What if NIL/Portal existed when Fleck came to MN?

[jonnyganas]

I can't remember the radio show or podcast I was listening to, but there was an interesting hypothetical thought experiment:

When Fleck arrived in 2017, what if he had NIL/Tranfer Portal to work with to build the program?

Imagine a better QB than Rhoda or Croft, plus all the WMU transfers coming off a 13-1 season who are already Rowing The Boat. MN was playing in a pretty weak B1G West division.

Would the Gophers have been like the 2024 Indiana Hoosiers?
Would they have played in the B1G Championship game?

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

He kinda did with Morgan following him.

Beyond that it's not like PJ is picking up the top QB transfers anyway ... so not sure that changes.

 

[gopherbadgerman]

I don’t think the support would have been there and it wouldn’t have made a huge difference.

He may have pulled a couple good players from his old team though.

 

[GophEnEspaña]

It wouldn't have changed anything. Personally I think PJ is right on schedule. It was going to take 7+ years to turn around a program like this. You need multiple recruiting cycles. Facilities need to be financed and built. Staffs need to be replenished. It takes years to make a program noticeable to national recruits in a real way.

9 years ago, even with NIL and the portal, it would have been the same.

 

[MNVCGUY]

It is an interesting question. Fleck coming here was near the backed of the old way of building programs without the benefit of the transfer portal explosion and pay for play money.

I don't think it would have changed a ton other than maybe made it possible get a competant QB ready to play during 2017 as opposed to having to beg Rhoda to come back because Croft was so worthless.