also at summer camp along with Mitch Leidner. Maybe you are thinking of Max Shortell or Dexter Foreman.
 

THE Chitown Gopher said:
I bet Old BB has already placed a call to Nelson.
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That is extremely doubtful seeing as we have already recieved a commitment from a highly ranked QB in Bart Houston.

http://247sports.com/Recruit/Bart-Houston-7425

http://wisconsin.scout.com/a.z?s=193&p=8&c=1&nid=4845384

http://rivals.yahoo.com/wisconsin/f...ston-109059;_ylt=AjY.HIyjT9ds2sdJv2rgMCk_u5B4


If he decommits (very little chance of that happening), then we will pursue Wes Lunt, who we led for before getting a verbal from Houston. If he says no, then we'd move to Gunnar Holcombe. Nelson might be after that, but I'm not sure.

Nelson is safe, and I doubt he's recieved a call from BB recently, seeing as we never offered him. In fact I would place a large wager on it.
 

Kill recruits to his system, that is to say he has pre-determined rolls that he wants to fill & recruits players according to that, not star ranking. i.e. He wants a big, blocking WR so he signed Fruchete (while there were dozens of more highly rated WR's, Kill found the guy who could fill the role he needs filled). He wants a jitterbug slot receiver underneath so he signed Marcus Jones (Perhaps he could have signed "better" WR's, but they didn't fit this particular role). He also likes to get guys who're likely to stay eligible & be in the program for the five full years so he can develop them physically & mentally. That's really a key as well & I know it's not the immediate payoff we'd like but if we can field a team of 5th year Sr's in a few years we can do very well against the big boys imo.

It's very much how a team like Butler wins consistently in baskets without NBA lottery talent.
 

Killjoy said:
Phillip Nelson will be a senior this fall. I doubt that he has earned enough credits to do what you are suggesting. He was also at summer camp along with Mitch Leidner. Maybe you are thinking of Max Shortell or Dexter Foreman.
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I thought Nelson was planning on doing this next season. I think he just got confused on the year, but Nelson had planned on graduating early and enrolling this coming January.
 

Badger2010 said:
That is extremely doubtful seeing as we have already recieved a commitment from a highly ranked QB in Bart Houston.

http://247sports.com/Recruit/Bart-Houston-7425

http://wisconsin.scout.com/a.z?s=193&p=8&c=1&nid=4845384

http://rivals.yahoo.com/wisconsin/f...ston-109059;_ylt=AjY.HIyjT9ds2sdJv2rgMCk_u5B4


If he decommits (very little chance of that happening), then we will pursue Wes Lunt, who we led for before getting a verbal from Houston. If he says no, then we'd move to Gunnar Holcombe. Nelson might be after that, but I'm not sure.

Nelson is safe, and I doubt he's recieved a call from BB recently, seeing as we never offered him. In fact I would place a large wager on it.
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Well, as of now (like I said in my previous post), I doubt Nelson is really on the Badger's radar but that is because of Bart Houston.

Wes Lunt has already signed with OK St, and it looks like Gunnar Holcombe's recruiting is picking up. So, if by small chance Houston decommits, I would imagine BB would think pretty long about Nelson. But in general, you're right, they have Houston who is considered a better prospect by the recruiting services.
 

Bob_Loblaw said:
I thought Nelson was planning on doing this next season. I think he just got confused on the year, but Nelson had planned on graduating early and enrolling this coming January.
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That's probably it, thanks Bob. I thought I remembered reading he was coming early.
 

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