{"id":49124,"date":"2023-07-23T13:00:39","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T17:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/?p=49124"},"modified":"2023-07-22T19:08:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-22T23:08:48","slug":"wrapping-up-the-minnesota-gopher-2024-recruiting-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/2023\/07\/23\/wrapping-up-the-minnesota-gopher-2024-recruiting-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Wrapping Up The Minnesota Gopher 2024 Recruiting Class"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gopher head coach <strong>P.J. Fleck<\/strong> and his staff worked tirelessly in the off-season to assemble the #28 ranked national recruiting class, according to <em>247Sports<\/em>. 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&#8217;s tenure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>2024 Recruiting Class<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 2024 Minnesota Gopher recruiting class is Fleck\u2019s 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 <em>247Sports<\/em>-ranked players in the state. The Gophers missed on top targets <strong>Wyatt Gilmore<\/strong> and <strong>Emerson Mandell<\/strong> to Oklahoma and Wisconsin, respectively. But the class is loaded with Minnesota talent. The 2024 cycle is mostly wrapped up, and <strong>John Schaekel<\/strong> and the Gopher recruiting staff are already evaluating the 2025 class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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; <strong>Koi Perich<\/strong> of Esko, who is the #1 ranked player from Minnesota, and offensive lineman <strong>Nathan Roy<\/strong>, the #1 ranked player from Wisconsin.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2024 Gopher Recruiting Class<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quarterback<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Drake Lindsey<\/strong> &#8211; Fayetteville, AR<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running Back<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Ohifame Ijeboi<\/strong> &#8211; Philadelphia, PA<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Jaydon Wright<\/strong> &#8211; Kankakee, IL<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wide Receiver<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Dallas Sims <\/strong>&#8211; Clearwater, FL<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Corey Smith<\/strong> &#8211; Brownsburg, IN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Jalen Smith<\/strong> &#8211; Mankato, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tight End<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Julian Johnson<\/strong> &#8211; Aurora, IL<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Jacob Simpson<\/strong> &#8211; Johnston, IA<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offensive Line<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mauricio Hinds<\/strong> &#8211; Clearwater, FL<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Brett Carroll <\/strong>&#8211; Olathe, KS<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Nathan Roy<\/strong> &#8211; Mukwonago, WI<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defensive Line<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Jide Abasiri<\/strong> &#8211; Prior Lake, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Jaylin Hicks <\/strong>&#8211; New Rochelle, NY<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mo Saine<\/strong> &#8211; Eden Prairie, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Riley Sunram<\/strong> &#8211; Kindred, ND<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linebacker<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mason Carrier<\/strong> &#8211; Detroit Lakes, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Sam Macy<\/strong> &#8211; Chanhassen, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Brady Pretzlaff<\/strong> &#8211; Gaylord, MI<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safety<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Koi Perich<\/strong> &#8211; Esko, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Zahir Rainer<\/strong> &#8211; Richmond, VA<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cornerback<\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Mike Gerald<\/strong> &#8211; Katy, TX<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Samuel Madu<\/strong> &#8211; White Plains, NY<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Simon Seidl<\/strong> &#8211; Saint Paul, MN<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Gopher Recruiting Class Historial Rankings<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Minnesota Gophers have made steady progress on their <em>247Sports<\/em> 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\u2019t be truly evaluated until a player is an upperclassman, the national rankings show positive growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-49130 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/362296949_246366814922376_3457151349961956221_n.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"763\" height=\"359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/362296949_246366814922376_3457151349961956221_n.png 763w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/362296949_246366814922376_3457151349961956221_n-300x141.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><b>Big Ten Recruiting<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/247sports.com\/Season\/2024-Football\/CompositeTeamRankings\/?Conference=Big-Ten\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#9 in the Big Ten rankings<\/a>, which now includes USC and UCLA. The Gophers recruiting class has never been ranked higher than #8 in the conference in the Fleck era.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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\u2019t find much success recruiting football hotbeds like Florida, Georgia, and Texas, in part because those players aren\u2019t accustomed to the weather. That means the Gophers must aggressively recruit in the Midwest and beat our closest Big Ten rivals for top talent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Transfer Portal<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/sean-tyler-1.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-22_cfb\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sean Tyler<\/a>, wide receivers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/corey-crooms-1.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-22_cfb\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Corey Crooms<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cfb\/players\/elijah-spencer-1.html?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2023-07-22_cfb\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Elijah Spencer<\/a>, and defensive back <a href=\"https:\/\/gophersports.com\/sports\/football\/roster\/jack-henderson\/21302\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jack Henderson<\/a>. 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&#8217;s foundation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-49131\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Gopher recruiting class\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/07\/USATSI_19694865_168400536_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Photo courtesy: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4644,"featured_media":49131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,7316],"tags":[7895,7983,79,9298,10259,167,7492,800,7893,178],"class_list":["post-49124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-bigten","category-recruiting","tag-2023-recruiting-class","tag-big-ten-football","tag-college-football","tag-jerry-kill","tag-john-schaekel","tag-minnesota-golden-gophers","tag-minnesota-high-school-football","tag-p-j-fleck","tag-tim-brewster","tag-tracy-claeys"],"modified_by":"Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4644"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49124"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49124\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49131"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/collegefootball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}