QB helped Get two of his IMG Academy linemen to follow him to Minnesota - Strib

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Iceland12

Iceland12

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But this fall, head coach P.J. Fleck had a little extra help on the recruiting trail. His name is Zack Annexstad, and his unofficial territory was IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

Annexstad was a senior quarterback at IMG this fall, and he committed to the Gophers as a preferred walk-on in early September. His Minnesota ties run deep: He’s from Norseland, near St. Peter, and attended Mankato West High School before transferring to IMG. His father, Scott, was a Gophers and NFL guard in the early 1980s, and his brother, Brock, is a freshman receiver who redshirted with the Gophers this year.

Here’s where Annexstad’s recruiting prowess enters: He helped sell the Minnesota program to massive IMG teammates Curtis Dunlap Jr., a 6-5, 370-pound, four-star offensive guard, and Daniel Faalele, a 6-9, 400-pound, three-star offensive tackle. Last Wednesday, Annexstad, Dunlap and Faalele all signed their national letters of intent to become Gophers on the first day of the early signing period. The trio helped Minnesota have its highest-ranked recruiting class in more than a decade.

“Those are my guys, and I’ve been recruiting them for a while to come up here, especially Curtis, and then recently Daniel thought that would be the place for him, too,’’ Annexstad said. “We all wanted to take our visits together, and they’re my brothers. I’m just happy they’re coming up here with me.’’

Said Faalele, a native of Melbourne, Australia: “He was the reason why I considered Minnesota.’’

Added Dunlap, a Jacksonville, Fla., native: “Him being from there was a comfort zone.’’

All three players will enroll at Minnesota in January, getting a jump on their education and a chance to participate in spring practice. The fact that Fleck got the two big linemen to commit — and sign — impressed recruiting analysts.

“I was talking with some guys at IMG before Faalele and Dunlap made their official visits, and they said P.J. Fleck came in there and created a buzz. Kids were excited about him,’’ said Josh Helmholdt, Midwest analyst for Rivals.com. “To be able to do that at a program like IMG, which sees every single major Power Five coach through its doors, to have P.J. Fleck go down there and create that kind of buzz speaks volumes.’’

http://www.startribune.com/quarterb...linemen-to-follow-him-to-minnesota/466696853/
 

This is a great developing story. It starts with Scott, then Brock followed by PJ, Zack, Curtis, and Daniel. This story is just beginning!
 

While the Gophers signed junior college dual-threat standout Vic Viramontes, Annexstad intends to compete for the starting job. “I’m going there with the mind-set that I’m trying to be the best quarterback who ever came through Minnesota,’’ he said.

Dunlap, Annexstad’s roommate at IMG, is impressed with the QB’s sacrifice.

“He didn’t have to walk on, but he believes in what we’re going to do in Minnesota,’’ Dunlap said. “It just made it so much more convincing. His actions showed that Minnesota meant a lot to him.’’..

That Dunlap ended up in Minnesota can be traced back to late October and the tension between Florida coach Jim McElwain and the school’s administration. Dunlap gave a verbal commitment to the Gators in July, but then McElwain was fired.

“It didn’t leave me scrambling, per se. It kind of just let me see other things and other options,’’ Dunlap said.

One option was Minnesota and Fleck, who increased his pursuit of Dunlap. The nation’s sixth-ranked offensive guard in the Class of 2018 agreed to visit. His first impressions of Minnesota?

“When I got there, I had never seen snow before. I fell in love with the snow, cold weather,’’ he said. “The Big Ten is where linemen are made, and I’m going to get a great education. The pieces just kind of fit together.’’

He also likes the that he’ll be coached by Warinner, who twice was named national offensive line coach of the year by FootballScoop while at Ohio State.

“He has put in some of my favorite offensive linemen in the league — Outland Trophy winners,’’ Dunlap said...

Faalele said he chose Minnesota because it felt right. Like Dunlap, he embraced the weather.

“I loved the coldness there, and Coach Fleck’s energy was crazy,’’ Faalele said. “I just felt like I connected with Coach Fleck and Coach Warriner.’’

It helped, too, that the Annexstad family — with Zack right in the middle — will serve as a second family for Faalele and Dunlap, Wright said.
 

Iceland12 said:
Faalele said he chose Minnesota because it felt right. Like Dunlap, he embraced the weather.

“I loved the coldness there, and Coach Fleck’s energy was crazy,’’ Faalele said.
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+1, On a day like today when we all wish we lived somewhere else it's good to remember that a 400 lb guy probably likes exerting himself in 50 degree weather more than 100 degree weather. Maybe future recruits can embrace this attitude and ignore the knife and light saber wielding polar bears that stalk our streets.
 

In this article, Strib's Randy Johnson reports that all three of these players signed NLI's. The Strib's signing day list showed Annexstad as one of 26 signed players.

