Get to Know Monster 4-Star Gopher Football Commit, Drake Mikkelsen
The Minnesota Gophers football team is gearing up for its 2026 Spring Game on April 25, an event they haven’t held since 2023. In the meantime, between spring practices, it’s recruiting season in Dinkytown.
On Monday, we were reminded of just that when PJ Fleck reeled his latest commitment for a 2027 recruiting class, and second composite four-star (247Sports); freak of nature pass-catcher out of Lennox, South Dakota — Drake Mikkelsen.
Committed: Four Star South Dakota TE, Drake Mikkelsen
The 6’5″, 205 lb tight end announced his commitment via social media on Monday afternoon. Landing Mikkelsen pushed an already interesting 2027 recruiting class in Minnesota to No. 17 overall in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.
Row The Boat, Ski-U-Mah, and Go Gophers!!! @CoachKoehler @CoachHarbaugh @Coach_Fleck pic.twitter.com/TDfdaB2AsU
— Drake Mikkelsen (@Drake_Mikkelsen) April 6, 2026
The Golden Gophers hopped on Mikkelsen early during his recruiting process. Unsurprisingly, his first recorded interaction with Minnesota came during one of their on-campus high school recruiting camps back in June, 2025, a tool that has become extremely important to Fleck’s recruiting strategy.
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Six months after he attended camp, Mikkelson was back in Dinkytown over Thanksgiving break (Nov. 29, 2025) for his first unofficial visit — fresh off a massive junior season at Lennox HS, near where he caught 70 passes for 1,111 yards and 17 touchdowns. On January 31, 2026, Drake received his official offer from the University of Minnesota.
Keeping Mikkelsen committed to Minnesota Gophers won’t be easy
Fleck wasn’t the first Power Four school to offer Mikkelsen. Just days earlier, Big Ten rival Michigan State beat them to the punch. Kansas State offered that same day. Before that, his home-state SDSU Jackrabbits were his only D1 offer, according to 247Sports.
Since the Minnesota Gophers extended a scholarship to Mikkelsen, he’s seen additional offers role in from Iowa state, Kansas, Boise State, Wisconsin and North Dakota State. However, a recent visit at the end of March seemingly answered any final questions the South Dakota kid had about Dinkytown.
And if you watch even a few plays from his HUDL highlights, you can quickly realize how big of a get this kid is for Fleck and his Gopher coaching staff. But now… they have to keep him committed through National Signing Day.
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Because another truth that becomes more and more evident with every Mikkelsen highlight reception you watch… is that this kid will undoubtedly have more suitors knocking on his door between now and February 3, 2027, when he has to put pen to National Letter of Intent.
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