The 2027 University of Minnesota football recruiting class has 16 verbal commitments so far and is No. 14 in the 247Sports national rankings but Ryan Burns wants to see a lot more.
The Minnesota-based recruiting authority whose reporting and analysis is read on GopherIllustrated told Sports Headliners the class could finish with a “23ish” national ranking. He expects the Gophers to add 7 to 8 more players and hopes that will include valued offensive and defensive linemen.
The class currently has two offensive and two defensive linemen. Offensive line coach Brian Callahan and defensive line coach C.J. Robbins are challenged to bring in what Burns calls “tier 1 guys.”
The offense finished 17th last season in the 18-team Big Ten, averaging less than 300 yards per game. The line struggled including with the running game. Burns believes “if you just can’t run the ball five-five in the box in the Big Ten…you’re just never going to be able to do much.”
Burns said the Gophers didn’t recruit effectively with offensive linemen from 2022-2024. He wants to see what Callahan can do heading into the summer “to hit on some more…guys to finish off this offensive line class.”
Right now, Minnesota has verbal commitments from three-star offensive linemen Will Clausen from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Joseph Hamer of Lakeville South. Burns said the Gophers would “love to add” three-star Milwaukee offensive tackle Jamail Sewell to their list.
It’s a truism forever in football that the best teams are outstanding on the line of scrimmage. The Gophers finished 11th last season in defense, including giving up 331.6 yards per game rushing which ranked in the middle of the conference.
Minnesota has a verbal commit from four-star Wayzata High School defensive lineman Eli Diane and three-star d-lineman Gage Geyer from Edina. Burns said Diane hasn’t played since he was a sophomore and he is coming off back surgery. So, until Diane gets back on the field his ability to play and perform at a high level are unknowns.
Burns likes Geyer and his athleticism. Listed at 6-5, 270-pounds, Geyer is also an outstanding hockey player.
Reiterating on the importance of linemen, Burns said that every year he wants to see the Gophers hit on “100 percent” of their targets on both sides of the ball.
The Gophers have two other four-star recruits. Brooks Bakko the tight end from Kindred, North Dakota and safety Tate Wallace from Iowa City.
Burns is more than excited about Bakko playing for the Gophers. He believes Bakko could join the tight end alumni from Minnesota who have gone on to play in the NFL including Maxx Williams. “The kid from Kindred (population about 1,000), North Dakota, I think has a chance to be really, really special here,” Burns said.
The Gophers beat out Nebraska, Notre Dame and Wisconsin for Wallace who Iowa reportedly didn’t get in on early. Burns compared him to a “souped up Matt Kingsbury,” a physical linebacker and likely starter for the Gophers this fall.
Wallace was recruited by former Gopher linebacker Mariano Sori-Marin who played for Minnesota from 2018-2022. Entering his second season as Gopher linebackers coach, the personable Sori-Marin has impressed with his recruiting. “I think he does a really good job of connecting with the kids,” Burns said.
The Gophers’ most recent commit is safety Taylor Daniels from West Orange, New Jersey. Minnesota beat out Michigan State defensive coordinator Joe Rossi (former Gopher coordinator) for the three-star recruit, just as they did with three-star linebacker Kason Clayborne from Sioux City, Iowa.
Burns likes the Daniels get. “I mean to me, if he were a couple inches taller. He’s 5-10 right now, but say he was 6 foot. He could be going to, I mean, pick your helmet school and they would be throwing a lot of money at him.”
Who could rise up this fall in the rankings among the Minnesota recruits? “ I think the wildcard of this class is going to be the quarterback from California, Furian Inferrera,” Burns said.
A three-star recruit, he’s ranked lowest on Minnesota’s list in evaluation points by 247 but right now that makes sense. He missed his junior season in 2025 because of a knee issue so there isn’t a lot of data on him, but Burns said the talent is apparent.
The quirk about the 2027 class (players can sign agreements in December) is having four players from the same Minnesota high school. If the fall roster shows that, it appears historic.
It’s not easy to document but a researcher might have to examine rosters prior to the World Wars to find such an instance. A time when many of the players came from Minneapolis and St. Paul high schools.
“It is a very rare thing,” Burns concurred. “I can’t find a single instance in at least modern times that four kids from the same Minnesota high school are going to be playing for the Golden Gophers.”
All the Moorhead High School recruits are three-stars: quarterback Jett Feeney, wide receiver David Mack, running back Taye Reich and cornerback Zak Walker.
The Spuds will be a “circle it game” for opponents next season because of their Gopher connections and with the team being a favorite to win the 6A state championship. Feeney told Burns the Spuds are ready for the spotlight, remarking that “pressure is earned.”
Moorhead lost to Edina in the state title game last fall. On October 23 this year the Hornets travel to Moorhead in a game that could take on legendary status. Ticket prices might reflect that, too.
Gopher coach P.J. Fleck and his staff have the annual Summer Splash recruiting camps coming up in Minneapolis the weekends of May 29 and June 12. Those periods typically result in more verbal commits for the Gophers.
Burns said among the players to follow is four-star cornerback Daniel Yebit. Burns said the Yukon, Oklahoma player is someone Minnesota co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Nick Monroe “has been on for a very long time.”
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