Gophers football enters key recruiting stretch, hoping for another big ‘Summer Splash’

Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck and his wife, Heather, recently took a quick European vacation, and among their highlights was a visit to Vatican City on the day white smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel and Cardinal Robert Prevost was introduced as Pope Leo XIV.

“It was one of those experiences where you said, ‘I can’t believe we were there on the day that happened,’” Fleck said on Gophers broadcaster Mike Grimm’s podcast.

Over the next three weeks, Fleck will await his own figurative white smoke moments as the Gophers host two “Summer Splash” recruiting weekends. Close to 40 high school seniors-to-be will make their official visits to Minnesota and receive their recruiting pitches from Fleck, his staff and current players.

Ten recruits already have verbally committed to the Gophers, and Fleck will try to run that number into the low 20s this weekend and June 13-15. And when a recruit pledges to Minnesota, Fleck has a smoke sign of sorts. He’ll send a bat signal on the X social media platform.

Fleck is pushing hard to land two of the best players in Minnesota in the 2026 recruiting class: Jackson County Central High School athlete Roman Voss, the top-ranked player in the state, according to Prep Redzone, and Triton High School athlete Pierce Petersohn, the fourth-ranked player in the state by Prep Redzone.

Voss projects as a tight end, while Petersohn is targeted as a linebacker, and both will visit campus this weekend. Two other highly ranked in-state players who’ve pledged to the Gophers will visit June 13: Rocori offensive tackle Andrew Trout, ranked No. 2 in Minnesota, and Forest Lake defensive lineman Howie Johnson, ranked No. 3 in the state. Voss, Petersohn and Trout are four-star recruits in the 247Sports composite, and Johnson is a high three-star.

Voss, 6-4 and 220 pounds, has narrowed his collegiate choices to the Gophers and SEC power Alabama. He is scheduled to visit the Crimson Tide on June 13. Petersohn, 6-4 and 185 pounds, also has official visits scheduled for Iowa State and Penn State in June.

Landing Voss, Petersohn or both would be huge for Fleck and the Gophers, who won key recruiting battles to keep the past two top-ranked Minnesota recruits in-state: Esko safety Koi Perich in the 2024 class and Cooper linebacker Emmanuel Karmo in the 2025 group.

Of course, the Gophers aren’t focusing only on in-state recruits. They’ll have visitors from 20 other states, including four from Arizona, three from Utah and one each from Colorado and Washington, a sign of influence from the Big Ten’s westward expansion.

While the bulk of Minnesota’s visitors will have a three-star rating, the Gophers have nine visitors scheduled who are four-star recruits, according to the 247Sports composite. Joining Voss, Trout and Petersohn are cornerback Justin Hopkins of Nashville’s Ensworth High School; running back Damon Ferguson of Milford Mill Academy in Gwynn Oak, Md.; safety Jayden McGregory of Valley High in West Des Moines, Iowa; edge rusher Julian Mason of Iowa City West High; running back Ashton Rowden of New Boston (Texas) High; and running back Ryan Estrada of El Dorado High in El Paso, Texas.

Fleck and his coaching staff put a priority on rushing the passer and stopping the pass rush in selecting those who’ll make official visits during the Summer Splash weekends. Eight are defensive linemen or edge rushers, and five are offensive tackles. The Gophers also will have five safeties, four running backs, four linebackers and four cornerbacks visit.

Intriguing visitors this weekend who’ve yet to commit include Ferguson, the seventh-ranked player in Maryland; safeties McGregory, the fourth-ranked player in Iowa, and Omaha North’s Darion Jones, the second-ranked player in Nebraska; and Lehi, Utah, offensive tackle Mataalii Benjamin, a 6-6, 305-pounder who’s ranked 49th nationally at his position.

Also visiting this weekend is committed quarterback Owen Lansu of Downers Grove, Ill. Lansu, ranked No. 44 nationally at his position, has passed for nearly 4,100 yards and 48 touchdowns over the past two seasons.