Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff worked tirelessly in the off-season to assemble the #28 ranked national recruiting class, according to 247Sports. The Gophers have received verbal commitments from 23 players, including two four-star and 21 three-star players. The 2024 recruiting class is a win for Minnesota, especially because the Gophers retained most of the top in-state talent for the first time during Fleck’s tenure.
2024 Recruiting Class
The 2024 Minnesota Gopher recruiting class is Fleck’s largest since 2020 when he received 23 verbal commitments. The 2024 class is a boon for the Gophers because Fleck received commitments from seven of the top nine 247Sports-ranked players in the state. The Gophers missed on top targets Wyatt Gilmore and Emerson Mandell to Oklahoma and Wisconsin, respectively. But the class is loaded with Minnesota talent. The 2024 cycle is mostly wrapped up, and John Schaekel and the Gopher recruiting staff are already evaluating the 2025 class.
The 2024 Gopher recruiting class is impressive because they have bolstered the offensive and defensive lines, skill positions, and secondary. The Gophers received commitments from two four-star players; Koi Perich of Esko, who is the #1 ranked player from Minnesota, and offensive lineman Nathan Roy, the #1 ranked player from Wisconsin.
2024 Gopher Recruiting Class
Quarterback
- Drake Lindsey – Fayetteville, AR
Running Back
- Ohifame Ijeboi – Philadelphia, PA
- Jaydon Wright – Kankakee, IL
Wide Receiver
- Dallas Sims – Clearwater, FL
- Corey Smith – Brownsburg, IN
- Jalen Smith – Mankato, MN
Tight End
- Julian Johnson – Aurora, IL
- Jacob Simpson – Johnston, IA
Offensive Line
- Mauricio Hinds – Clearwater, FL
- Brett Carroll – Olathe, KS
- Nathan Roy – Mukwonago, WI
Defensive Line
- Jide Abasiri – Prior Lake, MN
- Jaylin Hicks – New Rochelle, NY
- Mo Saine – Eden Prairie, MN
- Riley Sunram – Kindred, ND
Linebacker
- Mason Carrier – Detroit Lakes, MN
- Sam Macy – Chanhassen, MN
- Brady Pretzlaff – Gaylord, MI
Safety
- Koi Perich – Esko, MN
- Zahir Rainer – Richmond, VA
Cornerback
- Mike Gerald – Katy, TX
- Samuel Madu – White Plains, NY
- Simon Seidl – Saint Paul, MN
Gopher Recruiting Class Historial Rankings
The Minnesota Gophers have made steady progress on their 247Sports recruiting rankings, and the 2024 class is currently ranked #28 (of 133 FBS teams), although that could change up until National Signing Day due to late signings or de-commits. While a recruiting class can’t be truly evaluated until a player is an upperclassman, the national rankings show positive growth.
Big Ten Recruiting
Fleck has made strides in national recruiting rankings and kept more Minnesota talent in-state, but recruiting in the Big Ten is still ultra-competitive. The Gophers 2024 class is #9 in the Big Ten rankings, which now includes USC and UCLA. The Gophers recruiting class has never been ranked higher than #8 in the conference in the Fleck era.
In the past three recruiting cycles, Fleck has retained a majority of the top talent from Minnesota and has lost few in-state recruits to other Big Ten schools. The challenge for the Gophers is the talent pool in Minnesota is not as deep as in many states. In other words, if the Gophers want a Top 25 recruiting class, they need to retain the top in-state talent and also recruit elite out-of-state players. The Gophers won’t find much success recruiting football hotbeds like Florida, Georgia, and Texas, in part because those players aren’t accustomed to the weather. That means the Gophers must aggressively recruit in the Midwest and beat our closest Big Ten rivals for top talent.
Transfer Portal
The transfer portal has revolutionized the college football recruiting landscape and ushered in a new era of player mobility and roster management. Fleck has embraced the transfer portal to identify potential impact players, some of whom will make an immediate impact in 2023. The Gophers expect significant contributions from first-year portal transfers, including running back Sean Tyler, wide receivers Corey Crooms and Elijah Spencer, and defensive back Jack Henderson. The transfer portal has created challenges and opportunities for the Gophers and has also transformed how they build and maintain their roster. The portal has reduced the emphasis on recruiting to maintain a strong football program however Fleck is committed to recruiting and developing high school players as the team’s foundation.
Photo courtesy: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
