Official 2020 Gophers Football Recruiting Thread: Links, Tweets, Videos, Rumors

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Face The Facts said:
What do you think, maybe 85% of kids that hit their radar are through a service, and then maybe another 15% from coaching network and word of mouth?
I'm curious what's typical.
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I have no idea honestly. If I had to take a complete and wild guess I would say it's gotta be somewhere in the 50-85% range that are at least identified via a service. That might be as simple as finding names of players that they need to research more. I'm sure at a certain point they don't care about what the services say and they'll start doing their own evaluations.
 

OddStack said:
Wow...we agree!! Adding to your point, it becomes harder to recruit in some respects b/c coaches don't have (or at least shouldn't use) the carrot of early playing time when we will have a fair amount of experience. I'm sure some better recruits don't want to come to a place like MN and wait on the bench for a year or two, etc; others won't mind doing so. Consequently, by nature, I think the talent pool for the right type of kid gets a bit smaller.
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I think where it's at is 2020 will be a smaller class with a little lower ranking, and to make the 2021 class jump up (which you would hope) it will rely on our 2019 and 2020 results on the field. If we hit top 25 in 2019 and finish top 20 / top 15 in 2020, then you can more likely recruit a top 25 class for 2021 (end of 2020 season).
 

It depends what you mean by "through a service".

A large number of kids play in conferences with other really good football players.

I think most of it is simply keeping a close eye on the highest levels of football in a state, word of mouth, camps, and then possibly some sort of service.
 

Word said:
I have no idea honestly. If I had to take a complete and wild guess I would say it's gotta be somewhere in the 50-85% range that are at least identified via a service. That might be as simple as finding names of players that they need to research more. I'm sure at a certain point they don't care about what the services say and they'll start doing their own evaluations.
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If it were me, I'd want to populate my database with the top 1000 names.
Start sending mailers to gauge any interest back from potential high level recruits.
Cross reference the list with kids who are local or where we have a strong recruiting presence (8 hour area and wherever else the network reaches).
Analyze areas of need and start targeting your top picks among those you feel you can bring in.

Meanwhile, you also hold your other camps to see if you can pull in names you haven't seen before and ask around your coaching network for kids people think you should be aware of. Keep getting additional info on the organic recruit side and get them to your camps to see in person.

PJ was pushing the camp angle hard this week. I think he feels that's where he can get the diamonds in the rough where he won't be butting heads with the top 25 programs.
 

After three consecutive full or nearly full classes, the head count will be smaller in this class. I'm anticipating 18-20 recruits. The staff can afford to be selective and push hard to get close to their top targets at each position.

Given all of the above, and the fact that we won't be recruiting specialists, it would be a catastrophe if the average rating isn't higher. I also don't expect our class ranking to drop much from this year, if at all.
 


GoGoGopher12 said:
Do you think the coaches look at the Star Ratings of a kid before they evaluate or offer them?
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I'm sure they look at the sites, probably more to gather information like who else is recruiting him and stuff like that.
 

The in-state talent for the 2020 class appears to be quite a bit deeper than 2019, which should help us:

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-F...ankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&State=MN

We are off to a great start with Mann and Witt, both ranked in the top 5 who are already ranked higher than our MN recruits from last year. Kaden Johnson would be similar to landing Carter Coughlin as he would be one of the top 5 commitments in history. In 2020 we should be able to be more selective and land some of the really big-time recruits at QB and RB that have eluded us so far. We also now appear to have the roster depth that won't force us to have to focus as heavily in certain areas (like having to take 6 d-linemen in 2019, 7 o-linemen in 2018). The class should be able to have pretty good balance - 1QB, 1RB, 2-3 WR, etc etc. and allow us to be more selective.
 

Get Jalen Suggs and Aiden Bouman and the other two predicted to go to us and we'll have the top 6 recruits in the state! (I know. Long shot at all of that happening) Has that ever happened before?
 

Aiden isn't coming here. Was invited to the U multiple times from my recollection and his family did not respond or they declined every invite, I'm forgetting which it actually was. Either way, it was a message of Aiden is not going to be a Gopher.

Let's all get that out of the way off the bat. Good for him, best of luck, it's not going to happen.
 



RatherBeGolfing said:
Aiden isn't coming here. Was invited to the U multiple times from my recollection and his family did not respond or they declined every invite, I'm forgetting which it actually was. Either way, it was a message of Aiden is not going to be a Gopher.

Let's all get that out of the way off the bat. Good for him, best of luck, it's not going to happen.
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His dad went to St. Cloud State, correct?
Is he upset he didn't get an offer way back when or some other history there?
 

Face The Facts said:
His dad went to St. Cloud State, correct?
Is he upset he didn't get an offer way back when or some other history there?
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I'm sure his dad has a five year plan for him getting drafted, and appears Iowa St fits what the dad is looking for. Wish the kid would get to have some say in it ... but sometimes that's not in the cards.

Wish the best of luck to him!
 

Two-sport star Terry Lockett is a top 2020 wideout prospect

One of the top athletes in the state of Ohio among the junior class is Spire Academy wide receiver Terry Lockett, and the former Minnesota high school star already holds offers for both football and basketball.

Lockett, 6-foot, 165-pounds, transferred to Ohio to play basketball for Spire Academy. Since they do not have a football team, Lockett was able to play on the gridiron for nearby Ashtabula St. John.

He is currently helping lead the Spire hoops squad to an undefeated record through 13 games, and he also proved to be an amazing wide receiver for St. John.

"I would say my football season went great, and I really played well once I got on the field after I transferred in," Lockett stated. "My team really concentrated on getting the ball in my hands, and I made a lot of plays throughout the season."

"I ended up playing in five games and I think I showed I was a lot better player this year than I was last year," he added. "I also played defense and returned kicks for my team, so I'd say it was a great year for me."

