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Minnesota Football Recruiting: Sam Schlueter Commits

Jerry Kill picks up his fifth consecutive in-state recruit from the 2016 class. In a year in which the pool for Minnesota prospects is especially deep, could the Gophers do the unthinkable and land every local recruit they offer?

By Matt Humbert
Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

In-state recruiting, you guys. In. State. Recruiting.

could Jerry Kill potentially land every single local recruit he offers for this cycle?


Mayer (MN) Lutheran HS junior offensive linemen Sam Schlueter verbally committed to Minnesota after the annual spring game this afternoon, becoming the fifth consecutive prospect the staff has landed from the home state. Sam is a 3 star prospect according to 247Sports' Industry Composite, selecting Minnesota over finalists Wisconsin and Michigan State and offers from Louisville, Northwestern and Iowa State. Schlueter is the first offensive linemen of the 2016 class, and the latest win for in-state recruiting ace Mike Sherels, who partnered with Matt Limegrover to land the big offensive guard prospect.

(Likely Fraudulent) Measurables**

** The section title is a bit. It's intentionally facetious comment on how recruiting sites (and even some college coaches) notoriously exaggerate traditional combine measures -- especially the 40. No offense is meant.

Height: 6'6"
Weight: 275 lbs.
Fake 40 Time: Linemen are big humans and we should avoid telling them they're not fast because it could hurt their feelings. Also, they're big and could hurt us pretty bad.

Highlights

Junior Year:

Thoughts

Absurd Comparisons

Tough one, because Schlueter is the type of tall, lean guard with great feet and mobility that generally goes to a school with an outside-zone scheme like Oregon than Minnesota, Michigan State or Wisconsin. I'll go with that: a nameless amalgamation of an Oregon offensive linemen versus a strict player comparison.

2016 Minnesota Commitments

Carter Coughlin Pledges to Minnesota

Matt Humbert

Jerry Kill and Mike Sherels just won their biggest recruiting battle to date with the commitment of a legacy four star linebacker.

JoJo Garcia Commits

Matt Humbert

The Gophers land their first 2016 prospect, a 4 star local prospect among the best at his position over the last decade.

2016 Minnesota Commitments

Carter Coughlin Pledges to Minnesota JoJo Garcia Commits

Scheme Fit

He gon pull. Schlueter is an ideal guard fit for this offensive scheme with his ability to pull, foot quickness and overall athletic ability to move for a taller linemen. He'll need to get more physical at the next level and showcase more explosive strength at the next level, though the coordination and frame are there already. He plays with good technique and pad level right now, though he'll need to get stronger and learn to win battles against dudes who are just as big as him.

Impact on Other Prospects?

So, the real hypothetical we have to ask: could Jerry Kill potentially land every single local recruit he offers for this cycle? Of the eight in-state prospects Minnesota has offered to date, five have already committed... and it's not even the middle of April. Schlueter was considered the biggest risk to leave the state, and now the only thing standing in the way of a clean sweep are commitments from Tyler Johnson, Matt Kegel and JD Spielman. The Gophers are presumed to lead with all three.

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