Tonight at 10 PM, WCCO (CH. 4 – CBS) is running an investigative piece on PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers football program, related to how they handle injuries and player relations from within. It’s not one of the complementary variety and you can see that from the trailer released on the WCCO YouTube page.

Get to know Jason Stahl

There’s one person who’s (mostly) responsible for this story and his name is Jason Stahl. He’s a former student, professor and administrator at the University of Minnesota. While employed, he filed hundreds of complaints against PJ Fleck and the football program. In doing some research, a couple of things about Dr. Stahl quickly become clear.

He’s not a big fan of political conservatism or PJ Fleck. He rejects the idea of embracing one culture and claims players are being forced into certain set of ideals. Stall doesn’t like the mimicking of mantras like “Row the Boat” or “Elite” and that’s apparent in some of the complaints he filed against Fleck while employed at the U of M. After being offered a demotion in 2020, because of his vocal stance against the football program, Jason stall quit instead and started a substack newsletter.

His published stories since include “The Case Against Mark Coyle“, “Beholden to One Man (PJ Fleck and the Toxic Workplaces of College Football” and “Exploit U“, among others. Jason has been pushing media outlets to cover his PJ Fleck and Mark Coyle negativity for months while also trying to become the first head of a “College Football Players Association” (CFBPA).

His efforts had gone mostly fruitless until WCCO picked up his story for tonight. When I published this blog, Stahl had all of 300 Twitter followers. That doesn’t mean he’s meaningless or his voice doesn’t matter but context is always important. Something I write isn’t taken as seriously as something out of the Star Tribune, either. That’s just reality.

Here’s what Stahl had to say about his appearance on CBS tonight.

This coming Monday, May 10 at 10:00 p.m., Minnesota’s largest broadcast news outlet, the CBS affiliate WCCO, will begin reporting on these matters. I was interviewed extensively as were former Gopher players who I had not yet included in my reporting. These will be new players voices that no one has heard from yet. I commend these players for their courage in coming forward and look forward to hearing what they have to say. The report will be online after the live airing and so I’ll be sure to share the link when it is.

Jason Stahl

“New Players Voices”

I know of and have spoken with one former player who was crucial to WCCO’s reporting. His name is Alex Reigelsperger and you will see + hear from him tonight. Alex was a 3-star recruit out of high school who quickly ran into injury issues after enrolling in January, 2018. He medically retired in 2019. I’ll let Alex tell you his story tonight but his complaints seem to revolve more around how college athletics operate as a whole, than what he holds against PJ Fleck and the University of Minnesota.

Obviously, Alex’ experience didn’t go as planned at the University of Minnesota. But his story isn’t any different than what’s happening across the country.

My take

Imagine being a high school kid who’s getting recruited by multiple power-5 division one college football programs. You’re worshipped at your school and by your peers. Holding committable offers from rival schools would give power to a teenager that most only dream of. They’re being courted, praised and borderline worshipped by grown-ass men across the country and those coaches are acutely aware of how quickly an emotional teenager can turn on them, with one perceived misstep.

So then, said recruit picks (or commits) to the school they like best, the one that made the least mistakes throughout the process and the program they felt loved them the most. It’s a real-life “The Bachelor” show. Instead of a rose, there are hats. Still, the process is eerily similar and both are stacked with important home visits, awkward conversations and incredible plot twists.

But then they get on campus…

But eventually, The Bachelor gets married and settles down with his bride (Or they graduate high school and arrive on campus, in this case.) Reality often hits soon after. Coaches who were once courting them are now cracking the proverbial whip. Suddenly, the once-worshipped recruit is the one competing for the love and affection of his coach. Not only that, but the competition with his own teammates is physical and fierce. One small injury or an adolescent mistake off-the-field can completely throw a wrench into the trajectory of a college prospect.

This is the reality that every high-major college athlete deals with. Some get dealt better hands than others, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a process meant to push the cream to the top.

Let’s be real. These 3,4,5-star athletes (who are 19-20 years old) aren’t in major competition for playing time while in high schools. These are some of the greatest athletes of entire town generations, in many cases. Now, they’re away from family and lifetime support systems for the first time ever and getting their dreams crushed at practice on a daily basis competing for the first time ever, with players bigger, faster and stronger than they are.

“The NCAA system”

The collegiate athletic system needs to be fixed. Kids are making billions of dollars for the collegiate steamboat and only seeing $100K in scholarship money in return. But as players get more rights, a union will eventually form and the entire college world will turn upside down.

But this report isn’t being framed as a college athletics issue. CBS is selling it as a PJ Fleck hit piece. Imagine believing PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers are treating players worse than SEC schools who are answering to fanbases and boosters ready to die for their college football allegiances if Tuesday morning called for it.

Also, transferring in 2021 is easy as it’s ever been. Yet, the Gophers haven’t dealt with nearly the exodus other programs have. Mo Ibrahim could have been a day-2 draft pick and Connor Olson is a doctor but both chose to come back for one more ride. Minnesota had to add nearly 10 scholarships for this year’s team, after the NCAA granted another year of eligibility to seniors.

