P.J. FLECK – Page 10 – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

U Football Commits Include 4 O-Tackles in National Top 50

Posted on June 2, 2025June 2, 2025 by David Shama

The Golden Gophers picked up five more verbal commitments over the weekend for their 2026 football recruiting class, per various media. Notably, two of those players are offensive tackles, giving Minnesota four verbal commits at that position in their 15-player class so far that eventually is expected to total at least in the low 20s.

The Gophers’ four commits are all ranked in the top 50 nationally among offensive tackles by 247Sports. Andrew Trout, a four-star recruit from Cold Spring, Minnesota, is ranked No. 23; Daniel McMorris, from Norman, Oklahoma, is No. 29; Gavin Meier, Janesville, Wisconsin, No. 44; and Mataalii Benjamin, Lehi, Utah, No 45.

Two years ago, Minnesota received commitments from and later signed two prize high school offensive tackles. Nathan Roy, from Mukwonago, Wisconsin and Brett Carroll, from Olathe, Kansas, were ranked No. 11 and 21 respectively among the best prep tackles by 247Sports.

Both project as second teamers going into fall camp for the Gophers, with Roy at tackle and Carroll playing center.

Offensive tackle is a key position in college football. The Gophers have recruiting success at the position because of their coaching staff including offensive line coach Brian Callahan who has a quality reputation and has been with head coach P.J. Fleck since he came to Minnesota in 2017. Callahan’s standouts include former NFL draft choices Daniel Faalele and John Michael Schmitz.

The Gophers will have an exceptional offensive tackle roster in the class of 2026 if all of the players keep their commitments. Ironically, Benjamin, a under the radar commit, could end up having the best college career of the Gopher four-some.

Over the recruiting weekend, the Gophers also received verbal commitments from two edge rushers in Aayen Aytch, edge rusher from Lafayette, Indiana; and Anthony Charles, from McDonald, Pennsylvania; along with linebacker Angel Luciano of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, per 247Sports.

Historically, June is a busy month for the Gophers and other college programs to pick up verbal commitments. Minnesota’s 2026 class is currently ranked No. 18 in the team recruiting rankings by 247Sports.

The class is led by two four-star recruits, Trout and defensive lineman Howie Johnson from Forest Lake. They are the state of Minnesota’s No. 3 and No. 2 ranked players by 247Sports which has Jackson’s Roman Voss at No. 1.

Voss, projecting as a tight end in college, reportedly attended last weekend’s Gopher Summer Splash recruiting event but remains uncommitted. GopherIllustrated and 247Sports recruiting authority Ryan Burns told Sports Headliners recently that Voss is expected to commit to the Gophers or Alabama.

Dodge Center athlete Pierce Petersohn, who could be a college linebacker, is a possibility for the Gophers and is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the state. Offensive tackle Owen Linder from Chanhassen is No. 5 and verbally committed to Iowa. “Minnesota chose not to go on him at any point,” Burns said.

Jayden Moore, a wide receiver from Hopkins, is ranked No. 6 among state prospects. “…I am going to guess he’s going to play basketball in college so this is going to be a moot point (regarding a college football destination),” Burns said.

Chanhassen tight end Kade Bush and Minnetonka running back Caleb Francois, are No. 7 and 8 respectively. Bush has verbally committed to Arkansas and Francois to Iowa State. Burns said the Gophers didn’t pursue either of them.

Fleck and the Gophers have landed the top high school recruit in Minnesota in three of the four previous years: Eden Prairie defensive lineman Trey Bixby (2022), Esko athlete Koi Perich (2024), and Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker Emmanuel Karmo (2025).

Worth Noting

ESPN pro football analyst Bill Barnwell is impressed with the Vikings offseason personnel additions on the offensive and defensive lines. After evaluating NFC teams, he wrote recently of the Vikings: “Most likely to flex on the line of scrimmage.”

Aaron Judge of the Yankees is hitting a gaudy .391. Former Twin Luis Arraez was hitting over .400 in June two years ago for the Marlins before finishing at .354. Ted Williams, who played minor league baseball in Minneapolis, was the last MLB .400 hitter. The Red Sox immortal had a .406 average in 1941.

Royce Lewis, who looked like the Twins best hitter for the next five years 12 months ago, is hitting an unfathomable .127.

New Golden Gophers men’s basketball coach Niko Medved makes his first appearance in front of the Twin Cities Dunkers on June 18.

Medved announced this morning former North Carolina guard-forward Cade Tyson is joining his program. The 6-7 Tyson played at Belmont earlier in his college career. At Belmont he was second team All-Missouri Valley Conference in 2024 and ranked second nationally in three point percentage at 46.5 percent.

“Cade is a versatile player that will immediately impact our team,” Medved said in a statement. “He’s a dynamic scorer, a true playmaker and a great rebounder. Cade is a terrific addition to our program and we can’t wait for him to be a Gopher.”

