Minnesota 2012 Recruiting

Minnesota Golden Gophers 2012 ... Head Coach: Jerry Kill

Minnesota Golden Gophers

2011 Record: 3-9

Sep. 3 at USC L 19-17
Sep. 10 New Mexico State L 28-21
Sep. 17 Miami University W 29-23
Sep. 24 North Dakota St L 37-24
Oct. 1 at Michigan L 58-0
Oct. 8 at Purdue L 45-17
Oct. 15 OPEN DATE
Oct. 22 Nebraska L 41-14
Oct. 29 Iowa W 22-21
Nov. 5 at Michigan State L 31-24
Nov. 12 Wisconsin L 42-13
Nov. 19 at Northwestern L 28-13
Nov. 26 Illinois W 27-7

2010 CFN Prediction: 3-9
2010 Record: 3-9

Sept. 2 at Middle Tenn. W 24-17
Sept. 11 South Dakota L 41-38
Sept. 18 USC L 32-21
Sept. 25 No. Illinois L 34-23
Oct. 2 Northwestern L 29-28
Oct. 9 at Wisconsin L 41-23
Oct. 16 at Purdue L 28-17
Oct. 23 Penn State L 33-21
Oct. 30 Ohio State L 52-10
Nov. 6 at Michigan St L 31-8
Nov. 13 at Illinois W 38-34
Nov. 20 OPEN DATE
Nov. 27 Iowa L 27-24
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 The Entire 2012 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Minnesota Recruits To Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. QB Philip Nelson
6-2, 212, Scout.com 46th ranked, three-star quarterback.

2. OT Jonah Pirsig
6-9, 290, Scout.com 35th ranked, three-star offensive tackle.

3. QB Mitch Leidner
6-4, 225, Scout.com 56th ranked, three-star quarterback.

4. LB Brian Nicholson
6-1, 210, Scout.com 47th ranked, three-star middle linebacker.

5. LB Nick Rallis
5-11, 200, Scout.com 65th ranked, three-star outside linebacker.

The 2012 Class Was Heavy On... Jerry Kill likes the run the ball, but he’s not going after any star backs. He’s bringing in quarterbacks to be ready to provide options after MarQueis Gray is done after next year, and he’s loading up on receivers to start adding some more punch to the passing game. The secondary is getting an instant infusion of talent from the JUCO ranks with three signed on to make up for key losses while improving the depth.

Team Concerns For 2012: The offensive line has to be better. Kill is building for the future with this class of linemen, but he needs more production out of the ones brought in over the last few years. It’ll be a young line that needs time, but the team can’t afford another season with so much inconsistency up front. The defense needs a few young tackles to come through, and it needs a middle linebacker to replace Gary Tinsley and a safety to replace Kim Royston.

Looking Ahead To The 2012 Season: Year Two under head coach Jerry Kill should be better and more consistent. QB MarQueis Gray had a rough season, but he’s a big-time talent who needs to shine in his final year. The line has to replace two starters, but it should be better with some of the young talents ready to do more for a ground game that should be solid with Gray and RB Donnell Kirkwood. Top target Da’Jon McKnight is done meaning Malcolm Moulton has to become the No. 1 right away. The defense loses both tackles, MLB Gary Tinsley and leading tackler Kim Royston, but seven starters return, led by Mike Rallis at one outside linebacker spot.

The 2011 Class Was Heavy On … Offensive linemen. For new head coach Jerry Kill to do what he wants with his offense, he’ll need stronger, tougher offensive linemen than Minnesota has had in years. The hope will be for tackles Luke McAvoy and Foster Bush to quickly grow into real, live bookends for the front five, while guard Kyls McAvoy and Tom Olson have the potential to be terrific with a few years in the weight room. Tight end Peter Westerhaus and receiver Quentin Gardener will soon be focal points of the passing game.

