Minnesota Football Recruiting: 247 Sports rates Athan Kaliakmanis as a four-star quarterback

247 Sports released their recruiting rankings for the class of 2021 this afternoon and the announcement came with good news for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Illinois quarterback prospect Athan Kaliakmanis — who, along with his brother, committed to the Golden Gophers a couple weeks ago — is 247 Sports’ eighth-ranked pro-style quarterback and the 177th overall player in their national rankings. Based on their evaluations, Kaliakmanis is classified as a four-star quarterback with a rating of .9293.

Here is what they have to say on his recruiting profile:

Has good height. Still has a lot of room to fill in and needs to keep adding strength and bulk. Shows the arm talent to make all the necessary throws. Snappy, quick release with good ball speed and consistent zip on his short to intermediate passes. Athletic enough to escape pressure. Keeps plays alive and can make throws from odd angles without setting his feet. Calm under pressure and does not panic. Will stand in and make throws with pressure in his face. Good with his feet but not likely to be a consistent running threat in college. Still needs to keep working on reading defenses and making quick decisions while refining mechanics. Has physical tools and intangibles to be a Power 5 starter and develop into an NFL player.

If head coach P.J. Fleck and co. can hold onto Kaliakmanis until the early December signing period in 2020, he’ll be the highest-rated quarterback in the internet recruiting era to sign with Minnesota since 2007. He would be second only to Clint Brewster.