Official 2021 Gophers Football Recruiting Updates Thread: Links, Tweets, Videos etc

[BarnBurner]

PJ has done much better job recruiting. Agreed.

There is no argument he has missed on a lot of the top MN kids and others have de-committed that would have mad the classes special, imo.

Perhaps the term "difference maker" can be applied differently. I use it with respect to making each class top line. Thus the original comment.

So sorry to make you piss yourself, writer.

 

[WriterGoph]

PJ has done much better job recruiting. Agreed.

There is no argument he has missed on a lot of the top MN kids and others have de-committed that would have mad the classes special, imo.

Perhaps the term "difference maker" can be applied differently. I use it with respect to making each class top line. Thus the original comment.

So sorry to make you piss yourself, writer.

That's fair. Just think your comment needed more clarity to differentiate between projections and what's been accomplished thus far.

It's also fair to note again - this class (without Dickerson) still contains the best (or very very close to the best) recruits we have seen at QB, RB, DL and CB.

 

[btowngopher]

It’s interesting to judge the class based on a handful of perceived misses when there are hundreds of players that could have improved the class ranking.

 

[MplsGopher]

One question: how "early" were we recruiting these 2021 high school guys?

What I'm getting at: were we already recruiting them before the blow-up 2019 season, or not until after that season?

 

[MNVCGUY]

It’s interesting to judge the class based on a handful of perceived misses when there are hundreds of players that could have improved the class ranking.

Yeah, people tend to dwell way more on the guys we didn't get as opposed to celebrating the ones we did.

A high ranking doesn't guarantee success, it improves the odds but just because Dickerson was our highest rated DB recruit there was no guarantee that he would have ended up being the best of the 3 in the class. To me Ortiz has always been the most exciting DB recruit in this class, even while Avante was still in the mix.

 

[TNGophfan]

Does anyone know if we anticipate any new signings next week? If it's somewhere in this thread, my apologies but didn't want to go through last 10 pages.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Does anyone know if we anticipate any new signings next week? If it's somewhere in this thread, my apologies but didn't want to go through last 10 pages.

At this point Saia Mapakaitolo is the only committed recruit who has not signed yet. If there are any potential surprises they have not been getting much steam from what I have seen posted. But you never know.

 

[btowngopher]

One question: how "early" were we recruiting these 2021 high school guys?

What I'm getting at: were we already recruiting them before the blow-up 2019 season, or not until after that season?

I would guess that we were kind of just beginning to recruit most of them. I’m guessing most kids don’t receive a ton of attention before their junior year or play.

 

[hungan1]

The Gophers are pretty deep at linebackers. I wonder if they will still take Mike Jones as a transfer with his experience.

If Saia Mapakaitolo does not sign, what then?

They probably will wait until after the Feb. 6 NSD to see if any DBs did not sign LOI.

Other than that, other than missing Avante they have a really good class.

 

[MNVCGUY]

The Gophers are pretty deep at linebackers. I wonder if they will still take Mike Jones as a transfer with his experience.

If Saia Mapakaitolo does not sign, what then?

They probably will wait until after the Feb. 6 NSD to see if any DBs did not sign LOI.

Other than that, other than missing Avante they have a really good class.

Is their any reason to think Saia is not going to sign? I haven't seen any speculation on him wavering but am not on any of the pay sites where that info would usually be found.

Also, someone in our class got a small ratings bump because our average per recruit is at .8718 and I am pretty sure that after Avante left it was at .8709.

 

[hungan1]

Is their any reason to think Saia is not going to sign? I haven't seen any speculation on him wavering but am not on any of the pay sites where that info would usually be found.

Also, someone in our class got a small ratings bump because our average per recruit is at .8718 and I am pretty sure that after Avante left it was at .8709.

It's show me the money time in a few days.

 

[GophersInIowa]

 

[WriterGoph]

This one could be real interesting if he comes here. From this article, sounds like he has good size and athleticism and he was a bit of a physical late bloomer (won't even turn 18 until nearly September). This is the kind of kid who could sneak up and turn into a multi-year starter.

Jordan Nubin undergoes physical transformation in the offseason for St. Charles North football: ‘He went from a boy to a man.’

College coaches recruiting St. Charles North’s Jordan Nubin would be wise to avoid looking at his tape from last fall. It’s not that Nubin wasn’t becoming an impact player on both…

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[GopherGuy8]

This one could be real interesting if he comes here. From this article, sounds like he has good size and athleticism and he was a bit of a physical late bloomer (won't even turn 18 until nearly September). This is the kind of kid who could sneak up and turn into a multi-year starter.

Jordan Nubin undergoes physical transformation in the offseason for St. Charles North football: ‘He went from a boy to a man.’

College coaches recruiting St. Charles North’s Jordan Nubin would be wise to avoid looking at his tape from last fall. It’s not that Nubin wasn’t becoming an impact player on both…

www.chicagotribune.com

And it's there's zero risk with a PWO.
He grew 3 inches and 25 pounds from his Junior to Senior year. Tyler might be able to give the staff info that no other colleges have. On top of that, he also has no senior film to show his growth because Illinois leaders dislike fun.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I saw a kid decommitted from Duluth yesterday and a MN Coach liked the tweet. Might be another PWO in the mix.

