Gophers' Incoming Freshman Dubbed One of Biggest 'Steals' in 2026 Recruiting Class

Minnesota will be adding one of the best high school pass rushers in the country to its team in 2026.

Lafayette Jeff senior Aaden Aytch (9) leads the Bronchos out to the IHSAA 5A regional championship football game between the Lafayette Jeff Bronchos at the Concord Minutemen, Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at Rice Field in Elkhart, Ind. Concord won 47-45. | Chad Krockover / For South Bend Tribune and Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn

It has been roughly two months since early national signing day in December, but major recruiting services continue to update their rankings for the 2026 class. Incoming Gophers freshman edge rusher Aaden Aytch continues to get praise as one of their most interesting prospects in the class.

The final 2026 rankings from Rivals.com had Aytch as the highest-ranked four-star recruit and the No. 33 overall player in the country. Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings published an article on Wednesday calling Aytch one of the "biggest steals" in the 2026 recruiting class.

Biggest steals of the 2026 recruiting class, via @CharlesPower💥

Read: https://t.co/Xn7Yk9G074 pic.twitter.com/VUguNwG6hG

— Rivals (@Rivals) February 4, 2026

"Aaden Aytch made a serious push for a fifth star. He was a big mover in the November Rivals300 update and continued to make a push, falling just short of that five-star range. He is a huge get for Minnesota, arguably the best prospect that P.J. Fleck has brought in during his tenure. Aytch is hyper-productive, blew up as a senior with 31.5 tackles for loss and 17.5 sacks," a scout wrote.

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"Twitched-up, athletic pass-rusher who’s hyper-disruptive and was really dominant down the stretch of his senior season. I think he’ll continue to grow physically, but has put on good weight, has long arms, is around 6-foot-4 and 230. We think he has plenty of room to continue growing. He’s also a younger prospect for the class, not turning 18 until July."

Listed at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, Aytch was one of the biggest risers in the 2026 cycle. He was the 13th-ranked player in Indiana before he took his official visit to the University of Minnesota in May, and he's now not that far off from being the 13th-best player in the country. The Gophers identified him early when he was originally verbally committed to Northern Illinois; now he's projected to be a serious difference maker in the Big Ten.

Local Minnesota stars like Howie Johnson and Roman Voss were more well-known throughout the 2026 cycle, and playmakers like Justin Hopkins and Ryan Estrada received more fanfare when they originally committed. Aytch continues to receive more and more hype, and he could wind up being one of the most significant high school signings of P.J. Fleck's tenure at Minnesota.

Aytch did not enroll early this spring, so he will officially join the Gophers roster this summer after he graduates from Jefferson High School in Lafayette, Indiana.