3 big questions Minnesota has to answer before early national signing day

The Gophers are on pace for one of their best recruiting classes ever under P.J. Fleck.

Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck walks onto the field before the game against the Buffalo Bulls at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

College football's early national signing period is less than two weeks away on December 3. Minnesota's 2026 high school class is on pace to be one of the best in program history, but here are five questions they have to answer before they get to that point.

Best class in program history?

It's seemingly a storyline every year that P.J. Fleck is welcoming his best class ever to Minnesota. That's mostly because he has progressively gotten better at recruiting over time, but it might actually be the case this cycle.

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According to 247Sports, the best class that Fleck has signed in Minnesota was in 2023, which ranked 33rd in the country. This year's class currently ranks 24th in the country, which would be the best in his tenure by a wide margin. There will be plenty of flips and decommitments across the country, but it seems more than likely that this year's class will be his best when it's all said and done.

Will they add another QB?

The Gophers have been linked to Virginia Tech commit Cole Bergeron since early November. He was on campus for an official visit, and they've officially offered him a scholarship. Minnesota has had Owen Lansu committed to its class since July 2024, but Bergeron is a different level of prospect. The Lafayette, Louisiana, native was recently upgraded to a four-star recruit by 247Sports.

The Hokies' recent hire of former Penn State head coach James Franklin could impact Minnesota in more ways than one, and it sounds like he might want to bring in his own QB in the 2026 class. A few services have already predicted a flip for Bergeron, and his commitment could be the cherry on top of the Gophers' impressive cycle.

Pierce Petersohn

Anyone who follows Minnesota high school football recognizes Petersohn. The Triton High School three-sport star originally committed to Penn State over the Gophers as his other finalist. He has since reopened his recruitment, and he is expected to visit Blacksburg this week after announcing an offer from Franklin and the Hokies. Virginia Tech is now the heavy favorite in his recruitment, but crazier things have happened.

Any other flips?

The most recent player to decommit from Minnesota's class is Charlie Jilek, who flipped to Texas last week. The Longhorns also offered current Gophers running back commit Jett Walker, who hails from Georgetown, Texas. The Gophers are currently pursuing recruits who are committed to other schools as we speak. There will almost certainly be some more twists and turns before early national signing day next month.