At North Carolina last season he played in 31 games, averaging eight minutes and 2.6 points. Tyson will presumably have one season of eligibility at Minnesota.

Happy birthday to hockey icon Lou Nanne who celebrates his 84^th birthday today.

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Golden Gophers Football Recruiting Alert: Mataalii Benjamin

Posted on May 28, 2025May 28, 2025 by David Shama

The first of two Gophers Summer Splash weekends starts on Friday in Minneapolis. The invitation only event is for high school football players Minnesota is targeting for its recruiting class of 2026.

The attendees will number about 25, including 10 who already have made verbal commitments to the Gophers, per recruiting authority Ryan Burns from Gopher Illustrated and 247Sports. He talked to Sports Headliners about prospects who already are, or will be, of high interest to Minnesota fans.

Yes, Burns said the Gopher coaches would be “through the roof” in the coming days if they received a verbal commitment from the state’s No. 1 ranked player, Roman Voss from Jackson.

“I’d also tell you they’d love to add a kid from Utah named Mataalii Benjamin who is a very high upside offensive tackle,” Burns said. “And being able to add tackle bodies is very important. They’re one of the toughest things to find across college football because they’re always in such high demand.

“Benjamin has offers from all over the country but being able to get him on campus this weekend is very important for them. …I think he’s one of the higher upside guys that they’ve been targeting along the offensive line in some time.”

A player Burns is locked in on is wide receiver Hayden Moore from Newberry, Florida. After Moore verbally committed to the Gophers, he picked up an offer from Big Ten power Penn State and he is “tentatively” scheduled to visit there next month, per Burns who is curious to learn the Florida native’s thoughts after this weekend.

Voss is the player who Gopher fans have zeroed in on. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound prospect is so versatile he could be a possibility at multiple positions in college, but Burns predicts he will be a tight end.

“I think he’s going to be a great college tight end,” Burns said. He added that Voss “is as athletically gifted a tight end as I’ve seen come out of this state since Brevyn Spann-Ford (former Gopher now with the NFL Cowboys).”

Burns said in college Voss could remind him of former Iowa All-American Sam LaPorta, now a standout tight end for the NFL Lions. He added that Voss and his family are on board with his playing tight end in college.

At one time it was thought Voss, who is expected at Summer Splash, might choose Iowa. The Hawkeyes are known as a tight ends factory and Jackson is near the Iowa border. “Iowa is not in it for (securing) Roman Voss,” Burns said.

Voss is “essentially bound” to either Alabama or Minnesota, per Burns who said the coveted prospect will visit the Crimson Tide in June with indications a college destination will be made after that. Jackson is a short drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer became acquainted with southwest Minnesota recruiting when he was leading the program at the University of Sioux Falls.

Four-star state of Minnesota recruits Howie Johnson, a defensive lineman from Forest Lake, and Andrew Trout, an offensive tackle from Cold Spring, are already Gopher commits and expected to be at Summer Splash. They are players Burns believes could contribute early in their college careers.

The next highest ranked in-state player is high three-star Dodge Center athlete Pierce Petersohn who is also expected to attend Summer Splash. Burns said the uncommitted Petersohn is projected as a college linebacker by Minnesota and Iowa State, and a tight end by Penn State. “He’s going to take official visits to all three of those schools coming up here in the next month or so, and then he’s going to try and figure out what’s best for him.”

How does Burns view the quality and depth of talent in the state for the class of 2026? “I just don’t think it’s a very good year in the state of Minnesota to be quite honest with you. I think it’s a below average year. It’s a year where you’ve got a lot of high-end guys at the top. Guys like Roman Voss, Howie Johnson, Andrew Trout, Pierce Petersohn, but I think the cliff drops off pretty steeply after the top five I would say; top maybe 6, 7, 8. …In terms of depth I don’t think it’s a great year.”

Despite not being that enthused about the in-state talent depth, Burns believes the 2026 Gopher recruiting class could be one of the best since head coach P.J. Fleck came to Minnesota in 2017. Burns offered praise to the staff for getting in early with a lot of their targets and building relationships.

An example is offensive tackle Daniel McMorris from Oklahoma who is expected at Summer Splash. Burns said Minnesota was the first school to offer McMorris but now he has over 20 offers including Wisconsin and Stanford.

To make this one of Fleck’s best classes Burns said the Gophers will need a “great next 30 days of recruiting.” He projects by the end of June the 2026 Minnesota will have “north of 20” verbal commitments.

The Gophers will host a second Summer Splash June 13-15, with a smaller number of targets expected to attend, per Burns.

Under NCAA rules, prep players can’t make signed agreements with schools for several months from now.

