Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck received commitments from two recruits Saturday — the first for Minnesota’s 2027 recruiting class and the seventh for its 2026 class.
Wayzata sophomore defensive lineman Eli Diane announced on the X social media platform that he will attend Minnesota, becoming the Gophers’ first 2027 commitment. Later Saturday, Kai Meza, a wide receiver from Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, announced on X that he’s committed to the Gophers’ 2026 class.
Diane, 6-4 and 235 pounds, does not yet have a star rating by either recruiting-focused website 247Sports.com or the 247Sports composite rankings of major recruiting services, but he has a solid list of scholarship offers and has the potential to be the state’s top-ranked prospect in the 2027 class. Along with the Gophers, Diane has received offers from Power Four conference schools Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Rutgers and Wisconsin.
Diane participated in the Gophers’ Junior Day in February and made unofficial visits in March and last week before committing Saturday.
Diane also is a standout in track and field, and he recently set Wayzata’s school shot put record with an effort of 55 feet, 2 inches.
Meza, 6-0 and 175 pounds, is a three-star recruit who is ranked 15th in Utah in the 2026 class and is the No. 174th-ranked wideout recruit nationally by 247Sports. His offers included California, Arkansas, Boise State, Oklahoma State, Utah and Washington State, among others. Meza received his offer from the Gophers in October and was on campus for an unofficial visit this weekend.
Meza caught 46 passes for 944 yards and 13 touchdowns in 14 games last season, helping Corner Canyon win the Class 6A state championship. As a sophomore for Herriman (Utah) Mountain Range High School in 2023, Meza had 57 receptions for 1,311 yards and 10 TDs.
