BleedGopher
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per Ari:
Steven Ortiz and Avante Dickerson were playing Madden NFL 20 online in mid-April. Ortiz admits he was probably losing — Dickerson really knows how to handle the sticks — but this was a rare case in which winning was not the goal.
Ortiz had ulterior motives. The four-star cornerback from Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz., had recently committed to Minnesota and was seeking a partner in crime in the defensive backfield, someone who shared the same vision for the Golden Gophers program. He set his sights on Dickerson, a four-star cornerback from Omaha, Neb., who was being heavily pursued by P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota staff. Ortiz made his sales pitch — over the headsets — while the two top 350 national prospects battled in Madden.
“I did my research about Minnesota,” Ortiz said, “and I was like, ‘Bro, you can be the No. 2-rated DB in Minnesota history, don’t you want that? Or do you just want to be some guy at another program?’ He was going to go to Nebraska, but I told him, come create history together and be the duo in the Big Ten that everyone knows about on defense. Let’s create this brotherhood and make history.”
Ortiz is all about building legacy, and in Minnesota, he sees a place where he can be the catalyst for change. That’s how he wants to be remembered, as a foundational block to the beginning of the new generation of Minnesota football. Ortiz, incredibly, has never stepped foot on Minnesota’s campus, but he is already making a big impact on the football program. Dickerson, the No. 111 overall prospect and the No. 8 cornerback in the 2021 class, committed to the Gophers less than a week after the Madden game. Ortiz’s sales pitch resonated. Dickerson, too, wants to be part of the building process. He wants to make Minnesota a Big Ten champion, and, dare to dream, a national champion.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
Steven Ortiz and Avante Dickerson were playing Madden NFL 20 online in mid-April. Ortiz admits he was probably losing — Dickerson really knows how to handle the sticks — but this was a rare case in which winning was not the goal.
Ortiz had ulterior motives. The four-star cornerback from Desert Edge High School in Goodyear, Ariz., had recently committed to Minnesota and was seeking a partner in crime in the defensive backfield, someone who shared the same vision for the Golden Gophers program. He set his sights on Dickerson, a four-star cornerback from Omaha, Neb., who was being heavily pursued by P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota staff. Ortiz made his sales pitch — over the headsets — while the two top 350 national prospects battled in Madden.
“I did my research about Minnesota,” Ortiz said, “and I was like, ‘Bro, you can be the No. 2-rated DB in Minnesota history, don’t you want that? Or do you just want to be some guy at another program?’ He was going to go to Nebraska, but I told him, come create history together and be the duo in the Big Ten that everyone knows about on defense. Let’s create this brotherhood and make history.”
Ortiz is all about building legacy, and in Minnesota, he sees a place where he can be the catalyst for change. That’s how he wants to be remembered, as a foundational block to the beginning of the new generation of Minnesota football. Ortiz, incredibly, has never stepped foot on Minnesota’s campus, but he is already making a big impact on the football program. Dickerson, the No. 111 overall prospect and the No. 8 cornerback in the 2021 class, committed to the Gophers less than a week after the Madden game. Ortiz’s sales pitch resonated. Dickerson, too, wants to be part of the building process. He wants to make Minnesota a Big Ten champion, and, dare to dream, a national champion.
Chicken or the egg? Minnesota is proof programs don’t have to accept status quo
“I committed to Minnesota because I love P.J. Fleck. …" The Golden Gophers are closing in on a historic recruiting class.
theathletic.com
Go Gophers!!