2010 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 74. That Class Was Heavy On ... Offensive linemen. Tim Brewster was hired as the head coach a few years ago because he was thought to be a master recruiter. He did a decent job this year, helped by having a new stadium to sell, and he and his staff went hard after offensive linemen to change things around after struggling so much to generate a running game. Jimmy Gjere is a tall, rangy tackle prospect with room to add another 30 pounds, while Mark Lenkiewicz and Matt Eggen will be plugged in somewhere up front by 2012.

2009 CFN Recruiting Ranking: 47. That Class Was Heavy On ... receivers. The Gophers needed to bring in more talented targets for the future, and they might have gotten their No. 2 receiver, alongside Eric Decker, in JUCO transfer Hayo Carpenter. Bryant Allen and Victor Keise come from out of state, Missouri and Florida, respectively, to develop. The real stars of the show might turn out to be tight ends Ra’shede Hageman and Kendall Gregory-MgGhee. Hageman is the total package.

Nov. 26 at Minnesota 27 ... Illinois 7
CFN Analysis: COMING

(AP) MINNEAPOLIS -- MarQueis Gray rushed for 167 yards and two touchdowns and threw for another score, guiding Minnesota past backsliding Illinois 27-7 on Saturday in the season finale and sending the Fighting Illini to their sixth straight defeat.

Gray took off 27 times to break the single-season rushing record for a Golden Gophers quarterback, giving him 966 yards. Billy Cockerham had 831 yards rushing in 1999.

Troy Pollard's 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was the only highlight for the Illini (6-6, 2-6 Big Ten), who wasted their best start in 60 years and put coach Ron Zook's job in obvious danger. Nathan Scheelhaase, who was 4 for 6 for 15 yards in a time share with Reilly O'Toole, lost a costly fumble on one of his five sacks.

Illinois held an opponent under 100 yards passing for the fifth time this season -- Gray went 7 for 14 for 85 yards -- but couldn't stop him from scrambling and converting critical first downs. Jordan Wettstein kicked field goals of 43 and 51 yards for the Gophers (3-9, 2-6), who have won nine of their last 12 games against the Illini.

They held Illinois to 18 yards on 23 plays in the first half and a season-low 160 yards on 59 plays for the game, by far the best performance of the year for a defense playing with a lot more speed and confidence than during that 58-0 loss at Michigan on Oct. 1.

This was the first time Minnesota led from start to finish since winning 17-6 at Purdue on Oct. 25, 2008. The Gophers posted their largest margin of victory since beating Florida Atlantic 37-3 on Sept. 20, 2008, and their biggest in a conference game since a 63-26 win over Indiana on Nov. 4, 2006.

They appeared to want this one more than the Illini, who looked defeated and lethargic except for a first-down run by freshman O'Toole, who jumped up and pumped his fist to fire up the sideline in the third quarter. That drive was extended by a successful fake-punt run by Jay Prosch and capped by Pollard's score, but the Gophers were unfazed.

They danced on the sideline between the third and fourth quarters and kept up their sure tackling throughout the final minutes. The outcome -- and perhaps Zook's dismissal -- was sealed when sixth-year senior free safety Kim Royston sacked Scheelhaase for a 7-yard loss on fourth-and-goal to give the Gophers the ball back at the 5-minute mark.

The Gophers punted on their first four possessions, but they got their first break early in the second quarter when Scheelhaase was sacked and stripped of the ball by Ra'Shede Hageman. Michael Amaefula recovered at the 16-yard line, and Gray slipped out of Steve Hull's tackle on the next play on his way to an easy touchdown run.

Gray owned the next drive, too, finding Da'Jon McKnight for a pair of first downs and a wide-open John Rabe from 8 yards out on third down to stretch the lead to 14-0. Wettstein, the walk-on who took over four games ago when Chris Hawthorne got hurt, nailed a couple of kicks before the end of the half, and the Gophers took a 20-point lead to the locker room.

They padded it on their first possession of the third quarter after a 21-yard punt by Ryan Lankford gave them the ball at their 43. Gray finished the possession with a 14-yard touchdown run, putting a slick juke on DeJazz Woods at the line of scrimmage to jog into the end zone untouched.

