Minnesotas closed for business
Don't even bother coming to Minnesota looking for uncommitted talent.
That's because nine players ranked in the Rivals.com Minnesota top 15 have already made oral commitments to play for Glen Mason's Golden Gopher football squad. This includes the state's top player, strongside defensive end Anthony Jacobs.
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Jacobs would have had plenty of national suitors had he not committed early in the recruiting process. But his case is one example of the pure domination by Mason and his coaches in their own backyard. No school other than Texas or USC has owned their own state like this so far this season.
It's amazing to look at how many good players Mason has reeled in.
Want more proof?
Just look at the results.
At No. 3 in the state is running back Andre Tate' of Mendota Heights Henry Sibley. The 6-foot-2, 215-pounder picked Minnesota early. And if there is any indication too what Minnesota has done with their running backs over the past few seasons, then it's clear that Tate will be a star in Minneapolis.
The No. 4 player is already a Gopher – offensive guard Trey Davis of Farmington. The No. 5 player is already a Gopher – quarterback Phil Haig. The No. 6 player is already a Gopher – offensive guard Ryan Orton. So are the players ranked at No. 8, 11, 12 and 13 in the state listing.
"You read the papers and you know that Minnesota has a lot of good players every year, and it's exciting to know that you'll be playing with those guys in the future," Tate said after he committed to the Gophers. "Coach Mason is really putting together a great class from all of the top guys in-state."
The lone major player yet to commit to the Gophers is St. Paul Cretin-Derham outside linebacker Broderick Binns. The 6-2, 215-pounder has national offers from teams like Arizona State, Colorado, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri and UCF. At this point he's focused on narrowing his list to five and taking official visits early in the fall.
"I'm going to just take my time and look deeper into each school I have a scholarship from and narrow down my choices. Everybody's fair game."
Binns led Cretin-Derham to the Metrodome last fall where they fell to Plymouth Wayzata by a final of 28-24. He recorded 70 tackles and seven sacks over the course of 13 games.