Following the conclusion of Minnesota's early signing day festivities, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck met with the media to discuss the Gophers 2025 recruiting class. Below, Gophers Nation goes over some of the major takeaways from Fleck's time at the podium.
ELITE IN-STATE TRIO OF PROSPECTS
One thing that P.J. Fleck made sure to point out was the Gophers' elite trio of in-state prospects (not counting specialists Luke Ryerse and Daniel Jackson). The Gophers landed arguably the top three in-state prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle in the form of four-star Emmanuel Karmo, defensive tackle Abu Tarawallie, and linebacker Ethan Stendel.
Karmo was a major recruiting win for the Gophers, as they were able to keep at home despite offers from traditional powers such as Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, USC, and Wisconsin.
"Emmanuel brings a lot of versatility to our program," P.J. Fleck said about the top ranked player in the state. "Every blue blood in the country came after him, and just give him a lot of credit for staying true to the to the maroon and gold, and giving us our given us his commitment, and can't wait to coach him. He's a phenomenal football player and an elite young man."
Stendel is one of the more intriguing prospects in the class. He wasn't highly recruited but the Gophers think they have a gem in the high school quarterback turned linebacker.
"Cody Lindenberg Jr," Fleck remarked about the Caledonia standout. "When you look at him now, really skinny, really long, but this guy's got all the traits that Cody had, maybe just a tad more at the level that he's at first, where Cody was at," he added. "After an elite camp this summer, we offered him immediately, and he was committed to us. Grew up gopher fam wanted to stay home and plays for legendary Minnesota high school coach Carl Fruechte."
Tarawallie is a three-sport athlete for Eden Prairie playing football, basketball, and track and field but what Fleck likes the most about Tarawallie is that he was looking for more than just a "football program", he was looking for a "life program". Tarawallie's ultimate goal is to be a neurosurgeon.
All three Minnesota commitments come to Dinkeytown with tremendously high ceilings and could project as impact players defensively long term. Karmo is a prospect that projects to be a bit more of an impact player potentially earlier in his career, however, compared to that of Stendel and Tarawallie. Both Stendel and Tarawallie are more raw prospects in their development and will take time both in the weight room and on the field before their impact is felt on the field.
Gophers go west for five prospects
"Only if we find the right fit," P.J. Fleck said in the Gophers recruitment of the west coast this cycle. Of the 20 signees on Wednesday, five came from the "West Coast" in a trio of California commitments; quarterback Jackson Kollock, wide receiver Legend Lyons, and offensive lineman Daniel Shipp as well as a pair of offensive linemen in Arizona native Nick Spence and New Mexico standout Mark Handy.
As Fleck noted, it was the most West Coast prospects signed by a Big Ten program outside the conference's four West Coast programs in Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington.
"We'll go anywhere, as long as the fit is there. Because again you can find 20 players in the country who want to love their life academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually and pour everything they have into it. There's 20 players in the country that want that. That's what's so great about expanding our map a little bit, it gives us more options and we've made some great connections already to some high schools that we will continue to go to every year," Fleck added.
Gophers will target a quarterback in the portal
Near the end of his press conference, Fleck was asked about how the Gophers would handle the quarterback situation this offseason. "I've been very transparent with all our quarterbacks," Fleck said. "We're absolutely going to bring in a transfer quarterback to compete. That's what we're going to do, and I think that's good for everybody."
The Gophers are currently slated to have five quarterbacks on their roster come the spring. However, with Max Brosmer exhausting his eligibility this fall, each of the five quarterbacks has little to no game experience in their careers. All five quarterbacks will have four years of eligibility entering the 2025 season.
Expect the Gophers to target veteran signal callers who have one or two years of eligibility remaining to help add experience to the room.
Drake Lindsey has been 'attached' to Max Brosmer's hip
Max Brosmer's impact on the field may have only been felt this fall but the Gophers' starting quarterback appears to making sure his impact his felt way beyond the 2024 season. The veteran quarterback has been a key mentor for Gophers' signal caller Drake Lindsey and Dylan Wittke, Fleck said on Wednesday.
"Drake has attached himself to Max's hip. As well as Dylan. You see Max somewhere and Drake is right there. It's just not the football piece," he noted. "It's the mannerisms. It's how you lead. It's what you say. It's when you say it. It's how you say it. Drake has been able to take all that and apply it now to bowl prep. Bowl prep is a cap of the 2024 season, it's a reward. It's a celebration for the paper, it's also early spring ball. It's already a jump forward to 2025. So it's critical every rep that he (Drake Lindsey) has."
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