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Potential Jordan Addison Suspension Hangs Over Vikings

Posted on March 21, 2025March 21, 2025 by David Shama

There is a possibility the NFL will suspend star wide receiver Jordan Addison for multiple games during the 2025 season. The impact on the outcome of those games could be significant for a team with Super Bowl ambitions.

Addison was arrested last July by the California Highway Patrol on suspicion of driving under the influence. His car was reportedly found blocking traffic on I-105 near Los Angeles International Airport while he was asleep in the driver’s seat.

The NFL is waiting for the legal process to proceed before issuing a possible sanction that could be a three-game suspension. Jordan has pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest.

Fox 9 reported last week Jordan had a pre-trial hearing on March 12 in Los Angeles County Superior Court and that a pre-trial conference date is set for April 10. When the legal process concludes the NFL will decide if Addison has violated the league substance abuse policy.

This isn’t Addison’s first road incident as a Viking. In 2023 he was cited for speeding and reckless driving at 140 MPH on Interstate 94 in St. Paul. He later pled guilty to a misdemeanor speeding charge, $686 fine and had his license suspended for six months.

In two seasons Addison has proven his high value to an offense that is the envy of many rival teams. He’s an exceptional complement to superstar wide receiver and teammate Justin Jefferson.

Addison has been both durable and productive. He has played in 32 of 34 regular season games. He has 1,786 career receiving yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging an impressive 13.4 yards per reception.

Jordan Addison image courtesy of Minnesota Vikings

Addison can make a difficult catch, a long reception or a clutch catch setting up an important drive or a winning score in the end zone. His absence next fall as the offense’s No. 2 receiving threat could impact the outcome of games and playoff seeding for Minnesota.

None of this is lost on the Vikings front office. Expect the Vikings to be proactive in addressing their wide receiver room which has already lost Trent Sherfield and could lose another free agent WR from last season in Brandon Powell.

Jalen Nailor, the team’s No. 3 WR option last season, is back after an okay 2024 and is on the last year of his rookie contract. And this week they signed former Purdue receiver Rondale Moore as a free agent. He missed all of last season with the Falcons because of a knee injury but previously played three seasons with the Cardinals where he showed game-breaking speed as a receiver and runner. If healthy he could add explosiveness to the Minnesota offense, including as a punt and kickoff returner.

The Vikings could still be shopping for wide receivers. Targets drawing media speculation include free agents Amari Cooper and Tyler Lockett. Superstar Tyreek Hill has been upset with the Dolphins in the past and it’s possible the Vikings might figure out a way to acquire him.

With the No. 24 selection in the first round, the Vikings could opt for a wide receiver having already filled needs in the offensive and defensive lines with free agent signings. Two standouts who might be available at No. 24 are Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State and Luther Burden III of Missouri.

Worth Noting

Carter Coughlin, the former football standout for Eden Prairie High School and the Golden Gophers, has five years of pro experience at linebacker and special teams for the NFL Giants but is now a free agent. Coughlin and former Baylor All-American volleyball player Yossi Pressley married last June.

New Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins carries a ticket stub from a Northwestern-Notre Dame football game he attended in South Bend when he was three years old to remind him of the motivation needed to be a college coach. Collins is referring to his unit as the “H.A.V. O.C. Defense.” Means how, attack, violence, one (togetherness), compete.

The Gophers, 8-5 last year, began spring practice Thursday with head coach P.J. Fleck praising the intelligence of the team he’s observed over the winter months. Tight end Jameson Geers, a senior, called this the “most connected” team he has seen.

Fleck indicated 2024 freshman All-American safety Koi Perich will not only figure again in the return game but be used on offense. Last season he was the team’s primary punt and kickoff returner, with minimal plays on offense. Athletically gifted and instinctual, Perich could produce big plays on offense as a receiver, runner or even a surprise passer.

Fleck believes his 2024 quarterback Max Brosmer is opening the eyes of pro evaluators, commenting that the Georgia native has “solidified himself” as a draft pick who is moving up the draft board.

If Niko Medved is named as the new men’s head basketball coach at the U, it will be interesting to see if players from his Colorado State roster follow him to Dinkytown. Potential transfers could include two Minnesota natives on the Rams roster who are freshmen, Kyle Jorgensen, a 6-9 forward from Washburn, and Jon Mekonnen, 6-8 forward from Eastview.

Jorgensen has played in 32 games, starting four and averages 4.3 points. Mekonnen hasn’t played for the Rams who today have their NCAA Tournament opener against Memphis in Seattle. Minneapolis game time is 1 p.m. and TBS has the telecast.

Condolences to family and friends of former Gophers and Edina High School football player Paul Wright who passed away from cancer March 16. Paul lettered at Minnesota from 1970-72.

The Minnesota Football Coaches Association Clinic is coming up March 27-29 and organizers want to get out the word on these two correct links regarding the schedule and academy: 2025 MFCA Clinic Schedule; 2025 MFCA Clinic Schedule

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