Colton Beebe signed with the Gophers in February and will follow the footsteps of his father who played for Coach Jerry Kill at Pittsburgh State.
Colton Beebe is a punishing 6-foot-2, 252-pound fullback from Kansas City (MO) Piper. He rushed 92 times for 301 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Beebe helped lead the Pirates to a 10-2 mark, losing to eventual Class 4A Division I state champion Bishop 62-7 in the state semifinals.
Beebe signed with the Gophers in February and will follow the footsteps of his father who played for Coach Jerry Kill at Pittsburgh State.
Gopher Hole recently caught up with Beebe to learn more about his recruitment and decision to become a Gopher.
Gopher Hole: It was a few weeks ago that you signed with Minnesota. What is the feeling right now that all the recruitment is done?
Colton Beebe: It really takes a lot of my back. I don’t have to worry about the recruiting process and it is finally over with. It felt good to sign that paper and be officially a Gopher.
Gopher Hole: Did you like the recruiting process or did it kind of get old after a while?
Colton Beebe: I had fun. I went to a lot of different places in the country, getting looked at. A lot of schools getting looked at. A lot of coaches talking to you. It was totally fun process. It was really long and tiring after a while, so it is good news to have it be over.
Gopher Hole: When you finally made your decision, what were the main factors that made you pick Minnesota over the other schools that were looking at you?
Colton Beebe: I just felt like it was the place for me. The coaching staff. It is a great coaching staff. My dad, actually, was coached by Coach Kill when he was down at Pitt State, so we knew Coach Kill and we had a great time and talked to him. The rest of the coaches, like Coach (Brian) Anderson, who is a great coach. I talked to him quite a bit and I really liked him. I visited for the Iowa game that weekend and I just loved it down there. I fell in love with it. It is a great place, both academically and athletically and it seemed like a great fit for me.
Gopher Hole: What did your dad tell you about Coach Kill?
Colton Beebe: He basically told me that he is a really good guy. He is the same guy that he was when he was younger at Pitt State. He’ll tell you the truth. He won’t lie to you. He’ll tell you exactly what he is thinking.
Gopher Hole: What other schools were you really considering when it came down to the end?
Colton Beebe: I was dealing with the U of M and KU (Kansas).
Gopher Hole: How hard was it to leave the in-state school and say no to them?
Colton Beebe: It was pretty difficult. It was a hard decision, especially living 30 minutes from there. I have been a KU fan my whole life, but in the end, I thought it was best to go to Minnesota.
Gopher Hole: I know that you recently played in the U.S. versus Canada Game. What was that experience like and how did you get picked for that game?
Colton Beebe: It was a great experience. I actually played on the U18 (Under 18) team last year. They watched a lot of tape and got recommendations from coaches. It was a great experience and I got to meet a lot of different people from across the country, who are going to all kinds of places like USC, Oregon. There were quite a few Big Ten guys there, too. It was great experience, playing for your country and having USA on your chest.
Gopher Hole: It sounds like you had a good game with six tackles and a sack. Were you pretty pleased with how well you played?
Colton Beebe: Yes, I was pleased. The Canadian team is usually pretty good. This year, we beat them pretty bad. Last year, they killed us, so we got revenge on them.
Gopher Hole: Did you playing any winter sports?
Colton Beebe: I played basketball.
Gopher Hole: What position do you play?
Colton Beebe: Mainly center and power forward.
Gopher Hole: I know that you are a versatile player. Have they talked to you much about what position you are going to play at Minnesota?
Colton Beebe: They haven’t really decided yet. On the offensive side, it would H-back, fullback or the tight end position or on defense, somewhere on the defensive line, depending on how my body develops, either inside (defensive tackle) or outside (defensive end).
Gopher Hole: Do you have a preference at all?
Colton Beebe: Not really. Whichever one, I am most comfortable with.
Gopher Hole: Have they said much to you about their expectations for you next year. To be honest, most freshmen will redshirt to get bigger and stronger. Have they talked to you much about that?
Colton Beebe: They said depending on what I show up there. They don’t plan on me redshirting, especially if I play offense because they don’t have tons there.
Gopher Hole: The game that you attended against Iowa was probably the best game that they played all year. What were your impressions of the team and did you get a chance to watch the on TV at all?
Colton Beebe: Yes. I watched them play a bit. You could see the improvement every week and getting better as the season went along.
Gopher Hole: Have you gotten to know many of the fellow recruits during your visit or through social media?
Colton Beebe: Yes. We are on a group message, so we all talk quite a bit every day.
Gopher Hole: Is there anyone you have gotten to know the best?
Colton Beebe: I don’t know if there would be one particular person.
Gopher Hole: What things are you going to be working on, especially when the basketball season is over, to get ready to come up here this summer?
Colton Beebe: Strength, speed and agility stuff are the big things that I want to work on to get a little faster and a little more agile.