Big Ten Daily: Minnesota Football Receives Five 2022 Commits Over the Weekend
The Minnesota football program was busy this weekend on the recruiting trail, earning commitments from five 2022 prospects on Sunday. As a result, the Golden Gophers' national and conference rankings jumped.
Four of the team's five verbal commitments are three-star recruits, according to 247Sports. Wide receiver Cade Conzemius from Minnetonka Senior High School in Minnesota is a preferred walk-on who currently doesn't have a rating.
Here are all the recruits who committed to Minnesota on Sunday:
Name | Position | Rating | School |
|---|---|---|---|
Aidan Gousby | Wide Receiver | Three-Star | Lehigh Senior (Lehigh Acres, FL) |
Cade Conzemius | Wide Receiver | Three-Star | Minnetonka Senior (Minnetonka, MN) |
Jack Pyburn | Defensive End | Three-Star | The Bolles School (Jacksonville, FL) |
Rhyland Kelly | Cornerback | Three-Star | Clearwater Academy International (Clearwater, FL) |
Tariq Watson | Cornerback | N/A | Helen Cox (Harvey, LA) |
After earning pledges from these players, Minnesota's 2022 class now has 13 players and ranks No. 27 in the nation. The Golden Gophers are also ranked No. 7 in the Big Ten Conference. They previously ranked No. 38 in the country.
The NCAA removed the recruiting dead period on June 1, allowing student-athletes to take official and unofficial visits to various campuses. Coaches may also take part in live evaluations.
Minnesota's newest recruits recently took visits to campus before making their commitment.
Buffalo Bills May Play at Beaver Stadium Next Season
In a recent report from Rochesterfirst.com's Thad Brown, the Buffalo Bills are planning to construct a new stadium that is scheduled to be finished by 2025 or 2026. Until then, the Bills will require a stadium to play its home games, and Penn State's Beaver Stadium is an option.
The team's lease expires in 2023, which would leave the Bills without a home stadium until the new one is constructed. Another option for Buffalo is to extend its lease. Otherwise, the team will continue to search for a temporary home.
State College is about 200 miles from the Bills' home stadium in Buffalo, New York. Penn State's Beaver Stadium is currently one of the largest football stadiums in the nation, whether college or professional. It seats 106,572 fans, which outnumbers the largest sitting capacity in the NFL at MetLife Stadium.
Former Five-Star Linebacker Enrolls at Ohio State
Former five-star linebacker Palaie Gaoteote has enrolled at Ohio State. He previously spent three seasons at USC before entering the transfer portal this offseason. Even though there's been no official announcement about his transfer, Gaoteote's name can be found at Ohio State's online student database.
Gaoteote was the No. 15 overall recruit and the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country coming out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
The Buckeyes lost starting linebackers Pete Werner and Baron Browning to the NFL Draft this year. Gaoteote would instantly fill the void if the move becomes official.
With the Trojans, Gaoteote appeared in 17 games and recorded 105 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss. He played in just two games last season due to injury and the Pac-12 Conference's shortened schedule.
Ohio State opens the 2021 football season on Sept. 2 against Minnesota.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.