There's an interesting story in the Fargo Forum about the tough decision James Johannesson had, choosing the Gophers over North Dakota State:

But he said picking between Minnesota and NDSU was still a tough decision. Last August when he verbally committed to the Gophers, he had a hard time breaking the news to Bison running backs coach TylerRoehl and head coach Chris Klieman.

GOPHERS VIDEO Joe Christensen wraps up football recruiting at startribune.com/gophers.

"I didn't even want to tell them … I almost couldn't do it," Johannesson said Wednesday morning, moments after he signed his national letter of intent during a ceremony in the South gymnasium. "I felt like I was breaking up with my girlfriend or something."

Gophers coach Jerry Kill sounded pretty impressed Wednesday.

"North Dakota, it seems like every time the Gophers have gotten a player from that area, they've been an All-American. James Johannesson being 6-1, 220 pounds, and he ran a 4.55 [seconds in 40-yard dash] at our camp — a lot of people don't know all that stuff."

Gridiron Gold: startribune.com/gophers