Minnesota Gophers Own Top-25 Recruiting Class Entering Another Huge Visit Weekend

The future is looking brighter and brighter for P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers. While he’s battled inconsistency throughout the first seven seasons of the ‘Row The Boat’ era, there’s newfound optimism surrounding the Golden Gophers as they prepare for a new season, with a hopefully much-improved offense thanks to the arrival of quarterback Max Brosmer.

While there’s no way to know how good the Gophers will be this season, there’s even more hope on the horizon in the Land of 10,000 Lakes when looking ahead to Minnesota’s college football future.

Minnesota Gophers Football has busy recruiting weekend

Already boasting what The Athletic ranks as the 19th-best recruiting class in the nation, the Gophers have planned an exciting weekend of visits.

Some known visits planned for the weekend include WR Terrence Smith, WR Legend Lyons, DL Derry Norris, DL Jayquan Stubbs, and OL Daniel Shipp. Here’s the full list.

Each is considered one of the Gophers’ top targets on the recruiting trail, and if Fleck and Co. can impress, Minnesota may add even more talent to their already strong class.

Smith (IL) and Stubbs (OH) are two names to watch; both are among the top 21 prospects in their states. Smith is a 6-foot-3 receiver, and we’ve already seen how successful Coach Fleck is in getting the most out of young pass-catchers. Yet, the defensive linemen could have just as big of an impact as the Gophers try to get the defense back on track following the departure of coordinator Joe Rossi.

So far, the Gophers have three blue-chip prospects joining the team in 2025, with four-star receiver Bradley Martino, four-star QB Jackson Kollock, and four-star linebacker Emmanuel Karmo all committed to Minnesota.

Other sources have the Gophers’ 2025 recruiting class ranked 21st (Rivals) and 23rd (247sports)

Fleck’s previous best recruiting class came in ranked 36th in the nation, so if this trend continues, Minnesota could end up with its best incoming group of talent that most Gophers fans have ever witnessed. That’s why this weekend could be crucial to the Gophers’ future.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Reel in Highest Rated Non-QB of 2025 Class at “Summer Splash” Event