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2025 Gophers basketball signee Parker Jefferson reopening recruitment

Jefferson doesn't appear to be maintaining his commitment through a coaching change in Minnesota.
Will Ragatz|
Parker Jefferson committed to Ben Johnson and the Gophers last November.
Parker Jefferson committed to Ben Johnson and the Gophers last November. | Parker Jefferson via X

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Minnesota Golden Gophers

2025 Gophers basketball signee Parker Jefferson is reopening his college recruitment after requesting release from his National Letter of Intent, according to 247Sports' Dushawn London.

Jefferson confirmed the news on Saturday with a message to Gophers fans.

"Thank you gopher nation for the unlimited love!! This is what I feel is best for me and my family," he posted on X/Twitter.

Jefferson, a three-star recruit from California, committed to the Gophers last November. That was when Ben Johnson was still the program's head coach. Now, with Niko Medved taking over after Johnson's firing, Jefferson appears to be looking elsewhere as he prepares to begin his college basketball career later this year. He also had offers from USC and Iowa before initially picking Minnesota.

Fellow 2025 signee and California prep star Jacob Ross also requested his release on Friday. That leaves just Kai Shinholster (Philadelphia, PA) as the lone remaining signee in Minnesota's 2025 recruiting class.

Jefferson is a versatile 6'10" big man from Inglewood who ranks as a top-200 player in the country. He would've potentially had a major role for the Gophers right away, with Dawson Garcia and Parker Fox both out of eligibility. But the coaching change has impacted his plans.

Medved has plenty of work to do to build his first roster in Minneapolis. Isaac Asuma and Grayson Grove are two members of the program who are sticking around, but Brennan Rigsby (Radford) and Frank Mitchell (St. Bonaventure) are transferring out. It'll be very interesting to see what Shinholster decides and who Medved can land in the portal. Will any of his players at Colorado State follow him to Minnesota?

It's going to be a busy offseason for Medved and his staff.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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