The Illini, who beat Baylor in the Texas Bowl last year, have never won bowl games in consecutive seasons. There's no guarantee they'll get invited this time, with more eligible Big Ten teams than assigned slots.

Zook, 57, is 34-51 in seven seasons, a winning percentage that ranks 11th among the 13 Illini coaches who've coached more than one season.

Nov. 19 at Northwestern 28 … Minnesota 13
CFN Analysis: MarQueis Gray ran for 147 yards and a score, and Duane Bennett added 127 yards, but he offense couldn’t convert the yards into points. After getting down big early, it was a scramble to try to come back, the Gophers aren’t equipped to bomb away. … It might have been a double digit loss, but there were signs of improvement. The offensive line had one of its best games of the year. … Kim Royston deserves All-Big Ten recognition. He was all over the field making 17 stops with a pick. … For a team that needs great field position, the problems punting the ball continue to be glaring. The Gophers lost the special teams battle. … Can they close out with a win over a floundering Illinois? Going into the offseason, a home victory would be something to rally around. 

Nov. 12 Wisconsin 42 … at Minnesota 13
CFN Analysis: Minnesota played hard, it took several chances, and it came up with a great pass rush early on, but none of it mattered. Wisconsin is Rose Bowl-good, so getting blown away by an elite team can’t be a concern. The effort is still there, but the offense wasn’t gaining just 156 yards with MarQueis Gray having a hard time finding open receivers, and missing the once that were in the clear. … The defense couldn’t handle anything the Badgers came up with, getting pounded on by the running game and getting picked apart by Russell Wilson and Nick Toon. … With dates against Northwestern and Illinois to close, two teams more Minnesota’s size, the potential is there to win them both if the linebackers can make more plays at the point of attack, and if the offense can pick up the pace like it did against Iowa and Michigan State. That means Gray has to be nearly perfect.
 
Nov. 5 at Michigan State 31 ... Minnesota 24
CFN Analysis: The Gophers might have lost and a losing season is now ensured, but this was another big step forward after beating Iowa last week. Michigan State has been one of the best home teams in college football this year, and Minnesota did a great job of staying in the game until late. MarQueis Gray came up with his best game of the year with 295 yards and three touchdowns, and 71 rushing yards, but the two picks were costly, including the one on a miscommunication to seal MSU’s win. Jerry Kill’s team needs to keep improving each week and needs to keep building itself up for next year, and while the tackling continues to be spotty and there are still major problems, this was a positive before getting Wisconsin at home next week. If the run defense can play as well against the Badgers as it did against the Spartans – allowing 3.8 yrds per carry – it could be interesting. 

Oct. 29 at Minnesota 22 … Iowa 21
CFN Analysis: That’s the MarQueis Gray the team was hoping for. The defense couldn’t tackle Marcus Coker, and it took a few chances to pull off the upset, but for a Gopher team in the midst of a miserable season, a second straight win over Iowa is a really big deal. Gray was effective throwing the ball, completing 11-of-17 passes for 193 yards and a score, and he ran for 62 yards and the key score, playing under control and in command. The offensive line played its finest game of the year doing a strong job for the running game and giving Gray time to work. The defense might have stunk, but it kept the deep passes to a minimum and kept the game close so Gray could pull it out. This was Minnesota’s bowl game. Reality will return with Michigan State and Wisconsin up next, but no matter what happens the rest of the way, Jerry Kill has his first big win.
 
Oct. 22 Nebraska 41 … at Minnesota 14
CFN Analysis: MarQueis Gray tried to run, taking off for 67 yards and a score, but he couldn’t generate anything for the passing game, the offense didn’t move early on, and the game got out of hand. With no passing attack to rely on to get back in the game, the Gophers didn’t have a chance when the Nebraska running game was rolling at will. This is the third straight blowout in Big Ten play with Iowa coming up next, and the offense is getting worse and less effective. The defensive front isn’t getting into the backfield and Gray isn’t making anything happen down the field. Against Iowa, it’s time to start taking a few more deep shots just to see if something can open up. Da’Jon McKnight is a playmaker who isn’t getting the ball in his hands, catching just two passes for 77 yards. The coaching staff has to find more ways to get him the ball on the move.

