Minnesota Gophers football coach, PJ Fleck, said multiple times on Wednesday during his 1 hour and 9 minute National Signing Day press conference that, “it’s not about the stars”.

Yet… recruiting conversations always seems to revolve around stars and rankings, based on stars. Why? Because, racking up stars right now usually leads to wins and future NFL draftees later (unless you’re Michigan or Nebraska).

And since PJ Fleck has arrived on campus, more stars have walked into Athletes Village than ever before. Nothing about that changed this week, when Fleck earned four commitments from 4-star recruits.

That number doesn’t include Nebraska 4-star DB, Avante Dickerson, who would have easily topped this list but got cold feet Wednesday morning. If Dickerson does commit, the 2021 recruiting class immediately goes from “standard Fleck” to historic.

But let’s get back to the 4-star prospects who did officially grab oars on Wednesday morning. There were four of them and they mean more than just cream-of-the-crop talent to this 2021 class. Leadership and “it” factor isn’t hard to find with this group.

Athan Kaliakmanis | Quarterback | Antioch, IL

247Sports Rating: .8963 4-Star

Offers: Iowa, Iowa State, Purdue, Tennessee

HIGHLIGHTS

???? @aajk_23 ???? pic.twitter.com/Yc1Gbax6Ji

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 16, 2020

One of two Kaliakmanis brothers to sign on the dotted line Wednesday, Athan was the first commitment PJ got for the 2021 class, nearly two years ago. He’s been steady throughout his entire commitment and he’s been all but dubbed the Minnesota Gophers’ QB of the future.

Until Dickerson signs, he’s the highest-rated commit of this class and he has all the leadership and immeasurables you need in your future QB. On the field, Athan can do it all. He can run, he can throw and he looks damn smooth doing both. At 6’4″, 210+ pounds, he has all of the physical tools to lead a team in the Big ten.

Unfortunately, Illinois canceled their high school football season so we haven’t seen the latest and greatest version of either Kaliakmanis brother. They will have a spring high school season, however.

Trajectory: The additional year of eligibility for Tanner Morgan, Zack Annexstad and the rest of the current Gopher QB’s makes Athan’s trajectory more difficult to project. We could see Kaliakmanis as early as 2022, depending on how college ready he is.

Steven Ortiz Jr. | Defensive Back | Goodyear, AZ

247Sports Rating: .8958 4-Star

Offers: Arizona, Penn State, Cal, Oregon, Washington

HIGHLIGHTS

???? @1stevenortizjr ???? pic.twitter.com/cGI3Vm5yzl

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 16, 2020

Another leader of this Minnesota Gophers class, Steven Ortiz Jr. is combo-guy that every coach wants at the top of their recruiting class. Ortiz Jr and his family are one of the glue-families of this class.

This is a very tight-knit group and that’s thanks to families like Ortiz’, Kaliakmanis’ and Deven Eastern’s (more on him shortly).

Just like Athan, Ortiz Jr brings it on the football field too. Having a kid who can say and do all the right things is helpful, but finding those personality traits combined with elite talent… is harder.

Steven brings a ton of tenacity and athleticism to the secondary. In some of his film, he seems to know the receiver’s route before he runs it. But I love his physicality. You don’t have to watch a lot of tackles to know how much a defensive back likes to hit. He either likes to do it or he doesn’t.

Ortiz Jr. clearly enjoys hitting people. That’s a big deal at defensive back because it’s not a trait that all the good ones have. But you can’t have versatility if you’re afraid of getting dirty.

Steven can play safety, nickel and outside cornerback. No matter where he plays, the Arizona native has the talent and intangibles to succeed early.

Trajectory: The Gophers have a lot to fix in the secondary and Ortiz has a lot of versatility to offer. If he can grasp the playbook right away, we could see him as soon as 2021. 2022 is probably more realistic.

