Official 2023 Gophers Football Recruiting Thread: Links, Tweets, Videos, Rumors


I'd be curious how much he improved in one year or so. With a red shirt year, he may be solid for us as a RS Freshman. Question is, how much do you gamble on a player as to a scholarship like this due to transfer rules?
I'm much more willing to gamble, if he doesn't pan out, it's gotten much easier to find replacements.

That said, even before the portal, I think the U needs to gamble on guys like him and Mafe. It's not easy for us to recruit absolute world class freak athletes unless they are a little green.

If Boye Mafe had played a ton of football in HS and been a polished specimen, we would have been recruiting against LSU, Bama, Ohio State, etc. for him. I'm not saying he wouldn't have stayed home, but it would be a harder get.
 

Good luck with that.
Yeah, who would want a recruit like that being in our strength and conditioning program? Lets farm it out to a Pioneer League team and hope when he develops he is loyal to us (for no reason).

Are you saying that doesn't sound like a sound plan?
 

May have already been discussed at some point in this thread but was looking through the targets list on 247 and a name I hadn't noticed before caught my eye. He shows as Warm for us and the only other school that is listed as warm is Louisville. Don't know anything about him but at 6'3" he would provide some much needed size to our WR corps.

and looks like he will be taking an official visit here in november.

nice list of offers as well
 

and looks like he will be taking an official visit here in november.

nice list of offers as well
Free story on 247 makes it sound like he has blown up since the start of October and is suddenly getting a ton of offers. At the moment it appears we are the only team to score an official visit but according to the story he will be taking others.

We definitely have a need for a receiver with some size and he would fit that bill.
 


Yeah, who would want a recruit like that being in our strength and conditioning program? Lets farm it out to a Pioneer League team and hope when he develops he is loyal to us (for no reason).

Are you saying that doesn't sound like a sound plan?
We have needs on the right side of our O-line. Instead of using the portal to grab someone who already has multiple years of actual college football experience, lets use the scholarship on a developmental project that might never pan out.

Are you saying that doesn't sound like a sound plan?
 

We have needs on the right side of our O-line. Instead of using the portal to grab someone who already has multiple years of actual college football experience, lets use the scholarship on a developmental project that might never pan out.

Are you saying that doesn't sound like a sound plan?
Yeah, we have needs on the right side our line, you know that same right side of the line where we found people who already had multiple years of actual college football experience. Our current RG and RT were developed the exact way you're suggesting we continue to develop an OL in the future.

Yes, I am saying we should use scholarships on developmental players if their ceiling is high enough. I think reasonable people can disagree on that take, but the reason I joked about your take is that it's not prudent (IMO). If you take this OL, wouldn't we think he'd have a better chance of developing at the U? If not, if he goes to St. Thomas and develops, why would he be loyal to us?

There are enough scholarships in football to do both if you're a program like the U. We need to develop talent and occasionally we need to patch holes using the portal.
 

We have needs on the right side of our O-line. Instead of using the portal to grab someone who already has multiple years of actual college football experience, lets use the scholarship on a developmental project that might never pan out.

Are you saying that doesn't sound like a sound plan?
You’re assuming he would enter the portal if he does well and you’re assuming he would come here when he does that. Both are huge assumptions by themselves let alone together.
 

I figured you'd bring up out portal players at RG and RT - actually I was close to putting that in my post. But just because it hasn't worked out for Carroll and Filiaga doesn't mean it's not the better option. But you're right, reasonable people can disagree. But if you want to be reasonable, why put sarcasm in your post? Why not be more adult about it like in the post you just made (#907).
 



You’re assuming he would enter the portal if he does well and you’re assuming he would come here when he does that. Both are huge assumptions by themselves let alone together.
Is the first one really "huge"? People are trying to move up all the time, why in the world would a talented kid stick with the Pioneer League if a B1G spot opened up?

The other one is a little closer to huge, I'd say. I mean, Alabama or tOSU could come calling, but how often do those schools take players from such a low level. Alabama has gotten portal guys from Tennessee, Georgia Tech, LSU, and Georgia. I doubt anyone on the staff is scouring the Pioneer League for talent.
 

Yeah, we have needs on the right side our line, you know that same right side of the line where we found people who already had multiple years of actual college football experience. Our current RG and RT were developed the exact way you're suggesting we continue to develop an OL in the future.

Yes, I am saying we should use scholarships on developmental players if their ceiling is high enough. I think reasonable people can disagree on that take, but the reason I joked about your take is that it's not prudent (IMO). If you take this OL, wouldn't we think he'd have a better chance of developing at the U? If not, if he goes to St. Thomas and develops, why would he be loyal to us?

