Gopher legacy Demetrius Douglas flips from Oregon

The PJ Fleck effect.

Less than a week into the job, PJ Fleck has led the Gophers from the No. 77 recruiting class to a top 45 class. After flipping his best Western Michigan recruits, Fleck landed tight end Jake Paulson, running back Mohamed Ibrahim, and most recently athlete Demetrius Douglas.

Paulson is a highly-sought after tight end that has seen his recruitment surge after a strong senior year. He was scheduled to visit LSU this weekend before his Minnesota commitment. Ibrahim hadn’t even heard from Fleck long before deciding that he wanted to join the ‘row the boat’ movement at Minnesota. Now Fleck has landed Douglas – who told Tracy Claeys’ staff “no” before.

Demetrius is the son of former star Gopher receiver Omar, and his mother attended Minnesota as well. He grew up in the western suburbs before moving to the Portland area in high school. In his heart, Minnesota is home.

“We actually had season tickets when I was growing up, and we enjoyed coming to the games and watching,” he told The Gopher Report this summer.

Douglas had been committed to Oregon since July, but with the Ducks’ coaching change, has been looking at other options. He was also wanted by Notre Dame and was planning to visit the Irish. Now, however, he’s a Gopher.

“First and foremost I give all thanks to God. I also want to thank each and every school for the time put into recruiting me and building a relationship. A lot of thought, conversation, and prayer has gone into my decision,” he tweeted today. “I wanted to select a place with the culture, environment, and academics that best fit my needs. With that being said, I am announcing my commitment to the University of Minnesota! I’m excited to be a part of the future of Gopher football with Coach Fleck and the staff. #GoGophers #RTB #Ski-U-Mah”