Key storylines to follow before Minnesota's early national signing period

Minnesota could sign its highest-ranked class ever under P.J. Fleck.

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

The early national signing period for the 2026 high school football recruiting class officially opens on Wednesday, which means a significant part of Minnesota's recruiting class will officially sign the paperwork to join the program. Here's what you need to know.

P.J. Fleck's best class ever

According to 247Sports, Fleck's best high school recruiting class since he got to Minnesota came in 2024. That class ranked 33rd-best in the country. This year's class currently ranks as the 24th-best in the country, as of Monday morning. There are still a lot of dominoes to fall, but it's certainly trending to be Fleck's best cycle with the program.

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Any suprises?

Many of Minnesota's commits such as Forest Lake defensive lineman Howie Johnson, Rocori offensive lineman Andrew Trout, Illinois defensive back Jordan Lampkins and Georgia cornerback Chance Payne have all announced that they plan to sign their national letter of intent (NLI) on Wednesday.

I will be signing my National Letter of Intent on Wednesday December 3rd at Forest Lake Area High School at 3pm in the main gym! All are welcome!

6101 Scandia Trail N
Forest Lake, MN 55025
United States pic.twitter.com/FfFyN8LgX7

— Howie Johnson (@Howie_Johnson92) November 29, 2025

There are always surprises on early national signing day, but that doesn't mean they're always at Minnesota. It would be naive to think some of Minnesota's commits are not being contacted by other programs as you read this, but the Gophers are also probably reaching out about other players as well.

Current class of committed players

• Andrew Trout, OL (Rocori, MN)
• Justin Hopkins, CB (Nashville, TN)
• Howie Johnson, DL (Forest Lake, MN)
• Gavin Meier, OL (Janesville, WI)
• Hayden Moore, WR (Newberry, FL)
• Rico Blassingame, WR (Tolleson, AZ)
• Quayd Hendryx, WR (Atco, NJ)
• Owen Lansu, QB (Downers Grove, IL)
• Ezekiel Bates, RB (Malvern, PA)
• Hudson Dunn, LB (Peoria, AZ)
• Angel Luciano, LB (Steelton, PA)
• Anthony Charles, DE (McDonald, PA)
• Chance Payne, CB (Jefferson, GA)
• Aaden Aytch, DE (Lafayette, IN)
• Lucas Tielsch, OL (Akron, OH)
• Jordan Lampkins, S (Boilingbrook, IL)
• Jeremiah Benson, DL (West Bloomfield, MI)
• Gabe Weaver, TE (St. Louis, MO)
• Josiah Anyansi, DL (Murrieta, CA)
• Ryan Estrada, RB (El Paso, TX)
• Trason Richardson, S (Rosharon, TX)
• Roman Voss, TE (Jackson, MN)
• George Rohl, TE (Ellsworth, WI)
• Charlie Jilek, LB (Portage, MI)
• Lamont Hamilton, DB (Racine, WI)
• Braiden Stevens, WR (Platte City, MO)
• Beckett Schreiber, OL (Madison, WI)
• Aaron Thomas, OL (Phoenix, AZ)
• Niko Castillo, RB (Schuylkill Haven, PA)
• Brady Palmer, QB (San Diego, CA)
• Tavian White, S (Waukee, IA)

Next steps

Roster construction never sleeps in modern college football. Once Minnesota signs its 2026 high school recruiting class, all eyes shift to the transfer portal. This year's window opens on January 2, and it will be open for two weeks until January 16.

The window has been pushed back a few weeks compared to last year, and it could mean for an overall quicker process. There are a few incoming freshmen who could contribute in year one, but January will be the time for Minnesota to upgrade its 2026 roster.