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The Gophers 2023 recruiting cycle has been put into overdrive, with commitments coming left and right. Prior Lake, Minnesota defensive lineman Martin Owusu was the latest to grab an oar, committing to his hometown Gophers Monday. Owusu, a 6-foot-3-inch defensive lineman quickly opted to stay home, only two days after officially receiving an offer on the day of Minnesota’s spring game. He had a laundry list of division one offers, headlined by Washington, California and Vanderbilt. Currently ranked as the No. 9 players in MN, I expect that number to quickly rise.
Hometown Hero.@GopherFootball @Coach_Fleck @JoeS_Rossi @CoachBrickHaley pic.twitter.com/GsOuDcM2a1
— Martin Owusu🇬🇭 (@martin87hagen) May 2, 2022
Who is Martin Owusu?:
Martin Owusu is one of the top athletes in the state of Minnesota. At 6-foot-3, 270 pounds he was arguably the most physical player in the state as a junior. As a top heavyweight wrestler for the Lakers in the winter, Owusu has everything you want from a Big Ten defensive lineman. He has quickly risen up recruiting boards, picking up 24 division one offers since Feb. 7.
- Scouting Report:
Owusu certainly has the look of a Big Ten defensive lineman. He looks like he was built in a lab at 6-foot-3, 270+ pounds with not much fat on him. He showed immense potential as a junior consistently dominating his opponents physically. Playing predominantly as a DE last season he still has room to grow when it comes to pass rush moves, something very normal for a player his age. He will only get better, the more football that he plays/
**High School Football Hudl Highlights:
Instant Reaction:
While Owusu was picking up five power five offers in the last two weeks, I was very confused why the Gophers had not yet offered. Once they did, it only made sense for the Prior Lake standout to stay home. Owusu is one of my favorite in-state players in the class of 2023. I believe that he has tremendous potential, and his current No. 9 in-state ranking should quickly fall into the top five, if not top-three. He has physical traits that you simply cannot teach and it seems like many of the top linemen in college and pro football have a wrestling background, so Owusu seems to check off all the boxes.
What is next?:
Coach Fleck and the Gophers now have three of the top five in-state players signed to their 2023 class. Having offered the top player, four-star Jaxon Howard and three-star DT Elinneus Davis, both players seem to have at least some interest. There is a chance for a monumental recruiting class for the Maroon & Gold. Before Owusu’s commitment, Minnesota has the No. 30 class nationally, and I expect that number to only grow. Martin Owusu is another great building block for what’s starting to look like a terrific 2023 recruiting class.
Full 2023 class:
- OL Reese Tripp
- OL Jerome Williams
- RB Darius Taylor
- CB Za’Quan Bryan
- TE Pierce Walsh
- DL Martin Owusu