P.J. Fleck is rowing the boat to major recruiting wins at Minnesota
P.J. Fleck's infectious personality scored big recruiting wins at Western Michigan, but would his "Row the Boat" philosophy suit a major conference program like Minnesota?
Through the first couple months of Fleck's tenure with the Golden Gophers, the 36-year-old has all the oars in the water and is rowing that boat at warp speed.
Fleck's early returns on the 2018 recruiting class have taken Minnesota to an area it hasn't seen in years, as the Golden Gophers currently sit 16th in the country in ESPN's class rankings. Granted, it's April 23 and it's nine months from National Signing Day, but Minnesota's current standing is impressive nonetheless.
In the past five recruiting cycles, the Golden Gophers have never finished better than 55th in the country, and routinely rank near the bottom in the Big Ten. Those numbers really drive home how impressive the current 16th spot is.
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 16 |
| 2017 | 58 |
| 2016 | 55 |
| 2015 | 62 |
| 2014 | 58 |
| 2013 | 75 |
Minnesota is never going to be a recruiting hotbed for five-star talent, but Fleck has cast a wide net to bring talent from all over the country into the northern state. In his top nine commits from the 2018 class, four are from Georgia, a rabid football area that is over 1,100 miles from the Twin Cities.
| Player | Position (Rank) | Rating/100 | Home State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brennan Armstrong | QB (13) | 80 | Ohio |
| Terell Smith | WR (47) | 80 | Georgia |
| Elijah Teague | DT (36) | 79 | Illinois |
| Oyenmwen Uzebu | OT (43) | 78 | Georgia |
| Austin Beier | OG (31) | 78 | Ohio |
| Abi Okonji | DE (48) | 77 | Georgia |
| Logan Richter | DT (45) | 76 | Minnesota |
| Nolan Edmonds | RB (35) | 75 | Georgia |
| Benjamin Sapp III | CB (54) | 75 | Minnesota |
The fact that he's able to bring in talent from the South speaks to the reach the flamboyant young coach has, a skill that was on full display during his time with Western Michigan.
In the final recruiting cycle he turned in for the Broncos, Fleck delivered three Florida players and recruits from Texas, Indiana, and Michigan in his top 10.
Whether Fleck's success on the recruiting trail will lead to wins on the field remains to be seen, but the man turned Western Michigan into a mid-major powerhouse, so anything is possible.
What's evident even four months out from opening kickoff is that the boat Fleck rowed from Kalamazoo to Minneapolis is being filled with very talented oarsmen.