The Gophers had some big recruiting success in Georgia under Jerry Kill and Tracy Claeys, landing players such as Rodney Smith, Shannon Brooks, Jalen Myrick and Jonathan Celestin.
But new coach P.J. Fleck's staff is showing an ability to pull recruits out of the Peach State, too.
Five of the 17 players committed to the Gophers hail from Minnesota. Four others are from Georgia: CB Terrell Smith, RB Nolan Edmonds, DE Abi Okonji and WR Rashod Bateman. All are ranked as three-star recruits, and it's interesting looking at some of their other scholarship offers — Smith (Florida, Michigan State, Ole Miss), Edmonds (Louisville, Illinois and Cal), Okonji (Mississippi State, Michigan State, Kansas State).
Then there's Bateman. He's an outstanding basketball player, good enough to get hoops offers from Virginia Tech and Penn State. But the 6-1 receiver from Tifton, Ga., made a decision that he wants to play college football.
JOE CHRISTENSEN
