Coach P.J. Fleck and his Minnesota Gophers Football assistants have been very busy this recruiting season. Busy and successful, as 23 players from the Class of 2024 have committed to the Gophers. Currently, the Gophers nationally have the 14th-ranked recruiting class for 2024. They also have the fourth-ranked Big Ten recruiting class for that year.
I know what you are thinking. Fleck’s classes are usually highly rated at the beginning of a recruiting period. Then the powerhouses catch up and the Gophers’ recruiting class takes a big slide down the national rankings. There will undoubtedly be a drop in their ranking this year, but there are reasons for optimism in Gophers Nation.
Fleck has brought Optimism to Gophers Football
The first reason for optimism is the Gophers’ improvement as a football team. Fleck’s squads have put together two consecutive 9-4 seasons and his overall record at Minnesota is 44-27. That is tempered by the fact that they are only 26-26 in Big Ten competition during that same time period. But they have recorded two consecutive signature wins over Big Ten rival Wisconsin and they are 4-0 in Fleck-coached bowl games.
Also, Minnesota has started to recruit and receive commitments from more talented and athletic players. Koi Perich, a safety out of Esko Minnesota was also pursued by Illinois, Iowa, and Michigan. Iowa State and Kansas State were among the schools that were interested in defensive lineman Jide Abasiri from Prior Lake Minnesota. And linebacker Brady Pretzlaff who hails from Gaylord Michigan had Illinois, Stanford, and Michigan State among his suitors.
Four-Star Gophers’ Recruit Nathan Roy
But the biggest Fleck commitment is a gem from the neighboring state of Wisconsin. On June 16, Minnesota received a commitment from 6-5, 275-pound offensive tackle Nathan Roy from Mukwonago High School. Roy, a four-star recruit was actively sought by Michigan State, UCLA, and Florida in addition to the Gophers.
And Minnesota is cleaning up on in-state commitments. This has not always been the case with Gophers football recruiting. Minnesota now has commitments from seven of the nine top prospects in the state. And Fleck has his sights set on the first and third-ranked prospects.
Dynamic Crop of Instate Recruits
Besides the aforementioned Perich and Abasiri, Fleck has received commitments from linebacker Mason Carrier of Detroit Lakes, defensive lineman Mo Saine out of Eden Prairie, and athlete Simon Seidl who currently plays for Hill Murray High School. Also joining this group are wide receiver Jalen West out of Mankato West, and edge rusher Sam Macy from Chanhassen.
Heavily Recruited Wyatt Gilmore from Rogers Minnesota
They also have a great shot at securing commitments from offensive tackle Emerson Mandell of Irondale High School. As it currently stands, this instate recruiting group constitutes Fleck and his staff’s best effort in the state. If Mandell and/or Gilmore commit to Minnesota, this group would easily rank as one of the best crop of instate recruits ever.
Fleck should be happy with the fruits of his labor so far but he knows there is also tough work ahead. Nationally, prospects such as offensive tackle Caleb Pyfrom who plays for Central High School in Omaha Nebraska, and others are strongly considering committing to the Gophers program. All of these efforts should lead to continued success on the football field and commitments from top prospects in the future.