This whole thing comes off as sour grapes. But, I’ll be watching tonight to see if Jason can change my mind.

UPDATE: My mind isn’t changed.

Here’s the entire feature from WCCO’s 10 PM special on Monday night.

Football players at the UMN got hurt at practice. Others found their expectations underserved and transferred. A professor doesn’t understand that this is normal. @WCCO runs a 10 minute feature on the professor’s website. The end.

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) May 11, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

I don’t think a bigger boat will suffice. We’re probably going to need a fleet of yachts. The oars will look weird as hell, but who cares.

ESPN on #Gophers recruiting: “Minnesota has never signed top-25 class since ESPN began ranking. In fact, Gophers havent even come close. In past 4 yrs, avg class rank was 58. That makes the work of Fleck & staff otherworldly, with Minnesota sitting at 23” https://t.co/tx80fTkrkl pic.twitter.com/EJ8XaQ34BL

— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) December 19, 2017

The above information was from the eve of National Signing Day. According to GopherHole.com, Minnesota ended up closing Wednesday with the twenty-seventh best class in country.

P.J. Fleck and staff now OFFICIALLY have the highest recruiting class in the history of Gopher football (recruiting rankings started during Internet era). On Wednesday, twenty-six young men signed their letters to play pigskin for the Maroon and Gold. Here are the individuals that comprise the #eLITe18 class:

Offense:

Defense:

Prior to this year, either the 2008 or 2016 class were considered the best rated in the program’s history. With 2018’s National Signing day in the books, both of those can take a back seat.

According to 247Sports.com, the 2008 group finished with an average player rating of .8553. As for 2016, they closed with .8391. P.J. Flecks inaugural recruiting class set the new standard with .8609.

Top 5 Rated Signees:

1. Curtis Dunlap Jr. (.9220 rating) – OL
2. Rashod Bateman (.8921 rating) – WR
3. Daniel Faalele (.8858 rating) – OL
4. Victor Viramontes (.8851 rating) – QB
5. Alex Reigelsperger (.8810 rating) – DL

Including the handful above, the 2018’s signees contain 17 players rated higher than a .8500. For comparison purposes, the 2016 class only had 6. Also, a friendly reminder that 2019 version is expected to be even better.

An ELITE & historic day for @GopherFootball!! The #HYPRR culture starts with the PEOPLE!! So excited about our future!! #RTB #SkiUMah pic.twitter.com/n8NoTSaleF

— P.J. Fleck (@Coach_Fleck) December 20, 2017

If he wasn’t on such a heater, I’d advise coach to set the coffee down. Screw that. Toss another espresso shot in there.

In the event football doesn’t work out (which it will) for P.J. Fleck, he’d put all inspirational speakers out of business. Highland Park Senior, Josh Aune, is one of the twenty-six Gophers that signed on Wednesday. He seems to get plenty of motivation from his new coach. Aune talked about how every time Coach Fleck talks he wants “to run through a brick wall.“

Same here, Josh, Same here.

If you were a professional boxer, what would be your walk-out music?

Crank up the volume and listen to Victor Viramontes’ anthem:

We wrap up #NSDeLITe18 with an elite QB from California. @VicViramontes10, you’re officially part of the #Gophers family! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/3wBSEMoHdG

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 20, 2017

If you didn’t like the song, that’s fair. He’s here to play QB, not be a DJ at dance parties.

Anywho, the official Gophers Football Twitter account did those videos for each signee. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small gesture. However, those small gestures add up. Little differences could ultimately be the deciding factor between a player choosing another program over Minnesota.

Speaking of another program, Wednesday was another “L” for Wisconsin. Earlier in the week the Packers were eliminated from Playoff contention and now the Gophers out recruited Bucky. To be more precise, Minnesota out recruited the entire Big Ten West.

“This is a sleeping giant and we’re going to wake it up.” — the closing line on Being PJ Fleck

— Kyle Goblirsch (@GobieMN) August 24, 2017

I’m not sure about you guys/gals, but I’m awake. This program has got me feeling more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed than ever.

Johnny Minnesota @TheJohnnyMN
Minnesota Sports Fan MinnesotaSportsFan.com

P.J. Fleck and his staff are out here playing chess, while their competition plays checkers. The Golden Gophers football program just made a HUGE (pun intended) splash in the recruiting world. The #eLITe18Palooza was most definitely LIT.

One of the best days ever with my next family ?〽️

— Alexander Reigelsperger (@reigelsperger_a) December 9, 2017

#eLITe18Palooza pic.twitter.com/SIbCPfM4ve

— Grant Norton (@Grantjnorton99) December 9, 2017

Yesterday’s Day 1 #eLITe18Palooza ! TCF, Fireseide Grill,Smaaash. Attention to every single detail is amazing! 26 commits + 9 recruits AND their families = largest official visit ever in NCAA and yet the personal attention is impeccable. pic.twitter.com/MRTSTyb6Vb

— Karen Beier (@beiers_mom) December 9, 2017

Nice food, bonding, and everyone involved seemed to have a good time. Minnesota Sports Fan is all for a good time. A pro-fun company, if you will. Especially when that good time produces value-raising results. That was exactly the case with the #eLITe18Palooza.