The Gopher's signing day website also showed Annexstad among 26 signed players.



What am I missing here?

Is this just an honest mistake in reporting? Is it possible/allowed to sign an NLI even though there is no scholarship being provided (ie, signing it just "for show")? Or are the Gophers blatantly violating the NCAA rule that only allows 25 players to be signed?

Maybe the signing of VV does not count against the 25 players that can be signed? But if that's the case, then why is Annexstad always reported as PWO -- why not give him a scholarship out of high school, like his two teammates? Seems like he's good enough a prospect to warrant one.
 


MnplsGopher said:
In this article, Strib's Randy Johnson reports that all three of these players signed NLI's. The Strib's signing day list showed Annexstad as one of 26 signed players.

The Gopher's signing day website also showed Annexstad among 26 signed players.



What am I missing here?

Is this just an honest mistake in reporting? Is it possible/allowed to sign an NLI even though there is no scholarship being provided (ie, signing it just "for show")? Or are the Gophers blatantly violating the NCAA rule that only allows 25 players to be signed?

Maybe the signing of VV does not count against the 25 players that can be signed? But if that's the case, then why is Annexstad always reported as PWO -- why not give him a scholarship out of high school, like his two teammates? Seems like he's good enough a prospect to warrant one.
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Same as reporting that High School kids are signing NLI's to DIII schools which isn't a thing. A few years back the NCAA endorsed and allowed DIII schools to create a form with NCAA backing that is a letter of intent without any binding. In a snowflake filled world this is a way for kids going to play DIII sports or walking on at DI or DII to not feel left out on their high school's signing day ceremonies. So technically they are signing something that you can call a letter of intent, but it is in no way binding in the way that a traditional NLI that includes a scholarship offer is.

http://www.ncaa.org/division-iii-celebratory-signing-form
 

So the staff cooked up some non-binding "NLI-like" form for him to sign, and agreed to treat him as if he were signing a scholarship offer, in public relations material and in the media, even though he is really just a PWO, like all the other PWO in this class. In exchange for helping to recruit the two linemen at IMG.
 


JZsportswhiz said:
This is awesome. These are the type of players we want
Click to expand...

Best case scenario you get a kid like ZA that had DI offers to come play at your school without consuming a scholarship because either A) He wants to play here so bad that the it's worth the financial hardship. B) He wants to come here and it is not a financial hardship for him or his family. It's almost like getting a booster to fund an 86th scholarship.
 



Well make no mistake, ZA will be under full scholarship, just as soon as that is available and allowed per NCAA rules.
 

MnplsGopher said:
So the staff cooked up some non-binding "NLI-like" form for him to sign, and agreed to treat him as if he were signing a scholarship offer, in public relations material and in the media, even though he is really just a PWO, like all the other PWO in this class. In exchange for helping to recruit the two linemen at IMG.
Click to expand...
Are you going to be okay?
 

MnplsGopher said:
In this article, Strib's Randy Johnson reports that all three of these players signed NLI's. The Strib's signing day list showed Annexstad as one of 26 signed players.

The Gopher's signing day website also showed Annexstad among 26 signed players.



What am I missing here?

Is this just an honest mistake in reporting? Is it possible/allowed to sign an NLI even though there is no scholarship being provided (ie, signing it just "for show")? Or are the Gophers blatantly violating the NCAA rule that only allows 25 players to be signed?

Maybe the signing of VV does not count against the 25 players that can be signed? But if that's the case, then why is Annexstad always reported as PWO -- why not give him a scholarship out of high school, like his two teammates? Seems like he's good enough a prospect to warrant one.
Click to expand...

I think it has something to do with him enrolling early. I've wondered the same thing. Non of the other PWO's are listed anywhere to have signed a NLI.
 

MaxyJR1 said:
I think it has something to do with him enrolling early. I've wondered the same thing. Non of the other PWO's are listed anywhere to have signed a NLI.
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This is correct. He's signed what I believe is a binding financial aid form because he's enrolling early. The other PWOs are enrolling in the summer so they don't sign anything yet.
 



MissouriGopher said:
This is correct. He's signed what I believe is a binding financial aid form because he's enrolling early. The other PWOs are enrolling in the summer so they don't sign anything yet.
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If true, then what he signed has literally nothing to do with football, and would be the same thing any student who transfers in from Normandale after the fall semester would sign to receive federal financial aid.

So again, if true, the whole thing is just a silly farce, "for show". I don't get why it's so important to prop Annexstad up, so as to make him look like a signed scholarship player, when he's only a walk on.

And then the big write-up and feature in the Strib today ... complete with ZA's picture on the Sports front page. Wonder if Fleck and Strib worked together on the whole deal?? ZA gets a defacto scholarship offer (to come quickly), and a little glory, and the Gophers get two talented OL that they normally would've never even sniffed a chance at. Again -- making this all up, pulling it from my rear, and throwing it against the wall.
 

