Gophers football on an offseason winning streak

WINONA, MINN. – Recruiting rankings never have meant much to Jerry Kill, whose three classes at Northern Illinois and first four with the Gophers all ranked fairly low within their respective conferences.

The Gophers coach has taken pride in watching recruits outperform projections. Now, with his 2015 recruits soon to be freshmen, he's already assembling a class for 2016 that projects high, with his football team positioned near the top 25 of the national recruiting rankings.

The Gophers have continued to build recruiting momentum since March, when Eden Prairie linebacker Carter Coughlin picked them over offers from Ohio State and Oregon, the teams that played for last season's national title.

With nine 2016 commitments, including seven from Minnesota, the Gophers entered Tuesday ranked 26th nationally by both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com. Both sites ranked the Gophers fifth in the Big Ten, behind Ohio State, Michigan State, Penn State and Maryland.

"There's no question, all the things that we did last year helped," Kill said Tuesday at Garvin Heights Vineyard in Winona, the fifth stop on the annual Gopher Road Trip. "Guys getting drafted, playing TCU [in this year's opener], playing four prime-time games, the excitement about the new [practice] facility — it all helps. That's what kids want to see."

Josh Helmholdt, Midwest recruiting analyst for Rivals.com, said the Gophers are reeling in players from one of the deepest in-state classes in recent memory.

"I think they have to be feeling very good about where things stand going into the fall," Helmholdt said. "When you build a class with a strong base of in-state talent, those are the guys that understand your traditions. They know what it means to be a Gopher. I think that's more valuable than people realize."

Green has since moved to Texas. Besides him, the Gophers seem to be getting most of the players they target. Coughlin was a big get, as was fellow four-star recruit Sean Foster, an offensive lineman from Mundelein, Ill.

In May, the Gophers landed a commitment from Tony Poljan, a 6-7, dual-threat quarterback from Lansing, Mich. Otherwise, their commitments have come from Minnesota, including linebacker Thomas Barber (Armstrong) and athlete Philip Howard (Cooper).

Sam Schlueter, an offensive tackle from Mayer Lutheran, picked Minnesota over offers from Michigan State and Wisconsin. The Gophers have since added offensive line commitments from Monticello's Conner Olson and Chaska's Matt Kegel.

"I think it shows kids want to stay in Minnesota," Schlueter said. "It's great what Coach Kill's doing over there."

The Gophers could keep adding other in-state players, too, as their target list includes Eden Prairie athlete J.D. Spielman, Minneapolis North athlete Tyler Johnson and Park Center safety Amani Hooker.