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Gophers 2026 RB commit ran for astounding 338 yards this week

Ryan Estrada, a four-star running back from Texas, looks like a future standout for Minnesota.
Will Ragatz|
El Dorado's Ryan Estrada (1) runs the ball during a football game against Montwood on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at the Socorro ISD Student Activities Complex 2 in El Paso.
El Dorado's Ryan Estrada (1) runs the ball during a football game against Montwood on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, at the Socorro ISD Student Activities Complex 2 in El Paso. | GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Minnesota Golden Gophers

Gophers 2026 running back commit Ryan Estrada is off to a remarkable start to his senior high school season. On Thursday, he put together one of the best performances of his career. The four-star RB from El Dorado High School in El Paso, TX ran for a whopping 338 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries (14.7 YPC) in a 59-29 win over Montwood.

Three games into the season, Estrada has totaled 623 yards and six touchdowns. He's picking up where he left off last season, when he ran for over 2,400 yards and 32 scores as a junior.

Estrada committed to Minnesota in June, choosing the Gophers over offers from powerhouses like Alabama, Michigan, and Oklahoma, among others. He's a four-star recruit and the 21st-ranked running back in the country in his class, according to 247 Sports' composite rankings. As things stand right now, he's the highest-rated running back to commit to the Gophers since Jeff Jones in 2014, just ahead of players like Darius Taylor and Bucky Irving.

Listed at 5'9" and 195 pounds, Estrada is an explosive back who looks like a big part of Minnesota's future under RBs coach Jayden Everett. He could potentially factor into the backfield as early as next year, with Taylor a candidate to go to the NFL and Cam Davis out of eligibility. Fame Ijeboi, A.J. Turner, and several other young players will also be in that mix, pending transfers.

Voss continues to dominate

Speaking of impressive performances from members of the Gophers' 2026 recruiting class, Roman Voss continues to put up ridiculous numbers at the Class 2A level in Minnesota.

It was senior night on Friday, and Jackson County Central set a new school record for points in a 77-0 win over Sibley East. Voss, the top overall recruit in the Gophers' 2026 class, scored six total touchdowns before being taken out of the blowout. He ran for two TDs and threw for four more.

Voss, who committed to the Gophers over Alabama, does a bit of everything for JCC. The Gophers are recruiting the 6'4", 225-pound athlete to play tight end.

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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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