Dudley: Fleck off to a great start with the class of 2021
There haven’t been many non-virus sports stories over the past two months for obvious reasons.
While the trips down memory lane have been fun, there’s one real-time non-virus story that has continued to catch my eye. And it doesn’t seem like it’s getting a lot of coverage.
University of Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck has been killing it on the recruiting trail, as it appears he’s making the most of the program’s banner 2019 season.
In recent history, the Gophers have been unable to consistently recruit with the top programs in the Big Ten. Since the conference went to 14 teams in 2014, the team has had a class rank in the top half of the league just once, according to 247 Sports.
If you want to go back a little further, 2008 was the last time the Gophers were in the top half of the league, finishing fifth.
You may not like Fleck’s style, and that’s fine, as it certainly isn’t for everyone. But just remember, Fleck’s job isn’t to sell Gophers football to the fans. It’s to sell it to the most talented teenaged football players.
If he does that part well, the fans will follow. Even the ones who don’t like him.
And if the last two months are any indication ... he’s doing that part really well.
There haven’t been many non-virus sports stories over the past two months for obvious reasons.
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Go Gophers!!