From an NFL standout in the making to a hot-shot quarterback who flamed out quickly, there have been many intriguing players recruited and coached by P.J. Fleck. Here are a few notables:
Rashod Bateman, WR
Fleck was the first to offer Bateman a scholarship, then had to wait as SEC teams like Georgia, Tennessee and Texas A&M came calling. Bateman stayed true to the Gophers and rewarded them with a career that included 60 catches for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns in the breakthrough 2019 season. The 2021 first-round draft pick is poised to become the Baltimore Ravens' top receiver.
Daniel Faalele, OT
The massive (6-9, 380 pounds) Australian had played only one season of football before he joined the Gophers in the 2018 season. He started the final eight games at right tackle that season, then blossomed into a first-team All-Big Ten player in 2021. He capped his collegiate career with a bulldozing touchdown run in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl win over West Virginia, then became the first Gophers offensive lineman in 16 years to be selected in the NFL draft, going in the fourth round to the Ravens.
Curtis Dunlap Jr., G
Dunlap came to the Gophers with Faalele from IMG Academy in Florida and developed into a player who started 16 games. He missed the 2020 season because of an Achilles' tendon injury, then started three games in 2021 and was used in a reserve role on the veteran offensive line. He entered the transfer portal in October and landed at Rutgers.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE