Gophers land East Ridge punter/pitcher Luke Ryerse, Illinois QB Owen Lansu

Punter Luke Ryerse of East Ridge High School in Woodbury and quarterback Owen Lansu of Downers Grove, Ill., each announced on the X platform that they have committed to the Gophers football program, Ryerse as part of the 2025 recruiting class and Lansu as part of the 2026 class.

Ryerse, 6-1 and 215 pounds, originally committed to Alabama to play both football and baseball before announcing late Saturday night that he’s switching to Minnesota for both sports following the retirement of Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban, who recruited him. He is rated as a six-star punter and the nation’s No. 4 punting prospect by Chris Sailer kicking, which listed Ryerse as having a 45-plus-yard average with a 4.5-second average hang time.

A pitcher and versatile athlete in baseball, Ryerse helped East Ridge win the Class 4A state championship in June. His older brother, Grant, was a punter and kicker for the Gophers from 2017 to ’20.

Lansu, 6-1 and 185 pounds, plays for Downers Grove North High School and is a three-star recruit who is the 10th-ranked player in Illinois and 47th-ranked player nationally in the 2026 class, according to recruiting-focused website 247Sports.com. His other scholarship offers included Cincinnati, Northwestern, Akron, Central Michigan, Toledo and UNLV. Lansu passed for 2,106 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions last year.

Earlier Saturday, the Gophers received a commitment from edge rusher Kenedy Uzoma of Mt. Zion Prep in Lanham, Md., for their 2026 class. Uzoma, 6-6 and 220 pounds, attended a Gophers camp Saturday and committed after he receive his offer. He has yet to receive a rating by 247Sports. His other scholarship offers are from Bethune-Cookman, Marshall and Temple.