Gophers' 2025 recruiting class closes in on top 15 after busy weekend

It was the second weekend of the Gophers' annual “Summer Splash” recruiting event and they built some momentum by adding verbal commitments from six more players to their 2025 class.

Among the three major recruiting publications, Rivals has the highest ranking of the Gophers' 2025 class after the weekend. It ranks their group No. 15 in the entire country with an average rating of 2.87. 247Sports comes in next, putting them at No. 16, which is significantly higher than powerhouse programs like Texas, Tennessee and Oregon. Finally, On3 is much lower in the class, ranking it 37th nationally.

The large variance in overall class rankings is largely due to Minnesota having a much lower average star rating compared to other programs. For example, the average 247Sports composite ranking for the group is 86.42, compared to 90.85 for Texas, where Minnesota is one spot higher than that in the rankings. On the other hand, the fact that they have 23 verbal commitments is abnormal at this early stage of the process. The only school with more in the top 50 is Rutgers with 26.

Cleveland, Ohio defensive lineman JayQuan Stubbs was the highest-ranked player to commit to the Gophers this weekend. He has a composite ranking of No. 573, which is the fourth highest in the overall class. 247Sports national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu compares him to former Gophers defensive end Esezi Otomewo. If they can get this level of production from Stubbs, he could be one of the most impactful players in the class.

Fleck and his staff added the commitments of two more offensive linemen, Mark Handy and Daniel Shipp. They now have five position players committed to this class. With the transfer portal, roster construction plans can change overnight, but it appears the Gophers are putting an emphasis on recruiting offensive line talent from the high school ranks.

Minnesota added two talented players, wide receiver Legend Lyons and running back Shane Marshall. Both players missed part of their junior season due to injury, but possess game-changing athleticism. There are now two running backs and two wide receivers in the class of 2025 who have committed to Minnesota.