On Thursday, Minnesota landed their fifth commitment of the 2026 recruiting cycle when three-star wide receiver Rico Blassingame committed to the Golden Gophers.
He is the first pass-catcher to commit to Minnesota in this recruiting cycle and the third offensive recruit to join the class, alongside three-star quarterback Owen Lansu and four-star offensive lineman Andrew Trout.
Here are five things you need to know about Rico Blassingame and his commitment to Minnesota.
1. Minnesota beat out strong competition for Blassingame
This is an impressive recruiting win for Matt Simon and the Gophers as Blassingame was a highly sought-after wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting cycle with nearly two dozen offers. Programs that were also in on Blassingame included Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Louisville, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Washington, and Wisconsin.
2. This is the third straight cycle Minnesota has landed a prospect from Arizona
Over the last few cycles, we've seen Minnesota put quite a bit of recruiting efforts into the state of Arizona and now the Gophers have landed a prospect of the state in three recruiting cycles.
In the 2025 recruiting cycle, the Gophers signed Peoria, Arizona native Nick Spence, a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman while in the 2024 recruiting cycle, they signed long snapper Alan Soukup.
The Gophers if they have their way are not done in the state of Arizona this cycle. They've offered almost a dozen prospects out of The Grand Canyon State including top offensive tackle target Aaron Thomas as well as wide receivers Daylen Sharper and Devin Fitzgerald.
3. Blassingame has had very productive sophomore and junior seasons
Playing at the 6A level in Arizona, Blassingame has had productive sophomore and junior seasons for Tolleson Union High School despite the team as a whole struggling, winning just one game in 2024—an encouraging sign.
As a sophomore in 10 games, Blassingame recorded 60 receptions for 593 yards and one touchdown. This past fall, he followed it up with an impressive 53 receptions for 690 yards and five touchdowns.
Those numbers came despite suboptimal quarterback play, as in 2024, Tolleson quarterbacks completed just 52.3% of their passes for 107.3 yards per game and had more interceptions than touchdowns.
4. He made an unofficial visit to campus in February; and has an official visit set for May 30
Blassingame made his first campus visit in early February for a Minnesota junior day, an experience that played a significant role in his eventual commitment to the Golden Gophers.
Following that unofficial visit, he also locked in an official visit to Minnesota for the May 30 weekend. It was the only official visit he had scheduled or announced in his recruitment before his commitment.
5. He is also a standout basketball player
Not only is he a great wide receiver, but Blassingame is also a standout on the hardwood and is averaging 18.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this season for Tolleson. Last month, Tolleson announced that Montana became the first program to offer him a basketball scholarship.
Minnesota's Full 2026 Recruiting Class
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