Gophergrandpa
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I was curious about which schools get the 5 star players (about 32 players per year). Looked at the past few years; very few surprises. Many 5 star players, often ready to start day 1, declare early and get drafted. Again not a surprise. In the 2020 HS recruiting class, seven of the top 10 HS recruits are already in the NFL. The only oddball situation is TE Arik Gilbert (10th in nation), who committed to LSU, transferred to Georgia and has now transferred to Nebraska (awaiting an eligibility waiver).
For some reason, I feel good about our chances against North Carolina, as if it should be in the "toss-up' category. But NC certainly occupies a higher recruiting tranche than the Gophers. NC had two 5 stars in its '22 class, which ranked 11th in the nation (an OT and DL, both still on the team) and two 5 stars in its '21 class, which ranked 14th (one, Drake Maye, QB, is a Heisman candidate, the other, a DL, transferred to Kentucky). For those hoping against hope for a top ten recruiting class for the Gophers some day, it is pretty clear that top 10 status is essentially impossible unless you pull in a couple of 5 star players (who often come with monetary, playing time and leisure expectations not aligned with PJ's culture). Anyhow ...
There is no doubt that the Gophers are a developmental program, and PJ is a coach who, over time, is able to do more with less. I'm hoping that NC, which gets its share of HS superstars, is one of those programs that finds a way to do less with more. Go Gophers.
For some reason, I feel good about our chances against North Carolina, as if it should be in the "toss-up' category. But NC certainly occupies a higher recruiting tranche than the Gophers. NC had two 5 stars in its '22 class, which ranked 11th in the nation (an OT and DL, both still on the team) and two 5 stars in its '21 class, which ranked 14th (one, Drake Maye, QB, is a Heisman candidate, the other, a DL, transferred to Kentucky). For those hoping against hope for a top ten recruiting class for the Gophers some day, it is pretty clear that top 10 status is essentially impossible unless you pull in a couple of 5 star players (who often come with monetary, playing time and leisure expectations not aligned with PJ's culture). Anyhow ...
There is no doubt that the Gophers are a developmental program, and PJ is a coach who, over time, is able to do more with less. I'm hoping that NC, which gets its share of HS superstars, is one of those programs that finds a way to do less with more. Go Gophers.
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