Someone is well on their way to getting banned.
 

MnplsGopher said:
If true, then what he signed has literally nothing to do with football, and would be the same thing any student who transfers in from Normandale after the fall semester would sign to receive federal financial aid.

So again, if true, the whole thing is just a silly farce, "for show". I don't get why it's so important to prop Annexstad up, so as to make him look like a signed scholarship player, when he's only a walk on.

And then the big write-up and feature in the Strib today ... complete with ZA's picture on the Sports front page. Wonder if Fleck and Strib worked together on the whole deal?? ZA gets a defacto scholarship offer (to come quickly), and a little glory, and the Gophers get two talented OL that they normally would've never even sniffed a chance at. Again -- making this all up, pulling it from my rear, and throwing it against the wall.
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HOLY SMOKES YOU CRACKED THE CASE!!!!
 

highwayman said:
Someone is well on their way to getting banned.
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Wouldn't life be easy if you could just "ban" everyone you didn't like or who said things you didn't like? Ha!


RatherBeGolfing said:
HOLY SMOKES YOU CRACKED THE CASE!!!!
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There's no case to be cracked. None of it would be against the rules. None of it would even be "shady", in my book. It would just be Fleck doing what needed to be done, to get the players here. The question will be if he can then develop them into excellent college players and if they're willing to work hard to earn that. We shall see
 

My son was offered a PWO at a D2 school and they had him sign a letter to play football. It was not a NLI nor was it an offer of financial aid as we were paying cash for his education. Can't recall what the coach called it, but it was a fairly simple letter stating the offer to walk on and play.
 

Denver_Gopher said:
My son was offered a PWO at a D2 school and they had him sign a letter to play football. It was not a NLI nor was it an offer of financial aid as we were paying cash for his education. Can't recall what the coach called it, but it was a fairly simple letter stating the offer to walk on and play.
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Thank you for that info.

The article today in the Strib (also in the first post) said "Last Wednesday, Annexstad, Dunlap and Faalele all signed their national letters of intent to become Gophers on the first day of the early signing period." So, pretty explicit.


So, it's either lazy reporting, or perhaps Fleck worked with the Strib to get Annexstad a little limelight for his efforts. Either way, not against the rules, not really shady, just wanted to clarify since it is against the rules to actually sign more than 25.
 


The obvious part we are overlooking is that ZA has intangibles for his OL looking to follow him to college. I predict he will be our QB one day. Of course PJ showed up and closed the deal. Thank you to Scott Annexsted for sending Brock and Zack to IMG! I look for a pipeline to really develop that will have a critical effect on our recruiting success going forward.
 

MnplsGopher said:
Thank you for that info.

The article today in the Strib (also in the first post) said "Last Wednesday, Annexstad, Dunlap and Faalele all signed their national letters of intent to become Gophers on the first day of the early signing period." So, pretty explicit.


So, it's either lazy reporting, or perhaps Fleck worked with the Strib to get Annexstad a little limelight for his efforts. Either way, not against the rules, not really shady, just wanted to clarify since it is against the rules to actually sign more than 25.
Click to expand...

I’d say it would be what you’d call lazy reporting.
Every high school in the state has kids sign things on signing day that aren’t actually NLI but they don’t differentiate in their press releases.
 




Some guy said:
I’d say it would be what you’d call lazy reporting.
Every high school in the state has kids sign things on signing day that aren’t actually NLI but they don’t differentiate in their press releases.
Click to expand...

+1 Tried to explain that earlier, but you can lead a troll to water but he will just spit it back in your face.
 


It is completely due to Annexstad enrolling in January. The other PWO's will sign similar packages in February if they are still on board for Summer/Fall. Those guys still have the opportunity to pick up a scholarship from a school to sign in February.
 

LakerFan said:
Best case scenario you get a kid like ZA that had DI offers to come play at your school without consuming a scholarship because either A) He wants to play here so bad that the it's worth the financial hardship. B) He wants to come here and it is not a financial hardship for him or his family. It's almost like getting a booster to fund an 86th scholarship.
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Pure guess (and none of my business) is combination of both A and B.
I base that off of IMG's Tuition costs, having 2 children play at IMG, and then comparing to U of MN's Cost of Attendance. A student can attend the U of MN for 2 years and pay less than the cost of 1 year of at IMG.

And that's not even factoring in 529 plans.
 

Buck_Buchanan said:
Pure guess (and none of my business) is combination of both A and B.
I base that off of IMG's Tuition costs, having 2 children play at IMG, and then comparing to U of MN's Cost of Attendance. A student can attend the U of MN for 2 years and pay less than the cost of 1 year of at IMG.

And that's not even factoring in 529 plans.
Click to expand...

If ZA's parents can afford to send 2 to IMG, both boys probably have fully funded 529's.

That makes walking on a bit easier.
 

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