Gophers football head coach P.J. Fleck welcomed his ninth recruiting class to Minnesota on Wednesday morning. 21 new players joined the team.
Fleck expects to add at least 10-15 additional athletes through the transfer portal to fill his 2025 roster. The Gophers will replace Shane Marshall (Georgia Tech) and Grant Grayton (Kentucky), both members of the original recruiting class, who flipped their commitments on Wednesday.
Fleck said Ethan Stendel, Emmanuel Karmo and Abu Tarawallie were three members who connected the 2025 recruiting class. The trio hails from the state of Minnesota.
“Really forming one of the best Minnesota commitment classes we’ve had,” Fleck said.
The three players make up the top three ranked recruits in Minnesota, and according to 247 Sports, it is the first time Fleck recruited and had all three top three in-state prospects commit to the Gophers.
Karmo ranked the No. 1 2025 player in Minnesota, said his mom always wanted him to play for the Gophers and his family was a big reason why he honored his commitment.
“I felt like the first thing they wanted to do was build relationships with my parents,” Karmo said. “Where would I be without my parents.”
The player right behind Karmo in the Minnesota rankings is Stendel, a 6-foot-3-inch linebacker from Caledonia weighing 215 pounds.
Fleck said his body type is reminiscent of a player Gophers fans have seen over the last five years.
“Cody Lindenberg Jr., just think of that body type as a linebacker,” Fleck said. “This guy has got all the traits that Cody had … Grew up a Gopher fan and wanted to stay home.”
The third member of the trio, Tarawallie, plays the defensive line and stands at 6-foot-3-inches, 275 pounds.
Tarawallie said the reason he chose Minnesota was the culture and the people he met from the program, singling out his new position coach Winston DeLattiboudere III.
“He’s amazing, he’s done wonderful work,” Tarawallie said. “I’ve known him for almost three years now since I was a sophomore and he’s been with me every step of the way.”
Fleck said Tarawallie was looking for a life program and wanted to be a neurosurgeon.
A highlight of the Gophers 2025 class is four-star quarterback Jackson Kollock out of Laguna Beach, California. Kollock finished his senior season with 1,711 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns and 315 rushing yards plus eight touchdowns on the ground.
Fleck said the Gophers will bring in a transfer quarterback to compete for the starting role in 2025.
Kollock, after his official visit in June, said Fleck is a straight shooter and will tell you what he is looking for in a player.
“He was straight up with all of us which is something I personally love because I’m that way too,” Kollock said. “He’s like this is how it is, this is what it’s gonna be and if it fits you awesome, if not, we don’t need you.”
The Gophers quarterback conundrum allows Kollock to battle for the starting role as a true freshman with Drake Lindsey and a transfer.
Quarterbacks need receivers to throw to and Minnesota will lose its top two targets, Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer.
Fleck said he does not approach filling his receiver room as finding a new No. 1 target but rather supplementing the void with a plethora of options.
“We need pass catchers to come in,” Fleck said. “They’ve got a great opportunity while nobody’s here to keep developing.”
Running back Trey Berry completed the 21-man class Wednesday night committing to the Gophers following Marshall’s de-commitment and Jordan Nubin’s plans to enter the portal.
The Gophers 2025 class is still in no way solidified. The new era of college football that allows players to seek money for their name, image and likeness means several athletes will move in and out of the transfer portal as the winter window opens on Dec. 9.
