Minnesota ATH Peter Fletcher Recaps South Dakota Offer, Discusses Other FCS Interest

Blue Earth (MN) athlete Peter Fletcher returned to Vermillion on Tuesday, after he was previously there in March for a Coyote Junior Day.

This time, however, after meeting with offensive coordinator Tim Morrison and offensive line coach James Bain, he left with an offer from South Dakota.

“I had met with Coach Bain in his office, and he had introduced me to his philosophy and how he coaches. I loved everything about Coach Bain. On the way out, Coach Morrison stopped my father and me to connect with us and thank us for coming down, and he extended the offer,” Fletcher said.

He was impressed with what he saw during his time there, especially the team culture and meeting more of the Coyotes staff, including head coach Matt Vitzthum.

“The culture was insane. The brotherhood between the offensive line was something I took a great liking to. One drill, including 1-on-1s between the offensive and defensive lines, had a DT bull rush a guard and knock him over, to which multiple o-linemen ran over, shoved the d-lineman off, helped him up, and walked back to the sideline.

"On top of that, Coach Walker was connecting with everyone regardless of whether they were in his positional groups of receivers, and the quarterbacks knew how to command the offense. On top of that, the coaches were so fun to be around.

After a great visit and conversations with @Coach_TMorrison and @CoachBain75 I am blessed to receive my 2nd D1 offer to the University of South Dakota #AGTG @CoachVitzthum @AllenTrieu @sixstarfootball @OJW_Scouting pic.twitter.com/kploxdvfgs
— Peter Fletcher (@peterwfletcher) April 21, 2026

"They coach exactly how they recruit. I really appreciate their authenticity. I had great conversations with Coach Vitzthum, Coach Bain, Coach Morrison, and Coach Newsom. They were great coaches, but more importantly to me, they were better people,” Fletcher added.

Receiving His First Offer From Drake

Fletcher attended a Junior Day at Drake on April 6 and received his first offer from the Bulldogs after speaking with head coach Matt Walker.

“I had a great time at Drake! The coaches, being fairly new, had tons of excitement about their schemes and how they would do. Their campus was beyond beautiful, and I loved touring it. Coach Walker also took time to shake all 100 recruits' hands, plus their parents' and siblings' if they were there. He was great.”

After a great visit and conversations with @MattWalkerDU I am blessed to receive my 1st D1 offer to Drake University! #AGTG @AllenTrieu @sixstarfootball @OJW_Scouting pic.twitter.com/XbW0oQQPjp
— Peter Fletcher (@peterwfletcher) April 7, 2026

His Visit To Illinois State

He also took a visit to Illinois State on April 4 to watch them practice and was impressed with what he saw from the Redbirds, and getting to meet with the coaching staff, especially head coach Brock Spack, quarterbacks coach Bob Dunn, offensive line coach Harold Etheridge, wide receivers coach Mickey Turner, and tight ends coach C.J. Irvin.

“I really enjoyed the Illinois State coaching staff, as they seemed to know me more than I had expected, just from learning about me from Coach Dunn. Everyone there was great, and Coach Spack was not only a great coach but a great person who was actively trying to get to know the recruits on a personal level. We toured the weight room, and he sat down on one machine, put tons of weight on, and was repping lat pulldowns like crazy. I bet he had 30-50 reps.

"Coach Etheridge was old-fashioned, but he was cool to learn from. I could tell he was very knowledgeable just based on that 2-hour practice that I had watched. I had also spoken to Coach Mickey Turner and Coach Irvin. They were awesome. They had so much energy and excitement about the game and learning about people there,” Fletcher said.

Thank you coach @CoachBobDunnJr for the @RedbirdFB spring practice visit invite. I had an amazing time seeing the facilities, watching practice, and learning about campus.@Coach_Key1 @Coach_CJIrvin pic.twitter.com/mmbjHVXD7d
— Peter Fletcher (@peterwfletcher) April 4, 2026

Offseason Development

Fletcher, who is also a basketball player and plays both tight end and defensive end, could wind up playing a different position at the next level altogether. His 6-foot-7, 235-pound frame and versatility have schools recruiting him for the offensive line, especially since he has added some weight since the basketball season ended.

“I’m currently being recruited for tight end and offensive tackle. I haven’t played offensive tackle, but I'm told that I have the frame of a lineman.”

Last season, the Bucs finished 3-7, and Fletcher is already looking ahead to the 2026 season.

“This offseason, I’ve gained a couple of pounds of muscle since basketball ended in early March, and I love lifting and the grind of improving. Last season had its ups and downs. We had dealt with tons of injuries, most importantly, the injury to our quarterback, and we finished 3-7, unfortunately. On the upside, however, we only lost around five seniors. Individually speaking, I had a good season, although not great, due to the injuries.”

So far, Fletcher has offers from the Coyotes and Drake, but I think that will change as the spring moves along and summer camps begin. Plus, he already knows what he will be looking for in the program he will eventually commit to.

“My recruitment is going well. I’m beyond grateful for every opportunity I have received. I will be looking for a program with a brotherhood that is stressed everywhere. I want to play for a team that makes me want to fight and die with every single man on my team. I also want a coaching staff that I can have a genuine, close relationship with. Those are my two biggest things about choosing the right school.”

Thank you coach @CoachVitzthum for the @SDCoyotesFB junior day invite. Ihad an amazing time seeing the facilities and learning about campus.@Coach_TMorrison @CoachBain75 pic.twitter.com/Tja2t8Ut8S
— Peter Fletcher (@peterwfletcher) March 23, 2026

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