Prior to this weekend, WR Rashod Bateman was MN’s lone four-star commit for their 2018 class. Granted, Vic Viramontes, Alex Reigelsperger, and a plethora of others are just shy of “4-star status”. Either way, Bateman now has company.

Two additions totaling over 760 pounds made their #RTB future official on Saturday. OVER 760 POUNDS! That’s approximately 345 Kilograms for our Canadian readers.

Curtis Dunlap could be PJ’s biggest recruit for the 2018 season for multiple reasons, outside of Vic Verimontes because he plays QB. The Gopher offensive line was a big reason for the team’s struggles this season. We are thought to have one of the best running back combos in the nation, between Rodney Smith and Shannon Brooks. Yet, the running game struggled in 2017. So, Dunlap was much-needed. Not only that, but he had already committed to the University of Florida, before they switched coaches.

After wavering on the Gator commitment, he visited Arkansas before eventually decommitting, earlier this week. Dunlap came to town this weekend for #eLITe18Palooza, recently de-committed from one SEC school, and being pursued HARD by another. But, I’ve (Eric) said it before and I will say it again: When you are down for Fleck, when you BELIEVE in the culture, and when you are DOWN TO ROW, it doesn’t matter who is chasing you. When you are drawn to that mindset, Fleck reels you in like he’s throwing bacon-bait into a starving piranha pond. The type of kids who like Fleck have a HARD time saying no to him. It’s awesome. Oh, and also, you can watch him play at the UnderArmour All-American Game on January 4th.

That’s right. Another prospect that ranks in the top 3 of the 2018 Gopher recruiting class. Now, we aren’t sure what Faalele is going to be because he has only been playing football for two years. Yup, two years. He is a MONSTER, standing at 6’9″, and weighing 400 lbs… He had offers from huge schools as well, including Georgia, Alabama, and just about every other big SEC and ACC school. But, he wants to row. And, there’s only one place in the country where you row. MINNESOTA.

Like Dunlap, Faalele has been chosen to the UnderArmour All-Star game later this year. He will also be enrolling early and will be on campus for the Spring Term and the Spring Game. It’s starting to happen Gopher fans. This is where it starts. Recruiting.

.@Curtisdunlapjr joins the #Gophers OL class of @Grantjnorton99, @nathanboe1122, @BeierAustin, @DanielFaalele_ and @jackyork72. He is the highest rated OL commit for Minnesota in this decade.

Dunlap will also be participating in the UA @AllAmericaGame game.

— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) December 10, 2017

Prior to this weekend, Minnesota ALREADY had the highest 2018 class in the Big Ten West. Now, the Gophers are knocking on the door of the Top 25, NATIONALLY. And, we are coming up on early signing day in less than two weeks.

Usually, schools are picking up the scraps of their recruiting classes right now. Not PJ. Why? Because, with these recruits, he had time that was more comparable to the coaches he was competing with. Remember, these coaches normally have relationships with players for multiple years before they commit, eventually. Most of the kids committing now haven’t decided on a school yet, for a reason. They may have decommitted from a school, after an early commitment that didn’t work out (like Dunlap). They may have been interested in schools who had a coach fired or went through changes they weren’t expecting. That levels the playing field for Fleck. And that’s bad news for everyone else. Other coaches around the country, especially the Big Ten. Other schools in the midwest, and nationally, have to be shaking in their boots as they think about battling PJ for high-end recruits in the future.

If Fleck closes the borders around Minnesota, where is Wisconsin going to get all of its players?

Also, both commitments this weekend were from kids who are about to graduate from IMG Academy, in Florida. IMG Academy kicks out top recruits like the Brady Bunch kicked out great kids… To go into that school, and come out with these two, is incredible. I picture top college coaches walking around the halls there, like military recruits at a high-school, with the pull-up bar. He also has Zach Annexstad coming to campus as a Preferred Walk-On in 2018. He likely played a big part in these offensive linemen committing.

What a weekend so far… I say so far, because it might not be over yet… The raw numbers, for scholarships available, tell us the Gophers don’t have any spots left in their 2018 class. However, don’t be surprised if we see some changes take place before all is said and done, and Fleck gets a guy or two more. Here are the two top targets remaining on Fleck’s radar. Both players would land in the Gopher top 6 for 2018:

Once again, this article was tag-teamed. The Minnesota staff is making so many moves out there, it can be tough to keep up. Shit reminds us of Percy Harvin in 2011.

In our last combination piece, we closed with a video Richard Pitino praising Fleck. In similar fashion, let’s hear a Fleck opinion. We proudly defer to 2018 #RTB commit, Alex Reigelsperger (Follow him on Twitter: reigelsperger_a).

I need to ice my fingers from all the #RTB typing. A good problem to have. While I recover, listen to this part of my interview with @reigelsperger_a #SkiUMah @realmnsportsfan pic.twitter.com/EjXukrhDNW

— Johnny Minnesota (@MNsportsNstuff) December 9, 2017

This article was tag-teamed by Johnny Minnesota (@MNsportsNstuff) & The Boss (@RealMNSportsFan)

Photo: @Curtisdunlapjr