The saying, “Make hay while the sun shines” could apply to coach P.J. Fleck and the Gophers football program, which annually designate a couple of weekends in June as a “Summer Splash” recruiting event. The hope is that showing off Minnesota at its weather best to players on their official visits will assist in enticing them to pick the Gophers.
Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck goes big — and goes West — with his 2025 recruiting class
The Gophers reeled in 13 verbal commitments over two “Summer Splash” weekends, adding more linemen and more recruits from the West.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
June 18, 2024 at 9:30PM
The second of the two Splash weekends ended Sunday, and Fleck and his coaching staff ended up with 13 verbal commitments for their 2025 recruiting class during that two-week span. Those pledges give Minnesota 23 for its class, and as of Monday afternoon, the Gophers ranked No. 18 nationally and sixth among Big Ten teams in the constantly-changing 247 Sports composite ratings of major recruiting services. Recruits can sign their national letters of intent during the early signing period from Dec. 4-6.
Here are five takeaways from the two weekends:
1. Stocking the lines was a priority
Brian Callahan and Winston DeLattiboudere III have reason to smile. Of the 23 players who have committed to the Gophers, five are offensive linemen and six are either defensive linemen or edge rushers. That’s 47.8% of the commitments dedicated to the big guys up front, giving Callahan, the offensive line coach, and DeLattiboudere, the defensive line coach, a solid amount of clay to mold for the future. Two of the offensive linemen — Nelson McGuire of Midlothian, Texas, and Mark Handy of Albuquerque, N.M. — weigh in at 300 pounds or more, while all of the defensive linemen and edge rushers are 6-3 or taller.
2. Westward Ho!
The Gophers under Fleck haven’t been known to recruit heavily in California. In fact, only two players from the Golden State — junior college quarterback Vic Viramontes and JUCO offensive lineman Jason Dickson in 2018 — have been part of the Gophers’ early signing group in Fleck’s previous eight recruiting classes.
That is changing with the 2025 class, the first that includes the western expansion of the Big Ten to USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington. Fleck received commitments from three Californians — Laguna Beach quarterback Jackson Kollock, Corona Centennial offensive tackle Daniel Shipp and Covina Charter Oak wide receiver Legend Lyons. Throw in Portland (Ore.) offensive tackle Zac Stascausky, Peoria (Ariz.) offensive lineman Nick Spence and Handy, and the Gophers have six commitments from either the Mountain or Pacific time zone.
3. Lose one, gain one on DL
In March, the Gophers flipped Middleton, Wis., defensive lineman Torin Pettaway from his commitment to Wisconsin, but last week Pettaway changed his mind and bounced back to the Badgers. “Regardless of what I was thinking in my decision, Wisconsin stayed on me,” Pettaway told 247 Sports. “They’ve been recruiting me heavily since Day One, and just whenever I get to be on campus and be around the guys, it’s a special feeling. It feels like a family up here.”
The Gophers rebounded Sunday by adding defensive lineman Jayquan Stubbs from Cleveland Heights (Ohio) High School. The 6-6, 249-pounder visited Purdue and West Virginia and was set to visit Illinois. Stubbs’ coach is former Gophers linebacker Mac Stephens.
4. A couple of surprises
On Sunday, the Gophers landed two recruits that came in under the radar. Lyons, who caught 74 passes for 950 yards and seven touchdowns last season, received his offer from the Gophers and committed on Saturday.
Linebacker David Amaliri, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, native, received his Minnesota offer on June 1 and committed Sunday. Syracuse was the Gophers’ main competition for Amaliri.
5. The Gophers might not be done
While the bulk of Minnesota’s 2025 class committed over the past two weeks, some players who visited still could end up with the Gophers. Those to watch include:
* Defensive lineman Derry Norris of Spruce Creek High in Port Orange, Fla. Norris has visited Georgia Tech and Miami (Fla.), and has offers from Alabama and Arkansas.
* Running back Dramekco Green of Conroe, Texas. Green has visited Tulsa and TCU and is scheduled to visit Arizona.
* Offensive tackle Shawn Hammerbeck of Winner, S.D. Hammerbeck visited Nebraska last weekend and is scheduled to visit Texas Tech next.
Sam Rinzel had two of the Gophers’ three power play goals against the Irish.
