Minnesota Football Recruiting: Twin Cities Takeover official visit weekend is upon us

Christmas is still a couple weeks away but we are just 5 days away from the NCAA recruiting early signing day. The day when most (if not all) of the kids expected to become Golden Gophers will sign their national letters of intent to play football for Minnesota.

Next Wednesday is that day and this weekend is the last weekend when kids can take official visits and the Gopher football staff is hosting a Twin Cities Takeover to bring as many on to campus as can make it.

Here is a breakdown of who is coming to visit this weekend.

CURRENT VERBAL COMMITMENTS (11)

These kids should be familiar names. Right around half of the current verbal commitments are going to be on campus this weekend. These kids are virtual locks to sign next Wednesday.

• Ky Thomas (RB)
• Jonathan Mann (WR)
• Danny Striggow (DE)
• Martes Lewis (OT)
• Lucas Finnessy (OLB)
• Justin Bellido (WR)
• Dylan McGill (DB)
• Cody Lindenberg (OLB)
• Miles Fleming (ATH)
• Dakota Thomas (WR)
• Austin Henderson (TE)

NOT YET IN THE BOAT

These are the fun names as these kids are either uncommitted

• Jah Joyner (DE) - 4-star defensive end who is currently committed to Boston College. Considering how open his flirtation with Minnesota is and the fact that he is visiting here on the final weekend before signing day, I bet that BC is looking for another DE.
• Jaqwondis Burns (LB) - Texas native who has previously taken official visits to Utah, Texas, Louisville (last weekend) and Colorado. He’s here on the final weekend and might be jumping into the boat. Burns is currently attending IMG Academy.
• Wesley Bailey (DE) - Bailey is another defensive end and he is coming to visit from Florida where he was playing his high school football, but he from just outside of Ottawa, Ontario. Visited West Virginia last week and also took a visit to Illinois.
• Tyrell Lawrence (OL) - Plays with Bailey and is also from Ontario, but Lawrence is from a suburb of Toronto. A huge offensive tackle at 6’7” and 340 lbs currently. Visited UMass last week and I’d guess that he will be a Gopher unless a couple other dominoes fall and the boat gets full.
• Mystery OL - currently committed to another school and quite possibly to a school who’s coach was fired.
• Two specialists - we need a punter and a couple potential walk-on punters are coming to visit this weekend. This is one of those visits that isn’t terribly exciting, but also kind of important.

HOW MANY CAN WE TAKE?

By rule, up to 25. But that also means you have to have 25 leaving. Currently we have 22 verbal commitments. All 22 are expected to sign at this point and possibly a couple more after this weekend. Here is who we know are leaving

• Seniors - 12
• Early NFL - 1 (Winfield)
• Transfer Portal - 4 (currently)

So you see how this math has to work. 22 coming in and currently 17 on their way out. So even if nobody new is added to the list there have to be 5 more names who are going to transfer out.