This gets me thinking. What is the value difference of a PWO offer at a P5 school to a D2 scholarship?

 

[GVLCGopherFan]

PJ has done much better job recruiting. Agreed.

There is no argument he has missed on a lot of the top MN kids and others have de-committed that would have mad the classes special, imo.

Perhaps the term "difference maker" can be applied differently. I use it with respect to making each class top line. Thus the original comment.

So sorry to make you piss yourself, writer.

Exactly what I'd expect a barn burner to say.

 

[BarnBurner]

Exactly what I'd expect a barn burner to say.

Why thank you. What does GVLC have to say?

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I called this out a few months back as well. Really the difference between rank 15-50 in the recruiting rankings is like 1 or 2 highly rated guys or having more commits. It's crazy when I read in the media how the gophers recruiting class is "only at 35" or whatever it is in that year. Literally if they sign 1 more low 3* guy they might jump 3-5 spots.

Good post - this is where a core of strong position coaches matter.
How do you get to the Rose Bowl?
Practice, practice, practice.

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

I saw a kid decommitted from Duluth yesterday and a MN Coach liked the tweet. Might be another PWO in the mix.

Good reporting -you deserve a raise.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Good post - this is where a core of strong position coaches matter.
How do you get to the Rose Bowl?
Practice, practice, practice.

Rankings build the perception that only helps with more recruiting. Having a top 35 class every year builds on itself.

 

[Bayfieldgopher]

PJ has done much better job recruiting. Agreed.

There is no argument he has missed on a lot of the top MN kids and others have de-committed that would have mad the classes special, imo.

Perhaps the term "difference maker" can be applied differently.

Yeah, anyone disappointed by this class is being unreasonable. Bummed about Dickerson is fair and wishing we could have cleaned up a little better in state is also fair. But if this class by Minnesota standards is disappointing to you then your expectations are way too high at this point.

Potentially one of the best classes we have ever had here on paper and a clear sign that Fleck is moving recruiting in the right direction. Not going to happen overnight but the gains are clear to be seen for anyone not stuck dwelling on the negative.

Many here on GH tend to think that way. PJ is still enjoying his honeymoon dance, which I understand, mainly based on last years squad and has a good approval rating.

We know that the majority of the credit for 2019 goes to Jerry/TC's recruits coached by PJ. Based on PJ recruits we saw on the field this Fall, I am a bit hesitant to crown PJ as a top notch recruiter. The team this Fall fell far short of the expectations in all facets. Clearly the quality was not there as inexperience and talent in key positions showed, especially on D and ST's. But most, including me, felt that we should have been better. We weren't very good.

This incoming class is rated totally on ratings and tape, as MNVCGUY stated, and not on performance in camps which we know are forbidden. I can see their potential based on highlight tapes but they are all "paper lions" as Coach Kill called them. In the scheme of things, our recruiting falls far short of the top of the BIG but we understand that does take time.

I am playing the "Lets Wait and See" card and hope that these guys are equal or even better than on paper.

 

[GVLCGopherFan]

Why thank you. What does GVLC have to say?

I actually agree with your take. Some Minnesota kids are missed every year. I also believe it's harder to evaluate the top MN players because the quality of play - across the board - is weaker than many other areas. An evaluator can identify the best players in each area of the country but it's harder to compare talent across geographic regions. It might be less of a gamble to offer a very good player from Georgia over an excellent player from Minnesota. Add late bloomers and injuries to the mix and it becomes even more difficult.

I saw a cheap opportunity to point out that your user name is BarnBurner and you told someone to piss themselves rather than the burning barn..........

 

[Gopher_In_NYC]

Rankings build the perception that only helps with more recruiting. Having a top 35 class every year builds on itself.

Exactly
We're where we need to be at this point IMO and you'll never get them all, but the ones we are getting now are exciting, including the transfers - man I want to see Pickney toss some chubby WI OL around like rag dolls.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Many here on GH tend to think that way. PJ is still enjoying his honeymoon dance, which I understand, mainly based on last years squad and has a good approval rating.

We know that the majority of the credit for 2019 goes to Jerry/TC's recruits coached by PJ. Based on PJ recruits we saw on the field this Fall, I am a bit hesitant to crown PJ as a top notch recruiter. The team this Fall fell far short of the expectations in all facets. Clearly the quality was not there as inexperience and talent in key positions showed, especially on D and ST's. But most, including me, felt that we should have been better. We weren't very good.

This incoming class is rated totally on ratings and tape, as MNVCGUY stated, and not on performance in camps which we know are forbidden. I can see their potential based on highlight tapes but they are all "paper lions" as Coach Kill called them. In the scheme of things, our recruiting falls far short of the top of the BIG but we understand that does take time.

I am playing the "Lets Wait and See" card and hope that these guys are equal or even better than on paper.

