Minnesota Announces 2015 Football Recruiting Class
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO/AP) -- It's National Signing Day for high school athletes as they put the pen to paper and finalize where they are heading to be student-athletes in college.
The University of Minnesota announced the signing of 24 scholarship players for next fall. Coach Jerry Kill also announced that six preferred walk-ons will also join the program. The Gophers are coming off their second straight eight-win season and first appearance in a Jan. 1 bowl game in more than 50 years.
Minnesota will remain rooted in the running game for a while.
The Gophers included three running backs in their 24-player recruiting class that became official Wednesday, on national signing day. Canadian Jonathan Femi-Cole leads the list of incoming freshmen who will join standouts from each of the last two recruiting classes in a crowded competition for departing senior David Cobb's spot. Berkley Edwards will be a redshirt sophomore in 2015, and Jeff Jones will be a redshirt freshman on the 2015 team, with Rodrick Williams and Rodney Smith also returning from last year's roster.
Just as important as the running backs, though, are the blockers in front of them.
The Gophers signed five offensive linemen, including two tackles from Minnesota: Nick Connelly of Red Wing and Bronson Dovich of Chaska. The average size of this incoming scholarship quintet is 6-foot-6 and 293 pounds. It also features Ted Stieber of Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, Quinn Oseland of Sacred Heart Griffin High School in Springfield, Illinois, and Tyler Moore, a center from North Shore High School outside of Houston.
"It's as big of a group as we've recruited and as athletic a group as we've recruited," Kill said, adding: "They'll pass the look test, I can tell you that, when they come to camp."
The other position group the Gophers honed in on with this class was defensive backs, with safety Dior Johnson highlighting the seven signees. The Michigan native initially picked Wake Forest before changing his mind last week and joining Southfield High School teammate and cornerback Ray Buford at Minnesota.
Kill actually took the call from Johnson with his commitment while he was on the runway in a private plane after visiting Johnson's home.
"I had to tell the guy, 'Keep 'er down right now. Don't get in the air," Kill said.
Without any consensus five or four-star players, the Gophers were ranked anywhere from ninth to 13th in the Big Ten by the major recruiting services. The only other Minnesota recruits who signed with power-conference teams, though, went with national championship game participants Ohio State (Jashon Cornell of St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall) and Oregon (Drayton Carlberg of Minneapolis DeLaSalle), both defensive linemen.
ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill called Kill's approach to building the program more of a "slow burn." His staff has a track record of raw prospects into productive players down the road.
"He's doing it through evaluation of not just the immediate guy but what a guy might be like two or three years down the road," Luginbill said, "which is one of the hardest things to do."
Colton Beebe, de, 6-3, 252, Kansas City (Kansas) Piper HS
Shannon Brooks, rb, 6-0, 205, Jasper (Georgia) Pickens HS
Ray Buford, cb, 6-2, 190, Southfield (Michigan) HS
Nick Connelly, ot, 6-7, 277, Red Wing (Minnesota) HS
Alonzo Craighton, s, 6-1, 189, Geismar (Louisiana) Dutchtown HS
Demry Croft, qb, 6-5, 198, Rockford (Illinois) Boylan HS
Winston DeLattiboudere III, de, 6-3, 216, Ellicott City (Maryland) Howard HS
Bronson Dovich, ot, 6-5, 295, Chaska (Minnesota) HS
Jonathan Femi-Cole, rb, 6-0, 218, Vaughn (Ontario) St. Andrews College HS
Mose Hall, dt, 6-4, 255, Mobile (Alabama) Murphy HS
x - Trey Hansen, ls, 6-2, 205, Cedar Falls (Iowa) HS
KiAnte Hardin, cb, 5-10, 160, Webb City (Missouri) HS
x - Jacob Herbers, p, 6-2, 195, Battle Creek (Michigan) Lakeview HS
Jacob Huff, s, 5-10, 205, Bolingbrook (Illinois) HS
Julian Huff, mlb, 5-11, 223, Bolingbrook (Illinois) HS
James Johannesson, rb, 6-1, 221, Fargo (North Dakota) South HS
Dior Johnson, s, 6-2, 195, Southfield (Michigan) HS
x - Noah Kuehn, ot, 6-6, 295, Eagan (Minnesota) HS
x - Adam Mayer, wr/db, 6-1, 205, Concord (California) De La Salle HS
Tyler Moore, c, 6-4, 300, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore HS
x - Matthew Morse, qb/wr, 6-1, 185, Apple Valley (Minnesota) HS
x - Joey Mydra, lb, 6-3, 205, Minnetonka (Minnesota) Hopkins HS
Quinn Oseland, ot, 6-6, 301, Springfield (Illinois) Sacred Heart Griffin HS
Hunter Register, wr, 6-5, 200, Lafayette (Louisiana) Comeaux HS
Charlie Rogers, s, 6-1, 200, Iowa Western CC
Antonio Shenault, cb, 5-11, 185, Roselle (Illinois) Lake Park HS
Ted Stieber, ot, 6-6, 290, Akron (Ohio) Hoban HS
Rashad Still, wr, 6-5, 200, El Paso (Texas) Andress HS
Jaylen Waters, mlb, 6-3, 228, Copperas Cove (Texas) HS
Bryce Witham, te, 6-4, 240, Grand Rapids (Michigan) West Catholic HS
Best in class: Dior Johnson, s, Southfield (Michigan) HS. Initially committed to Wake Forest.
Best of the rest: Tyler Moore, c, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore HS; Quinn Oseland, ot, Springfield (Illinois) Sacred Heart Griffin HS; Charlie Rogers, s, Iowa Western CC; Demry Croft, qb, Rockford (Illinois) Boylan HS; Ray Buford, cb, Southfield (Michigan) HS; Bronson Dovich, ot, Chaska (Minnesota) HS; Jonathan Femi-Cole, rb, Vaughn (Ontario) St. Andrews College HS
Late addition: Winston DeLattiboudere III, de, Ellicott City (Maryland) Howard HS. Didn't make commitment known until Sunday. The Baltimore Sun's All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year, listed at 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds, played his entire senior season as a 16-year-old.
One that got away: Jamal Milan, dt, Chicago Raby HS. Waited until Wednesday to choose Illinois.
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