Gophers schedule official visit with No. 1 player in Indiana

Minnesota will have one of the 25 best tight ends in the country on campus next month.

Heritage Hills' Tyler Ruxer (8) runs the ball as the Heritage Hills Patriots play the Batesville Bulldogs during the IHSAA Class 3A football semistate game at Heritage Hills High School in Lincoln City, Ind., Friday, Nov 22, 2024. | MaCabe Brown / Courier & Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 1 ranked 2026 player in Iowa, tight end Tyler Ruxer, announced Monday night that he has locked in an official visit with the Gophers for later this year. He will be on campus during their annual Summer Splash event from June 13 to 15.

Minnesota Locked! 〽️🔒@CoachKoehler @CoachHarbaugh @Coach_Fleck @coach_wilk12 @AllenTrieu @TomLoy247 @SWiltfong_ @IndianaPreps @Dre_Muhammad pic.twitter.com/ZkCJa89eyH

— Tyler Ruxer (@tylerruxer) May 5, 2025

Listed at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Ruxer was dominant as a junior at Heritage Hills High School with 43 catches for 893 yards and 12 touchdowns. He earned all 27 of his scholarship offers since January 29. The latest 247Sports Composite ranks him as the 465th-best player in the country, the 23rd-best tight end and the No. 2 player in Indiana. 247Sports itself ranks him as the top player in the state.

His Gophers official visit will be sandwiched after stops at Northwestern and Duke, but before scheduled official visits to Purdue and West Virginia. He joins a growing list of five other tight ends to lock in official visits with Minnesota, which includes Pierce Petersohn, Mason Bonner, Preston Fryzel, Gabe Weaver and Jack Sievers.

Updated list of 'Summer Splash' official visits

• OL Aaron Thomas
• WR Rico Blassingame (committed)
• S Jayden McGregory
• DL Freddie Wilson
• OT Mataalii Benjamin
• LB Hudson Dunn
• OT Andrew Trout (committed)
• QB Owen Lansu (committed)
• DL Howie Johnson (committed)
• LB/TE Pierce Petersohn
• CB Darion Jones
• DE Anthony Charles
• TE Mason Bonner
• WR Dre Pollard
• LB Angel Luciano
• TE Preston Fryzel
• OT Daniel McMorris
• RB Delvecchio "Deuce" Alston
• LB Aden Reeder
• WR Hayden Moore (committed)
• WR Kai Meza (committed)
• CB Justin Hopkins (committed)
• CB Jordan Lampkins (June 13-15)
• LB Braylon Hodge (June 13-15)
• DE Josiah Anyansi (June 13-15)
• TE Tyler Ruxer (June 13-15)
• TE Gabe Weaver (June 13-15)
• S Gabe Davis-Ray (June 13-15)
• TE Jack Sievers (June 13-15)
• OT Lucas Tielsch (June 13-15)
• CB Xavier Jackson (June 13-15)
• LB Julian Manson (June 13-15)
• RB Ryan Estrada (June 13-15)
• OT Gavin Meier (June 13-15) (committed)
• ATH Messiah Tilson (June 13-15)
• S Jamarcus Jones (June 13-15)