Oct. 8 at Purdue 45 … Minnesota 17
CFN Analysis: Starting with the late pick six against North Dakota State, Minnesota opponents went on a 95-0 run. The Gophers aren’t playing any defense with the linebackers not coming up with any meaningful stops. The offense did nothing against a mediocre defense, coming up with just one touchdown drive late after getting down 45-10. The attack managed just 11 first downs and 213 yards of total offense, with MarQueis Gray having problems once again leading the attack. The lines on both sides have been awful and there’s no pop whatsoever in the passing game to mount a comeback or to keep up the pace. With Nebraska, Iowa, at Michigan State and Wisconsin up next, it’s time to go all young all the time and give all of 2012’s key players as much work as possible.

Oct. 1 at Michigan 58 … Minnesota 0
CFN Analysis: It’s going to be an ongoing process for Minnesota in what’s quickly becoming a lost season. Head coach Jerry Kill’s seizure problems aren’t necessarily an excuse considering the team just doesn’t have the talent to beat teams as strong as Michigan, but something has to start going right. The coaching staff stuck with freshman Max Shortell the whole way, and he couldn’t move the ball as the freshman quarterback threw for just 104 yards and the ground game was held to just 73. The Gophers got down early and never had a prayer of making this interesting going 0-for-11 on third down chances, turning it over twice, and committing nine penalties. Kill has to get the pieces in place for down the road, and if that means taking a step back by playing several young players, then that’s how it’s going to have to be. 

Sept. 24 North Dakota State 37 … at Minnesota 24
CFN Analysis: It’s not like the Gophers didn’t have their chances, but they couldn’t make the most of the opportunities. From interceptions to missed defensive plays to allow NDSU to keep drives alive, this was a sloppy, uneven game that raises even more questions. Why isn’t MarQueis Gray able to get the offense moving? Is it time to turn to Max Shortell full-time? Where’s the defense on third downs? NDSU converted 6-of-9 chances, and while Minnesota converted 9-of-14 third down tries, the Gophers spent too much time chasing. The linebackers aren’t playing well enough to handle Denard Robinson and Michigan next week, but the run defense has been far, far better than the secondary. 

Sept. 17 Minnesota 29 … at Miami University 23
CFN Analysis: Getting Jerry Kill back on the sidelines was a big boost to the team, but it was the play of MarQueis Gray that got the Gophers over Miami. The big quarterback ran for 171 yards and completed 11-of-21 passes for 163 yards and a score, and now he needs more help. Donnell Kirkwood only ran for 55 yards and Duane Bennett was held to 12 yards on seven carries. Minnesota can’t take any game for granted, but it should be able to beat North Dakota State before going to Minnesota. Getting more of a pass rush is a must before diving into Big Ten play against Michigan. 

Sept. 10 New Mexico State 28 … at Minnesota 21
CFN Analysis: This was a disastrous loss for Minnesota in every way possible. Obviously, all the concern is about the health of head coach Jerry Kill after he suffered a seizure on the sidelines late in the game, but from all early indications, he’ll be fine. On the field, MarQueis Gray played like he’s expected to, completing half his passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns and running for 110 yards on 17 carries, but he threw two picks. Da’Jon McKnight showed off why he should be one of the Big Ten’s best receivers, catching nine passes for 146 yards and a score. Over two games, the pass defense has been a disaster, and while this is as bad a loss as the program has had in years, wins over Miami University and North Dakota State would turn things around before going to Michigan.
 
