Minnesota Feeling ‘Fleck Affect’ with 10 Commits in Three Days
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
P.J Fleck has officially taken over for dismissed Minnesota head coach Tracy Claeys making a big entrance onto the recruiting scene. The former Western Michigan head coach has continued his hot streak from a 13-1 season in 2016 with the Broncos to the Golden Gophers’ recruiting trail securing 10 verbal commitments over the weekend.
Beyond the total number of recruits landed, the pull stretches from Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and over to Maryland adding to the glitz of the accomplishment. The first reported commitment was Northville High School (Pinckney, MI) linebacker Trenton Guthrie. The 6-2, 204 pound, talent was one of nine former Western Michigan commits that followed Fleck to Minnesota.
After Guthrie, Minnesota got their quarterback of the future in Tanner Morgan (6-1, 203). The pro-style quarterback from Ryle High School in Union, Kentucky, was another Broncos flip. Morgan passed for 2,440 yards with 25 scores as a junior and 2,550 yards with 31 touchdowns in 2016. Morgan got a wide receiver target to flip with him when Chris Autman-Bell decided Minnesota was the place for him. The 6-1, 178 pound, Bishop McNamara receiver from Kankakee, Illinois, initially committed to WMU on Feb. 21.
The Golden Gophers added to their pull from Western Michigan with a pair of defensive lineman in end Esezi Otomewo (6-6, 210) and tackle Noah Hickcox (6-3.5, 279). Otomewo had double-digit offers from teams like Illinois, Syracuse, Purdue, New Mexico, Marshall, Bowling Green, Iowa State, and Washington State after him out of Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. Hickcox is an under the radar recruit from Boylan Central Catholic. The Rockford (IL) standout was a March commitment for WMU landing offers from Wyoming, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan, and Buffalo before siding with Minnesota.
The heavy activity on Friday continued with Homewood-Flossmoor offensive guard John Schmitz. The 6-4, 285 pound, lineman was pushing 10 scholarship offers after committing to WMU on May 7. Fleck has held onto Schmitz commitment over offers from Louisville, New Mexico, Wyoming, Central Michigan, Ball State, Cincinnati, and Colorado State among others.
The excitement picked back up on Sunday when Michigan products Nate Umlor and Kyle Sassack committed. Umlor (6-6, 245) was another flip from Western Michigan committing on March 19. The Allendale High School star had eight reported scholarship offers. Sassack, out of Notre Dame Prep, was the eighth flip from WMU for Fleck. The 6-7, 270 pound, Pontiac area talent has a lot of upside listed but will more than likely need a redshirt season to add some more meat to his capable frame.
Another nice win for Fleck was landing Mohamed Ibrahim out of the Oleny (MD) area. Minnesota went head to head for the all-purpose back against West Virginia, Temple, Kentucky, and Iowa among others for his commitment. Ibrahim was the only Minnesota commitment from the weekend not previously committed to the Broncos.
The tenth commitment over the weekend could possibly be one of the biggest for the Gophers in defensive tackle Tyrone Chambers. Chambers already has the size to be a Big Ten player coming in at 6-5, 325. The three-star Lyndhurst (OH) talent has received a late push from Ole Miss with a previously scheduled official visit to Oxford set for Jan. 20. Chambers recruitment has been a wild one over the last month with a decommitment from Cincinnati on Dec. 11 before committing to Western Michigan on Dec. 27. An announced offer from Minnesota came on Jan. 7 brought about a decommitment from WMU before announcing his commitment to the Gophers on Jan. 8.
Rivals ranks the Golden Gophers 2017 recruiting class No. 45 in the nation with 15 three-star talents. 247Sports is not as high on Minnesota’s 24 verbal commits ranking the group at No. 52 in the country, No. 12 in the Big Ten.
Photo credit: Chicago Tribune; PJ Fleck Minnesota press conference.