When P.J. Fleck made a visit to the Detroit Lakes home of recruit Ethan Carrier, the Gophers football coach saw a welcoming sign. On the dining room table sat a jigsaw puzzle of Minnesota fans storming the field after the 31-26 victory over Penn State in 2019.
"So, we felt like we had a really good chance to get Ethan,'' Fleck deadpanned Wednesday during a news conference to discuss the Gophers 2023 recruiting class.
Yes, the Gophers did get Carrier, a defensive back, to commit as a preferred walk-on. The Gophers also emphasized signing scholarship players from Minnesota, and they landed seven of the state's top 12 players in the 247Sports composite ratings of major recruiting services.
"Huge emphasis on the state of Minnesota and the Midwest in this class,'' Fleck said. "… When we first came here, we said we wanted to make Minnesota a priority. That doesn't mean you're going to get all the kids in Minnesota.''
The state's top recruit, Cooper edge rusher Jaxon Howard, chose LSU, but the Gophers landed No. 2 Jerome Williams, an offensive lineman from Osseo; No. 3 Greg Johnson, an offensive lineman from Prior Lake; No. 4 Martin Owusu, a defensive lineman from Prior Lake; co-No. 7 Reese Tripp, an offensive lineman from Kasson-Mantorville; co-No. 7 Sam Peters, a tight end from Maple Grove; No. 9 Alex Elliott, a linebacker from Hutchinson; and No. 12 Garrison Monroe, a defensive back from Shakopee.
By comparison, of the state's top 12 recruits, the Gophers signed five in the 2022 class, two in 2021 and three in 2020.
"I feel really good about the future of where we are in this state,'' Fleck said. "By far this is the best talent, in my opinion, in the last six years.
" …You want people to dream of being Gophers, and this is the biggest class we've had of people who dream about being Gophers.''
