Minnesota has officially landed a commitment from top 2024 target Zahir Rainer. The three-star safety out of Richmond (VA), made his pledge to the Gophers over a top seven that consisted of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Stanford.
"It is a dream come true," Rainer told TGR. "I know there is a lot of work to be done, I know I have to work hard to get to a certain place under Coach (Danny) Collins, Coach (Joe) Rossi and Coach (P.J.) Fleck. It is just a dream come true to have my shot to play in the Big Ten, an opportunity to compete early, and be a star."
Rainer has been all over the United States visiting each of his top seven schools over the last six weeks, and was on campus in Minneapolis a few weeks ago with his parents alongside him. Having both parents there, particularly his mother, was big for Rainer.
"It was a big visit," said Rainer. "It was me, my mom, and my dad. My mom doesn't really travel a whole lot, but it was getting to that point where I wanted my mom to see it for herself. It was huge, and definitely checked all of our boxes."
The competition was stiff for Rainer, but the Gophers were considered the frontrunners throughout most of his recruitment, at least as of late. Loyalty and commitment are just two of the many things that stand out about Minnesota.
"They have a plan for me to compete early, they have a plan for me to play often and early, they were there early in my recruitment, they always kept it real with me and my family and never showed any fake love, my favorite player went there and they see a lot of Antoine Winfield in me, which means a lot to me. My family and I just thought it was the best fit because they have showed love, commitment, and loyalty through all of this."
Rainer has been vocal about his desire to play in the Big Ten, and now has turned that into a reality.
"I think the way my playing style works is perfect with how the Big Ten is - just tough, gritty, physical, violent, whatever you want to say," Rainer said. "Growing up my favorite player was Charles Woodson, so I have always thought that if I could get to the Big Ten then my dream would become a reality."
Rainer is the second commit of the week for Minnesota, joining Riley Sunram and becoming the 9th overall pledge in the class.
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