Cornerback Ryan Stapp, a transfer portal player from Abilene Christian, has signed with the Gophers. A sophomore with two years of eligibility remaining, Stapp was highly sought after when he entered his name into the portal. The College Station, TX native had received offers from Nebraska, Mississippi State, Washington State, Louisville, and Northwestern, in addition to Minnesota. He tweeted his commitment to the Gophers on December 11. 247Sports ranks him 42nd among all transfer players.
This is the second year in a row that Minnesota has signed a transfer player from Abilene Christian. A year ago it was linebacker Jack Gibbens. That worked out pretty well for the Gophers, as Gibbens led the team in tackles and was arguably their best player on defense. Presumably he also played a role in getting his former teammate to come join him.
In 2019, Ryan Stapp was an FCS Freshman All-American honorable mention. He was also a second-team all-WAC selection in 2021. Through three years at ACU, he racked up 91 tackles, 13 pass break-ups, and four interceptions. At 6 feet and 175 pounds, he has decent size for a corner. This is a guy who comes in ready to play on Day One if necessary. And with the departures of Coney Durr, Phillip Howard, and Justus Harris in the defensive backfield, that may well prove necessary. The Gophers have plenty of young depth at corner and safety. However, beyond sophomore-to-be Justin Walley, there’s very little experience. Bringing in someone who has been a contributor at the college level should be tremendously helpful.
As an added bonus, Stapp returned kicks as a freshman at ACU. He probably won’t be called on to do so for the Gophers, as a starting corner. But you can never have too many players able to contribute in the return game if needed.
