Coach P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers Football team are having an incredible recruiting season. In signing top players for the 2026 and 2027 classes, the Gophers are flexing their muscles as a must-see visit on the college football recruiting circuit. And some current Minnesota players are receiving love from the preseason All-American prognosticators.
Coach Fleck is likely to have his best recruiting year when the class of 2026 arrives on campus next fall. Let’s catch up to the Gophers program to see who the new additions are to the squad. Also, a surprise decommit from an ACC School signs on with Minnesota.
Gophers Land Top In-State Recruit
Once again, coach Fleck and the Gophers Football program snared the number one 2026 in-state recruit when Jackson County Central athlete Roman Voss gave his verbal commitment to the school. Minnesota beat out the Alabama Crimson Tide for Voss’ services. He is a top 15 athlete in the nation and a four-star recruit.
Voss follows top-ranked, in-state players to the Gophers: Emmanuel Karmo, Robbinsdale Cooper linebacker (2025), and Koi Perich, Esko safety (2024). And the top recruit from the class of 2023, Cooper defensive end Jaxon Howard, transferred to Minnesota from LSU in 2024. Voss played quarterback and safety in high school but projects as a tight end in college.
Voss is also Minnesota’s third four-star 2026 recruit, joining Forest Lake, MN, defensive lineman Howie Johnson and Cold Spring Rocori offensive tackle Andrew Trout. On Sunday, Fleck also received a commitment from three-star safety Trason Richardson from Rosharon, Texas, for the 2026 class. Minnesota now has 24 commitments for that class. The Gophers have a composite rank of 14th in the country for their 2026 recruiting class.
Gopher Flip Star 2027 Recruit from Boston College
Last Saturday, Minnesota received a commitment from three-star recruit quarterback Furian Inferrera from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound 2027 recruit decommitted from Boston College to join the Gophers.
Inferrera was a backup at the nationally renowned program to Dash Beierly, who is headed to the University of Washington. He finished last season 12-16 for 133 yards and one touchdown in nine games. Inferrera, the 63rd-ranked player in California and the 36th-ranked QB in the class of 2027, had nine scholarship offers, including those from Memphis, Nebraska, Oregon State, and Pittsburgh,
Inferrera joins defensive lineman Eli Diane from Wayzata, MN, as an early entrant in the Gopher’s 2027 class. Other top quarterbacks who attended Mater Dei High School include Bryce Young, Matt Leinart, and Matt Barkley.
Five Gophers Named Preseason All-Americans/Big Ten
Five Gophers Football players were named to Phil Steele Publications as either members of the Preseason All-American Team or Preseason Big Ten Team in anticipation of the 2025 season.
Koi Perich was named Second Team All-American. Perich was also honored as Second Team All-Big Ten as a safety and Third Team All-Big Ten as a punt returner.
Named to Steele Publications Third Team All-Big Ten along with Perich was defensive tackle Deven Eastern.
Gophers’ representatives on the Steele Publications Third Team All-Big Ten were running back Darius Taylor, defensive end Anthony Smith, and long snapper Alan Soukoup.
Perich is considered one of the top two safeties in the country. Perich and Ohio State’s Caleb Downs are the only two players at the position to make the list. And Perich, Downs, and Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant are the only three Big Ten players named to the defensive team.
Road Ahead
As coach Fleck and the Gophers Football program prepare for the 2025 season, they will continue to add players to their future squads. Fleck and his staff have become assertive, effective recruiters who have kept Minnesota competitive in the NIL, transfer portal college sports environment.
