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Minnesota Football Recruiting: Legacy Commit Demetrius Douglas Commits to the Gophers

The 3-star athlete comes back around eventually.

(*Editor's note...What the heck does "Commitment to Eight" mean? It is our new recurring title for recruit commitments referencing a commitment to work towards the Gopher's Eighth National Championship.)

Demetrius Douglas was a key recruit all throughout the 2017 recruiting cycle. Claeys and staff made him a priority and the son of former Gopher Omar Douglas decided to play for Oregon. Well, the Ducks change coaches, the Gophers changed coaches and the new Gopher coach has convinced Douglas to be Golden.

Douglas is a legacy recruit who in the last couple weeks was pursued by Notre Dame and Minnesota. After speaking with the new gopher staff, he has come back around to being a Gopher and this is very exciting news.

Where he fits? Douglas was originally being recruited by Minnesota, and most other programs, as a defensive back but is supposedly being offered by the Gophers as a WR. One thing is certain, he’ll get to campus and eventually where he best fists will be determined. But he’s excited to play WR where he had 10 TDs and 884 yards as a senior and was 2nd team All-State at that position.

It is also worth noting that Douglas had offers from a number of Ivy League schools. Clearly a bright kid with some football talent.

Quotables

Ryan Burns of GopherIllustrated ($cout).

"Honestly it just felt like the right choice," Oregon athlete Demetrius Douglas said about his decision to commit to Minnesota. "My family and I talked and prayed over it a lot and we felt that it would be an overall good fit for me in terms of academics, culture, environment, and football. After the in-home visit with Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck, offensive coordinator Kirk Cirarocca and WR coach Matt Simon, it was pretty evident to me that Minnesota was where I wanted to be. I called coach Fleck on Friday while with my parents and the conversation went well! He was fired up to have me and excited for what was to come in the future, as was I!"

Measurables

Height: 5’ 11"
Weight: 175 lbs.

Big 4 Ratings:

Power 5 Offers - Oregon, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Ivy schools

Douglas

Site Stars Rating Pos. Rank
Site Stars Rating Pos. Rank
Scout 3 n/a 49 (CB)
Rivals 3 5.6 n/a
247 3 86 75 (CB)
ESPN 3 76 69 (CB)

Highlights

Senior year highlights:

TDG Analysis

In Two Words - if you have to remember just two things about this player...

  • Quick
  • Play-maker

Absurd Comparisons

Hard to say when he was primarily recruited as a corner but he certainly has soft hands and play-making ability. I’ll compare him favorably to his father, Omar Douglas, who is the Gopher’s #8 all-time receiver in terms of receptions. Demetrius is a shade taller and heavier, coming to the program with a great chance to be an impact player early in his career.

Scheme Fit

Slot receiver and as I just said, a chance to make an early impact. Eric Carter is still going to be around so it is possibly that Douglas waits a year to make an impact but it is also quite possible that he’s playing next season in the slot.

Impact on Other Prospects?

If Douglas remains at WR, we might be done here. But as I just said in the Van Dyne profile, I don’t think they are exactly stopping at WR. The staff will fill the remaining spots with as many talented players as possible, regardless of position.

Recruiting Map