Does Minnesota have the next Max Brosmer committed to its 2026 recruiting class?

Owen Lansu has fully embraced Minnesota since committing to the program last summer.
Owen Lansu
Owen Lansu | Picture via: @OwenLansu12 (X)

Downers Grove, Ill. 2026 quarterback Owen Lansu has been verbally committed to the Gophers since July and he seems very confident with his early decision. He has already fully adopted Minnesota and their signal callers, building relationships with former Gophers Max Brosmer and Tanner Morgan along with his future teammate Drake Lindsey.

Standing at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Lansu is coming off an impressive junior season at Downers Grove North High School. He threw for 1,982 passing yards, 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions. According to the 247Sports Composite, he is the 777th-best recruit in the country, the 61st-ranked QB and the 21st-best player in Illinois.

Between unofficial visits and school camps, he has been on the University of Minnesota campus more than five times since 2022. His most recent visit came on Feb. 1 for the program's annual 'Junior Day' recruiting event. He was able to attend the men's hockey series against Wisconsin alongside Lindsey.

"Every recruit had a current player that they were kind of partnered with for the trip... and I was partnered with Drake Lindsey," Lansu said. "He was a great host, I had a great time and I got to know him pretty well, which is important because moving forward he's probably going to be the leader in the quarterback room. He's a guy that I really want to learn a lot from when I am there and mentor me."

Minnesota currently does not have a senior quarterback on its 2025-26 roster, so the position's room could look quite similar in 2026-27 when Lansu potentially joins the program.

Lansu still has an entire senior season of high school football before his college career begins. It was recommended by the Gophers staff that he could do a training session with Morgan and his new QB Motion brand during his last visit and Lansu left impressed.

"I thought he was a super impressive guy. A lot of the stuff he taught we stuff that I hadn't really been introduced to before. He gave me some stuff to go home and work on," he said. "It's going to be a lot easier for me to develop that relationship when I am on campus and I can kind of access him all the time, but I think we're going to get some virtual sessions in because he does a lot of that stuff."

Lansu's budding relationships with the Minnesota QB brotherhood didn't stop there, as he mentioned how the Gophers' staff sees a lot of the same traits in him as they did Brosmer.

"I have had the pleasure of getting to know him over the phone and I talked to him two weeks ago for maybe 45 minutes, just asking him (about) his advice on some stuff because I think me and him have very similar play styles and very similar people," Lansu said. "To be honest with you, a big reason why I think the coaches like me so much, is because, as they've told me, I remind them a lot of Max. Him being similar to me, I kind of wanted to see what made him tick and what made him so successful there for this past year. I am cultivating that relationship a little more, starting right now."

In the modern recruiting world, it's rare to see a quarterback of Lansu's talent verbally committed to a school more than 15 months out from Early National Signing Day. He's still at least 10 months away from potentially joining the program, but he seems fully bought into being the next guy in Minnesota's quarterback room.


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Tony Liebert
TONY LIEBERT

Tony Liebert is particularly known for his coverage of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, though he also contributes to coverage of the Minnesota Vikings, Timberwolves and Twins. His writing style is noted for providing in-depth analysis and insights, making him a go-to source for fans looking for comprehensive coverage of Minnesota sports.

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