Sept. 3 at USC 19 … Minnesota 17
CFN Analysis: Minnesota needed a big day from MarQueis Gray and didn’t get it. Before getting banged up, he only completed 7-of-12 passes for 95 yards and ran for just 47 yards on 16 carries. Now the quarterback controversy will come with Max Shortell likely to get plenty of consideration for more time after doing a great job in relief, completing 7-of-13 passes for 98 yards and a score. Yes he threw the game-sealing interception, but he had to force the ball down the field to try to make something happen. The Gopher defense looked fast and athletic, doing a great job of getting around the ball against the USC ground game, and while it couldn’t figure out how to stop Robert Woods, it was a positive performance.

The 2011 Recruiting Class Is Heavy On … Offensive linemen. For new head coach Jerry Kill to do what he wants with his offense, he’ll need stronger, tougher offensive linemen than Minnesota has had in years. The hope will be for tackles Luke McAvoy and Foster Bush to quickly grow into real, live bookends for the front five, while guard Kyls McAvoy and Tom Olson have the potential to be terrific with a few years in the weight room. Tight end Peter Westerhaus and receiver Quentin Gardener will soon be focal points of the passing game.

Five Minnesota Recruits You Should Care About
Player writeups by Scout.com

1. LB Quinn Bauducco
6-3, 220, Scout.com’s 40th ranked middle linebacker. Sure handed-tackler could play at either linebacker spot, but likely will play inside in college. Strong against the run but equally solid against the pass. Big hitter and loves to initiate contact.

2. QB Max Shortell
6-4, 205, Scout.com’s 57th ranked quarterback.

3. OG Kyle McAvoy
6-6, 282, Scout.com’s 51st ranked guard.

4. WR Ge’Shun Harris
6-3, 215, two-star JUCO transfer. Prepped at Corona (Calif.) Centennial, and helped the Huskies to the CIF State D-I title in 2008. Walked on at Arizona State, but matriculated to Arizona Western, starting every game from the second on. Had a team-best 31 receptions for 620 yards and four touchdowns. In the Mississippi Bowl, had 10 catches for 170 yards. Was All-ACCAC.

5. S Drayquan Crawford
6-1, 200, two-star JUCO transfer.

2011 Entire Recruiting Class
Michael Amaefula DE 6-2 218 Arlington, Texas/Bowie HS
Quinn Bauducco LB 6-3 225 Moorpark, Calif./Moorpark HS
Joe Bjorklund OL 6-5 285 Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS
Foster Bush OL 6-5 270 Menasha, Wis./Menasha HS
Josh Campion OL 6-5 320 Fergus Falls, Minn./Fork Union Military
Thieren Cockran DE 6-6 210 Homestead, Fla./Homestead HS
Devin Crawford-Tufts WR 6-2 180 Edina, Minn./Edina HS
Quentin Gardener WR 6-0 190 Denton, Texas/Guyer HS
Drew Goodger TE 6-5 234 Shawnee Mission,, Kan./Northwest HS
Ge'Shun Harris WR 6-3 210 Corona, Calif./Arizona Western College
Chris Hawthorne K 6-4 180 Raleigh, N.C./North Carolina State
Marcus Jones DB 5-8 170 Wake Forest, N.C./Rolesville, N.C.
Grayson Levine DB 5-11 195 Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS
Jephete Matilus LB 6-1 218 Delray Beach, Fla./Atlantic HS
Kyle McAvoy OL 6-5 293 Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington HS
Luke McAvoy OL 6-5 278 Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington HS
Steven Montgomery DB 5-10 184 Miramar, Fla./Miramar HS
Tommy Olson OL 6-4 275 Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi HS
John Rabe TE 6-4 245 Iowa Falls, Iowa/Ellsworth CC
Max Shortell QB 6-6 215 Shawnee Mission, Kan./Bishop Miege HS
Derrick Wells DB 6-0 180 Lehigh Acres, Fla./Lehigh HS
Peter Westerhaus LB 6-3 205 Chanhassen, Minn./Holy Family HS