BleedGopher
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2008
- Messages
- 62,295
- Reaction score
- 18,974
- Points
- 113
per Megan:
That virtual tour sold Ortiz without him even setting foot in Minneapolis, and he became one of the first in a wave of April recruits for the Gophers. The 2021 class has 14 members, four of four-star caliber, nine who committed since the coronavirus pandemic forced a ban on recruiting travel and visits. The class ranks seventh in the nation and third in the Big Ten, per 247Sports.com.
And the Gophers engineered this surge all from a distance.
“Our coaches are doing a great job creatively right now in the virtual market, being able to find a way to be just a little bit different,” Fleck said. “… Our coaches are even working harder right now than they were if they were even in the office. So the credit goes to them.”
Fleck gave special recognition to his recruiting staff, including the program’s general manager, Gerrit Chernoff, for pivoting quickly to an all-digital approach. Though that is something Fleck has been ahead of the curve on for a while.
At 39 years old, with much of his staff also skewing younger, Fleck has always shown a command of social media, using Twitter to connect with players and fans and to share cinematic hype videos.
Texas defensive end D’Marion Alexander, who committed April 22, shared part of a Gophers recruiting video on his Twitter that boasted scenes of fans storming the field after beating Penn State as well as picturesque views of the downtown skyline. Several recruits shared photo edits the team had made for them, showing them in Gophers uniforms.
“They know the power of what the video and the technology can do,” said Blair Angulo, Mountain Region recruiting analyst for 247Sports.com. “Fleck is a high-energy coach. … He understands the age that we live in and right now. … It definitely benefits him more than a school or a coach that will be taking an old-school approach.”
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
That virtual tour sold Ortiz without him even setting foot in Minneapolis, and he became one of the first in a wave of April recruits for the Gophers. The 2021 class has 14 members, four of four-star caliber, nine who committed since the coronavirus pandemic forced a ban on recruiting travel and visits. The class ranks seventh in the nation and third in the Big Ten, per 247Sports.com.
And the Gophers engineered this surge all from a distance.
“Our coaches are doing a great job creatively right now in the virtual market, being able to find a way to be just a little bit different,” Fleck said. “… Our coaches are even working harder right now than they were if they were even in the office. So the credit goes to them.”
Fleck gave special recognition to his recruiting staff, including the program’s general manager, Gerrit Chernoff, for pivoting quickly to an all-digital approach. Though that is something Fleck has been ahead of the curve on for a while.
At 39 years old, with much of his staff also skewing younger, Fleck has always shown a command of social media, using Twitter to connect with players and fans and to share cinematic hype videos.
Texas defensive end D’Marion Alexander, who committed April 22, shared part of a Gophers recruiting video on his Twitter that boasted scenes of fans storming the field after beating Penn State as well as picturesque views of the downtown skyline. Several recruits shared photo edits the team had made for them, showing them in Gophers uniforms.
“They know the power of what the video and the technology can do,” said Blair Angulo, Mountain Region recruiting analyst for 247Sports.com. “Fleck is a high-energy coach. … He understands the age that we live in and right now. … It definitely benefits him more than a school or a coach that will be taking an old-school approach.”
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck showing flair for recruiting in stay-at-home world
The U has quickly pivoted to an all-digital approach to enticing prospective players.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!