As the calendar flips to November, that means college football recruiting hits a seven-week stretch run toward the opening of the three-day early signing period on Dec. 20. The Gophers under coach P.J. Fleck typically sign their entire class on that opening day, though there is a chance to add players in the regular signing period, which begins Feb. 7.
Gophers QB recruit Drake Lindsey has 40-to-1 TD-interception ratio
Drake Lindsey, Koi Perich and Corey Smith are all having big senior seasons and committed to the Gophers with the signing period set to open Dec. 20.
October 31, 2023 at 6:03PM
The Gophers have 23 players who have accepted scholarship offers to be part of the team's 2024 recruiting class. They will officially become Gophers when they sign their national letters of intent. Here is an update on a few who have stood out this fall:
Drake Lindsey, quarterback, Fayetteville (Ark.) High School
Lindsey continued his standout season for Fayetteville by completing nine of 13 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-7 win over Rogers Heritage on Friday. With the win, the Bulldogs (9-0) clinched homefield advantage throughout the Class 7A state playoffs.
Lindsey, 6-5 and 220 pounds, has completed 174 of 262 passes (66.4%) for 2,741 yards and an outstanding 40/1 touchdown/interception ratio this season. The three-star recruit, who committed to the Gophers in May, is the 11th-ranked player in Arkansas and the No. 58-ranked quarterback recruit nationally in the 2024 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite ratings of major recruiting services.
Koi Perich, safety, Lincoln High School, Esko, Minn.
The highest-rated player in the Gophers' 2024 class, Perich, continues to pile up stats and wins for Esko, which is 9-0 entering Thursday's Class 3A, Section 7 championship game against Pequot Lakes at Minnesota Duluth.
Esko, which has outscored its opponents 515-38 this season, beat Pierz 56-8 in the Section 7 semifinals on Saturday, and Perich collected 14 tackles and rushed for a touchdown. Two weeks earlier, he had a huge game with Fleck and safeties coach Danny Collins in attendance. In a 41-7 win over Hermantown, Perich had interception returns of 30 and 65 yards for touchdowns, set up another TD with a strip sack and rushed seven times for 94 yards and two TDs.
Perich, who committed to the Gophers in April, is drawing interest from big-name programs. The four-star recruit who's the top-ranked player in Minnesota and the 11th-ranked safety in the 247Sports composite, received an offer from Florida State on Oct. 23. That followed an offer from USC on Oct. 1. Perich told TheOsceola.com, a Rivals-based recruiting website, that he's considering making an official visit to Florida State.
Corey Smith, wide receiver, Brownsburg (Ind.) High School
Smith helped Brownsburg win its first nine games before the third-ranked Bulldogs lost 28-25 to No. 1 Indianapolis Ben Davis in a Class 6A section semifinal playoff game last Friday. The 6-1, 170-pound Smith caught two passes for 106 yards in the game, giving him 29 receptions for 695 yards — a 24-yard average — and seven touchdowns this season.
A three-star recruit, Smith is the 12th-ranked player in Indiana and 120th-ranked wide receiver in the 247Sports composite.
Amisha Ramlall burst on to the recruiting scene last season as a freshman and colleges, including the Gophers, quickly took notice.
