P.J. Fleck and the Gophers Are Making a Statement in High School Recruiting

Minnesota is trending to have another great class in the 2027 high school recruiting cycle.

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 Gophers added commitments from Iowa linebacker Tate Wallace and Lakeville, Minnesota, offensive lineman Joseph Hamer to their 2027 high school class over the weekend. P.J. Fleck and his coaching staff continue to make a statement on the high school recruiting trail. Here's why.

Minnesota currently has 13 players verbally committed to its 2027 class, and 247Sports rates the group as the 14th-best class in the entire country. With more than seven months until early national signing day in December, putting much stock into that ranking is silly, but there are plenty of reasons to be excited about Minnesota's start to the cycle.

Four-star recruits

The true building blocks for a high school recruiting class at programs like Minnesota will always be four-star prospects. Wallace is a consensus four-star recruit, and he's now the fourth four-star committed to their class. The Gophers set a program record in the internet era with seven four-star recruits in last year's cycle, which is a big reason why it was one of the best recruiting classes in program history.

Iowa City Regina’s Tate Wallace (0) makes a catch Nov. 20, 2025 during the Class 1A state football championship against the West Lyon Wildcats at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kindred, North Dakota, tight end Brooks Bakko is a game-changer as a top-150 prospect in the class, followed by Wayzata defensive lineman Eli Diane, then Wallace and Lennox, South Dakota, tight end Drake Mikkelsen, who are their four building blocks.

Fleck has historically gotten a lot of his work done early in the recruiting process, and they now have serious momentum heading into official visit season at the end of the month. Led by Kansas offensive tackle Alijah Shaw, they're firmly in the mix for a few uncommitted four-star talents, who are set to visit the program during their annual summer splash recruiting weekend over the next few weeks. Ultimately, they're at a similar spot this year, as they were last year before signing a top-30 class.

In-state recruiting

Keeping the premier local talent home will always be the lifeblood of any successful college football program. The addition of Hamer now gives Minnesota commitments from six of the state's top 10 players in the class of 2027. Cretin-Derham Hall edge rusher C.J. Johnson is probably the only uncommitted player they still have a chance to land, but they might be on the outside looking in there.

You can't sign every single player, so it's hard not to be impressed by Minnesota's in-state recruiting again this cycle. Diane is the state's player, and they've gotten commitments from three Moorhead High School standouts.

Programs like Minnesota are always going to have a recruiting ceiling, but Fleck and his coaching staff continue to do a great job establishing a new standard.