There are enough scholarships in football to do both if you're a program like the U. We need to develop talent and occasionally we need to patch holes using the portal.
Our current cast-offs from other P5 programs on the OL haven't exactly panned out. Then look at a guy like Ersery. But most accounts he has performed well (albeit with some growing pains). Our type of program has to be a developmental program. OL usually take years of seasoning before they're ready for the B1G anyway. Get a guy like that in the program and in year 2/3/4 he should be ready for some action.

The portal works both ways. Look at all the guys that left last year. The majority of them (with some exceptions, like Anderson) were buried on the depth chart and either wanted to move to somewhere else where they could play, or were politely encouraged to move on. So you take a chance on a developmental guy, and if he pans out, great. If he doesn't, he is likely going to move to a lower level school anyway, and your problem is solved.

edit: Bob, I'm using your post to prove a point to the other user, completely agree with you.
 

I figured you'd bring up out portal players at RG and RT - actually I was close to putting that in my post. But just because it hasn't worked out for Carroll and Filiaga doesn't mean it's not the better option. But you're right, reasonable people can disagree. But if you want to be reasonable, why put sarcasm in your post? Why not be more adult about it like in the post you just made (#907).
Because reasonable people can disagree on whether or not you go after recruits who are projects.

I do not think it's reasonable to think we could stash a recruit at St. Thomas, hope they develop, and then get them to come to the U via the portal. That is unreasonable.
 

Is the first one really "huge"? People are trying to move up all the time, why in the world would a talented kid stick with the Pioneer League if a B1G spot opened up?

The other one is a little closer to huge, I'd say. I mean, Alabama or tOSU could come calling, but how often do those schools take players from such a low level. Alabama has gotten portal guys from Tennessee, Georgia Tech, LSU, and Georgia. I doubt anyone on the staff is scouring the Pioneer League for talent.
Yes they are both huge. Guys still get drafted from FCS so it’s not like everyone feels the need to move up. For point 2, why would he have any loyalty to the gophers? Doesn’t matter if Bama comes calling, he could just as easily pick a team like ISU or Rutgers or Kansas over the gophers.
 



Darius on a visit last night at Michigan:


Go Gophers!!
 

Check out NCAA 2023 transfer portal. On 10/26/22, 4 Auburn players, three very highly rated, entered the portal. Reason? Because Auburn has a losing season? Getting a jump on next year? Logan Brown, the 5* OL who transferred mid-season from the Badgers, has already committed to UK for 2023.

There will be a few very good guys in the portal (as we well know from the loss of Bucky). Lots of others who can play. Can a team rely too heavily on transfers as opposed to in-house developed talent? Ask Mel Tucker at MSU. Can a school get a sniff from the best, playing-field-ready players in the portal without a significant side-by-side NIL deal? I hope we continue looking for at least 18-20 recruits from HS each year. One-year rental transfers leave a hole when they leave and might dispirit development of younger in-program players.

Recruiting and team formation is getting tougher each year ...
 

Our current cast-offs from other P5 programs on the OL haven't exactly panned out. Then look at a guy like Ersery. But most accounts he has performed well (albeit with some growing pains). Our type of program has to be a developmental program. OL usually take years of seasoning before they're ready for the B1G anyway. Get a guy like that in the program and in year 2/3/4 he should be ready for some action.

The portal works both ways. Look at all the guys that left last year. The majority of them (with some exceptions, like Anderson) were buried on the depth chart and either wanted to move to somewhere else where they could play, or were politely encouraged to move on. So you take a chance on a developmental guy, and if he pans out, great. If he doesn't, he is likely going to move to a lower level school anyway, and your problem is solved.

edit: Bob, I'm using your post to prove a point to the other user, completely agree with you.
You can't really say the two Oline transfers haven't panned out. They are both starters which must mean they are better than guys we had available on the roster.

We are let down because they're not great like the guys from last year they replaced. But any time a transfer ends up starting it means he's an upgrade over who you would have played.
 


Good for him, kid came out of nowhere this season and has all the potential in the world. Looks like his mom is a doctor too so academics are important. Ivy makes sense, and who knows where he can go from there.
 

Good for him, kid came out of nowhere this season and has all the potential in the world. Looks like his mom is a doctor too so academics are important. Ivy makes sense, and who knows where he can go from there.
Hard to turn down an Ivy League education, but I'm wondering if he changes his mind if the opportunity to play B10 football calls?
 

Who is the recently decommitted 2023 defensive tackle that is visiting this weekend???
 



Down here, Shadow Creek is playing well. Undefeated. Also, the temp here is 50° today. I played golf at 82° yesterday. So, if he is cold, his buddies will tell him it's the same temp down here in Texas today as it is up there.
 






RT from Stillwater was on campus again and looks to be coming back. He's committed to Princeton, but Fleck must still be working him as potential PWO or late offer.

 
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