5 most important recruiting targets for Gophers football in 2026 cycle.
The next two months will be a pivotal stretch for Minnesota’s 2026 recruiting.
The spring transfer portal window is closed, and we’re less than one month away from Minnesota’s annual Summer Splash event, which means we’re entering one of the most important stretches for the Gophers’ 2026 recruiting cycle.
P.J. Fleck has historically favored getting his program’s high school recruiting done early in the cycle, and this year is no different. Minnesota currently has nine players verbally committed to its 2026 class, and they have the 28th-ranked class in the country according to 247Sports. There are five uncommitted players the Gophers need to be focused on if they want to stay in that range before Early National Signing Day.
1. Roman Voss, ATH, Jackson County Central HS (MN)
Voss is the consensus No. 1 player in Minnesota and likely the most heralded recruit to come out of the state since Koi Perich. The Gophers were his first offer last May, but he’s picked up 13 more from top-level programs such as Miami (FL), Alabama and USC, among others.
He’s currently ranked as the 208th-best recruit in the entire country according to the latest 247Sports Composite. Early signs point towards the Crimson Tide being Minnesota’s biggest competition, but Voss is the type of player that would completely change the Gophers’ outlook in the class.
2. Pierce Petersohn, TE/LB, Triton HS (MN)
Petersohn continues to rise up recruiting boards, and it’s likely not stopping anytime soon. He plays quarterback for Triton High School, but he’s being recruited as a tight end or linebacker at the next level. He’s viewed as the third-best player in the state and a four-star recruit.
Minnesota has tried selling Petersohn on the idea of being the next Koi Perich, two-way star, but Penn State has a different pitch. The Nittany Lions have used former high school QB turned tight end Tyler Warren as a player he could emulate. It sounds like a two-program race between PSU and the Gophers.
3. Jayden McGregory, S, Valley HS (IA)
McGregory is a player Minnesota has been recruiting hard to be its next great safety. Listed at 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, he’s a consensus four-star recruit, and he has been viewed as the top player in Iowa. He will take his Gophers official visit on May 30, before checking out Louisville and Missouri. This might be a situation where the Gophers try to close the door before he even takes his other official visits.
4. Julian Manson, LB, West Senior HS (IA)
Manson has overtaken McGregory as the No. 1 player in Iowa. New Gophers linebackers coach Mariano Sori-Marin is still looking for his first commitment from the high school ranks, and landing Manson would be a huge statement. It sounds like the Gophers and Hawkeyes are the top two players before his official visit with Minnesota in May.
5. Ryan Estrada, RB, El Darado HS (TX)
The Gophers already have a commitment from RB Ezekiel Bates, but Fleck has historically added two running backs in his high school classes. Estrada is a four-star prospect, and he had 179 carries for 2,422 rushing yards and 34 total touchdowns as a junior. He has official visits lined up with Missouri, Tulane and Wisconsin sandwiched around his June 13 date with the Gophers.
