Gophers add two huge offensive linemen to recruiting class

IMG Academy teammates Curtis Dunlap, a 6-4, 368-pound, four-star guard, and Daniel Faalele, a 6-9, 400-pound, three-star tackle, both gave verbal commitments to Minnesota during their official visit Saturday.

December 10, 2017 at 2:54AM
(Brian Stensaas/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Gophers offensive line just got a lot bigger.

Curtis Dunlap, a 6-4, 368-pound guard, and Daniel Faalele, a 6-9, 400-pound tackle, teammates at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., announced on Twitter that they were verbally committing to Minnesota.

Both Dunlap, rated as a four-star player by recruiting-focused website 247Sports.com, and Faalele, a three-star player, were in the Twin Cities as part of the Gophers' "eLITe18Palooza'' recruiting event.

Dunlap, who withdrew his verbal commitment from Florida on Tuesday, is rated the sixth-best guard nationally in the recruiting Class of 2018. Dunlap also had offers from Oklahoma, Miami, Florida State and Georgia, among others. Dunlap is the Gophers' highest-ranked recruit in this class and the second four-star player, joining wide receiver Rashod Bateman of Tift County High School in Tifton, Ga.

Faalele, a Melbourne, Australia, native who played varsity football for the first time this season, is rated the 27th-best offensive tackle in the Class of 2018. He also had offers from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Arkansas, among others.

The commitments of Dunlap and Faalele gives the Gophers 25 recruits in the Class of 2018. Both plan to enroll at Minnesota in January, according to GopherIllustrated.com.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Minnesota Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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