The Golden Gophers have another four-star cornerback under wraps, as Steven Ortiz signs with Minnesota. The Arizona native committed verbally in April. In addition to the Gophers, his Power Five offers included Syracuse, Penn State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Arizona.
As a senior at Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ortiz recorded 35 tackles and intercepted two passes. His Scorpions went 8-0 in the regular season before falling to Chandler in the first round of the playoffs.
Here’s part of how 247sports.com’s Blair Angulo described him in October 2018:
“Stingy defender who thrives in one-on-one battles. Comfortable in space and sticks to receivers in and out of their breaks. Very good ball skills. Competitive play-maker with the straight-line speed to blanket his side of the secondary. Instinctual corner who can fill various roles in the defense. Could improve physicality and tackling technique, particularly in run support.”
As is generally the case for 18-year-olds, Steven Ortiz will need to fill out to play Big Ten football. Currently, he’s listed at 5’11” and 170 pounds. With any luck, he’ll benefit from a more typical off-season and training camp that last year’s recruiting class did. Even so, making the roster this season will be an uphill battle for Ortiz. Minnesota has recruited heavily among defensive backs the last two years. While three starters will be graduating, the roster is stacked with current freshmen and redshirt freshmen at both safety and corner. Like most freshmen, Ortiz’ best chance to make an impact will likely be on special teams.
(Photo courtesy Sports360AZ.com)
