During Shannon Brooks' 75-yard touchdown run to seal Saturday's 32-23 win over Illinois, the Gophers running back went from the shadows of the 25-yard line and into the sunshine of the west end zone at TCF Bank Stadium.
Brooks' spotlight play and his overall day showed the positive early returns from Minnesota's 2015 recruiting class. Linebacker Julian Huff, cornerback KiAnte Hardin and wide receiver Rashad Still also made big plays to propel the Gophers to the verge of bowl eligibility.
"It creates a bright future," Huff said. "The true freshmen playing like we are now, the sky is the limit.