"I was double teamed a lot, but learned how to deal with that," he continued. "I need to work on getting stronger, and I think I can get faster too. My jumping ability allowed me to win a lot of jump ball situations. I'm also playing well on basketball, and we have a 40-game season."

With offers to play both sports at the college level, Lockett knows he is eventually going to have to choose which sport he will pursue before he picks his school.

"I'm being recruited to play both sports, so it's been pretty crazy lately," he admitted. "Right now, it looks like it might be football, but I still have some time to figure that out. My recruiting is heavier for football, but I will wait until next summer after the football camps and AAU basketball to make a choice."

Lockett holds football offers from such schools as Iowa, Purdue, Minnesota, Nebraska and Cincinnati, with the Bearcats being his most recent offer.

"The Cincinnati offer was great, because I really like their program," Lockett explained. "I've never visited there, but I want to go and check them out. They had a great season this year, and I really like the way they play."

"Of the schools that have offered me, I would say Minnesota is sticking out, and it is my home state school," he noted. "My family loves them as well, and I've been there a lot. They were a lot better this year, and I really like Coach (P.J.) Fleck a lot."

"I'm also hearing from West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, Ohio State and Stanford," he said.

https://247sports.com/Article/The-O...-for-both-football-and-basketball--126943877/

Go Gophers!!
 

Crazy that Minnehaha Academy had 4 guys in the 2020 class with gopher offers and even after Lockett transferred, still has 3 in Suggs, Johnson and Mcdonald.
 




RatherBeGolfing said:
Aiden isn't coming here. Was invited to the U multiple times from my recollection and his family did not respond or they declined every invite, I'm forgetting which it actually was. Either way, it was a message of Aiden is not going to be a Gopher.

Let's all get that out of the way off the bat. Good for him, best of luck, it's not going to happen.
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It's weird then that his recruiting picture shows him in gopher gear on campus.
 

RatherBeGolfing said:
Aiden isn't coming here. Was invited to the U multiple times from my recollection and his family did not respond or they declined every invite, I'm forgetting which it actually was. Either way, it was a message of Aiden is not going to be a Gopher.

Let's all get that out of the way off the bat. Good for him, best of luck, it's not going to happen.
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Funny that his 247 profile shows him in Gophers gear. If Campbell were to leave ISU, I’m guessing his recruitment would open up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

I hope PJ Fleck has built a strong relationships with MN HS coaches and continue to get MN HS kids to camp. He won't be able to sew up all the top MN HS recruits. But, we hope he gets the vast majority of the top players. Don't forget the importance of the walk-on program. If we develop two players a year as walk-ons who are like Cashman and Renner that is as good as gold.
 
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Alcohol numbs the mind. :drink: But, frees the spirit! :cool03:

Early Happy New Year Gopher Fans!
 
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Chip: Minnehaha Academy's Jalen Suggs can pick his college and one of two sports — or both

Jalen Suggs is a high school athlete with appealing college options. Lots of them.

The Minnehaha Academy junior is one of the nation’s top quarterbacks and top point guards. He is being recruited by the bluest of blue-blood programs in both sports.

He holds football scholarship offers from Ohio State and Georgia, and basketball offers from Kansas and Gonzaga. He has taken football recruiting visits to Alabama and Notre Dame and communicates regularly with Duke’s basketball coaches.

The general assumption is that Suggs faces a dilemma in choosing a sport for college. Football or basketball. Either or.

Why choose? Why not play both?

“It’s definitely a possibility,” Suggs said.

http://www.startribune.com/minnehah...lege-and-one-of-two-sports-or-both/503668832/

Go Gophers!!
 

per Sid:

• According to Rivals.com, the Gophers already have commitments from two of the state’s top five football recruits for the Class of 2020 in Aaron Witt of Winona and Jonathan Mann of Rosemount. The other three top recruits who are not committed are all from Minnehaha Academy: Kaden Johnson, Jalen Suggs and Craig McDonald.

http://www.startribune.com/sid-hart...hallenge-on-budget-game-attendance/504271672/

Go Gophers!!
 

Gopherphile said:
If Campbell were to leave ISU, I’m guessing his recruitment would open up.
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Perhaps, but taking a wild guess that only schools that his dad feels best fit his four/five year plan for being a first round draft pick, would be considered. And it doesn't sound like the dad thinks the Gophers are that program.
 

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Gophers_4life said:
Perhaps, but taking a wild guess that only schools that his dad feels best fit his four/five year plan for being a first round draft pick, would be considered. And it doesn't sound like the dad thinks the Gophers are that program.
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Don't really disagree that dad would have a little oversight on the process, but do you really think that he is gonna say ISU could be a program to elevate him to a top 5 qb in a draft class and not the U? Really doubt their is a strong difference between the ISU and the U of M when it comes to who is better at developing QBs.
 

MinnGopher said:
Don't really disagree that dad would have a little oversight on the process, but do you really think that he is gonna say ISU could be a program to elevate him to a top 5 qb in a draft class and not the U? Really doubt their is a strong difference between the ISU and the U of M when it comes to who is better at developing QBs.
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Are you talking about Todd Bouman's kid?
 

MinnGopher said:
Don't really disagree that dad would have a little oversight on the process, but do you really think that he is gonna say ISU could be a program to elevate him to a top 5 qb in a draft class and not the U? Really doubt their is a strong difference between the ISU and the U of M when it comes to who is better at developing QBs.
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I'm not going to argue with you, but he clearly doesn't think so.
 

Bouman doesn’t even hold an offer from the U. Or any other school for that matter. I don’t know anything about him, but with all of the young QBs on the roster, I hope we are selective and get another highly regarded recruit like Clark.
 

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