Coach Kill working hard on first recruiting class

Published Jan. 17, 2011 10:24 a.m. ET

foxsports

By Chris Monter
FOXSportsNorth.com
January 17, 2011

Minnesota head football coach Jerry Kill landed another commitment as the Golden Gophers work towards the national signing day, which is February 2nd. There was also some big changes with some previous commitments under former head coach Tim Brewster.

Minnesota has 20 commitments to date after landing Quentin Gardener, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound wide receiver from Denton (TX) Guyer. Gardener visited Minnesota for the USC game, but was re-recruited by new Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill and wide receivers coach Pat Poore.

Gardener caught 20 passes for 325 yards (16.3 yards per reception) with three touchdowns. He had three rushes for 24 yards for the Wildcats, who finished 13-3 losing to Cibolo Steele in the Class 5A Div II State Championship Game.

Gardener will likely take the roster spot of fellow Texas wide receiver Cameron Brown, a 6-foot-2, 210 pounder from Frisco Liberty, who de-committed from the Gophers this week.

Russell Haughton-James, an offensive tackle from American Heritage and Brookfield (Wis.) Central tight end Sam Rohr are also no longer part of the Class of 2011.

Haughton-James was expected to visit West Virginia this past weekend and Western Kentucky and Florida Atlantic the next two weekends. He had committed to Minnesota in September.

Rohr, who verbally committed to Minnesota last June, committed to Northern Iowa last week.

The Golden Gophers had five visitors this past weekend. Recent commitment Drew Goodger, a 6-foot-5, 234-pound tight end from Shawnee Mission (Kan.) Northwest was joined by Rosemount offensive tackle Joe Bjorklund and Florida linebacker Arrington Jenkins and preferred walk-on candidates Graham Glasgow, an offensive tackle from Aurora, Illinois and Bemidji