I think last year was a typical year. The team started slow and got better. Flip Wisconsin and people have a better feeling about the season. We will never know what it would have been with a full spring/summer/fall program. My concern is if they continue to start slow and lose an unexpected game early, people will start to panic.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

I think last year was a typical year. The team started slow and got better. Flip Wisconsin and people have a better feeling about the season. We will never know what it would have been with a full spring/summer/fall program. My concern is if they continue to start slow and lose an unexpected game early, people will start to panic.

Really wish we could rid ourselves of the slow starts. It feels like it has been that way for ages.....

 

[MNVCGUY]

Many here on GH tend to think that way. PJ is still enjoying his honeymoon dance, which I understand, mainly based on last years squad and has a good approval rating.

We know that the majority of the credit for 2019 goes to Jerry/TC's recruits coached by PJ. Based on PJ recruits we saw on the field this Fall, I am a bit hesitant to crown PJ as a top notch recruiter. The team this Fall fell far short of the expectations in all facets. Clearly the quality was not there as inexperience and talent in key positions showed, especially on D and ST's. But most, including me, felt that we should have been better. We weren't very good.

This incoming class is rated totally on ratings and tape, as MNVCGUY stated, and not on performance in camps which we know are forbidden. I can see their potential based on highlight tapes but they are all "paper lions" as Coach Kill called them. In the scheme of things, our recruiting falls far short of the top of the BIG but we understand that does take time.

I am playing the "Lets Wait and See" card and hope that these guys are equal or even better than on paper.

Agree with much of what you said in theory but a few takes on it:

2019 - Offense was in large part Fleck's guys, defense was mostly Kill/Claeys guys

2020 was as a disappointment, but I definitely think the jacked up off season played a huge role in the defensive struggles early. You could clearly see a great deal of improvement on that side of the ball as the season went on. I would expect the defense to look much better in 2021 and the offense can hopefully recapture the 2019 magic with a more traditional off-season to get Sanford's system in place.

Our recruiting class falls far short of what Ohio State and Michigan are bringing in and it is always going to be a struggle to even come close to those places in recruiting given the built in disadvantage we have of a fairly weak local talent base. Our class falls a little short of Wisconsin but I think that level is attainable in the very near future and outside of that our class stacks up great against everyone else in the conference.

Recruiting has made huge strides under Fleck. Obviously we have to wait and see if a kid can actually play once they get on campus. But the key to me is we are bringing in guys with legit power 5 interest as opposed to guys with mostly MAC teams pursuing them.

 

[MNVCGUY]

Really wish we could rid ourselves of the slow starts. It feels like it has been that way for ages.....

We actually didn't start all that slow last year. Some bad stuff happened early in the Michigan game which really set the tone for that one (Long TD run, giving up a defensive TD, and a long KO return). But we put up 40 plus in the next 2 games.

The Defense started slow but I still attribute a big chunk of that to the messed up off-season that really limited the chances for all the new faces on D to gel and hit their stride. The group played much better as the season went on.

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

We actually didn't start all that slow last year. Some bad stuff happened early in the Michigan game which really set the tone for that one (Long TD run, giving up a defensive TD, and a long KO return). But we put up 40 plus in the next 2 games.

The Defense started slow but I still attribute a big chunk of that to the messed up off-season that really limited the chances for all the new faces on D to gel and hit their stride. The group played much better as the season went on.

Not all that slow... except for the parts that started slow

 

[tmvander]

We actually didn't start all that slow last year. Some bad stuff happened early in the Michigan game which really set the tone for that one (Long TD run, giving up a defensive TD, and a long KO return). But we put up 40 plus in the next 2 games.

The Defense started slow but I still attribute a big chunk of that to the messed up off-season that really limited the chances for all the new faces on D to gel and hit their stride. The group played much better as the season went on.

I'm with Slab...Gophers sucked to start 2018, needed miracles to avoid 0-3 in 2019, and lost to two pretty sub par teams to open last season. Bad things happened in a lot of games.

 

[BarnBurner]

Many here on GH tend to think that way. PJ is still enjoying his honeymoon dance, which I understand, mainly based on last years squad and has a good approval rating.

We know that the majority of the credit for 2019 goes to Jerry/TC's recruits coached by PJ. Based on PJ recruits we saw on the field this Fall, I am a bit hesitant to crown PJ as a top notch recruiter. The team this Fall fell far short of the expectations in all facets. Clearly the quality was not there as inexperience and talent in key positions showed, especially on D and ST's. But most, including me, felt that we should have been better. We weren't very good.

This incoming class is rated totally on ratings and tape, as MNVCGUY stated, and not on performance in camps which we know are forbidden. I can see their potential based on highlight tapes but they are all "paper lions" as Coach Kill called them. In the scheme of things, our recruiting falls far short of the top of the BIG but we understand that does take time.

I am playing the "Lets Wait and See" card and hope that these guys are equal or even better than on paper.

Hey Bayfield - trails good in your neck of the woods?