Throughout the 2024 season, Gophers Nation will track which Minnesota Golden Gopher true freshmen appear in games this fall. Each true freshman for the Gophers will have the ability to play in up to four games this season, once they appear in a fifth game, their redshirt will be burned.
In the Gophers week one loss to North Carolina, a trio of true freshmen made their debuts.
Making their debuts last week was class crown jewel safety Koi Perich, cornerback Samuel Madu, and long-snapper Alan Soukup.
Perich and Soukup both are not surprises. Perich, a top-100 prospect according to Rivals, is expected to establish a notable role for the Gophers as the season progresses.
"He is a special person, a special player," Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said about Perich during the early signing period. "I can't tell you how much his commitment means to the future of our program and I think he knows that, you talk about everything you can to leave your legacy. He's already left a little bit in recruiting. He's got a lot of goals, hopes, and aspirations and we want to help them come true here at the University of Minnesota."
Soukup was considered the top long snapper prospect in the country in the 2024 recruiting cycle and was expected to replace Brady Weeks who finished up his collegiate career last fall after playing in 59 career games.
Madu might be a surprise to some but the Gophers were very high on the New York native and the potential for early playing time was an important factor in his recruitment. How much Madu plays going forward will be intriguing to watch.
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