Mar’Keise (Bucky) Irving | Running Back | Hillcrest, IL

247Sports Rating: .8930 4-Star

Offers: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa, S. Carolina

HIGHLIGHTS

???? @bucky_buckets ???? pic.twitter.com/4GtoaAz4kI

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 16, 2020

I mean… what more do you need to read from me, after watching that highlight reel? Even if those were the best 5-6 runs of his career, does it matter? This dude looks like a mixture of Barry Sanders and the Tecmo Bowl version of Bo Jackson.

If he’s juking, they can’t touch him, if he’s sprinting they can’t catch him and if he’s stiff arming, they can’t tackle him. I mean some of those clips are completely absurd. He’s playing against some of the best competition in all of Illinois but he’s making them look like a bunch of 8th-graders.

People were worried about Bucky’s commitment early on, especially since his best bud, Sam Jackson, committed and decommitted from the Minnesota Gophers twice before eventually signing with TCU on Wednesday. But, Irving has hung strong and now the Gophers have ANOTHER running back in their arsenal of future backfield weapons.

Trajectory: Bucky is an interesting case. He can return kickoffs, punts and catch the ball out of the backfield. I’d like to say we could see Irving as soon as 2021 but there is A LOT of talent right now at running back for Minnesota.

Deven Eastern | Defensive End | Shakopee, MN

247Sports Rating: .8912 4-Star

Offers: Nebraska, Missouri

HIGHLIGHTS

???? @EasternDeven ???? pic.twitter.com/s5F9mmj1aj

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 16, 2020

Deven Eastern hails from Shakopee, MN and he’s the only hometown 4-star PJ Fleck pulled in. He and his family are another of those glue-types that keeps this class so tightly-knit.

I love seeing highly-rated Minnesota kids stay home. It sets such a huge example for future athletes of this state. Kids really do look up to you when you are a young top athlete and you can help make your home school the cool place to be.

Obviously, Eastern is a Minnesota kid who holds 4-stars so you can be damn sure those stars are legit. Deven plays with speed and seems to have an extra awareness about him on the football field.

Not only was he bigger and faster than everyone while playing for Shakopee high school, but Eastern plays smarter too. Even in those clips above, you can see him recognize screens and chase down running backs with great angles.

We’ve seen how important those things are in young players this season, as we’ve watched a bunch of youngsters on defense try to learn how to play D1-fast at a very young age.

Trajectory: The defensive line play has been up and down all season for the Gophers but it has a really talented mix of lower and upper classmen. If Eastern can come in and play hard, smart and fast… he could earn a spot as early as 2022 but it’s gonna be dog fight on the DL to get playing time over the next few years. We’ll see if Eastern can be one of the top dogs in that friendly fight.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Big Ten football has been trying to clean up its own mess since its decision to postpone the 2020 season earlier this month. The move has made the conference look extremely foolish, to say the least. Not only have PJ Fleck, the Gophers, and every other team in the conference been scrambling to figure out how to get ready for a season they don’t know will ever start.

We also have players’ parents sending in letters and statements to the league, stating concerns. Some have even gone as far as traveling to Chicago to literally knock on the commissioner’s (office) door.

See ya “Early Friday Morning” We gotta Fight and we can’t let these young men FIGHT ALONE…. ALL BIG TEN FANS STAND UP…. pic.twitter.com/qjbaQVcRSX

— Randy L Wade?%? f@❌ℹLy….. (@gslsff) August 18, 2020

Yet the cancelation and subsequent anger within the Big Ten states and fan bases are only one part of the story. What many aren’t talking about, is recruiting and how coaches are juggling their incoming 2021 class amid all these moving parts. Most importantly, what is Minnesota head coach, PJ Fleck, doing to keep his commits’ oars in the water?

Sadly, the bitter reality: The Big Ten better hope the SEC, ACC and Big 12 eventually cancel fall football as well. If not, Big Ten is damaged in so many ways, financially, competitively, recruiting-wise, etc. Lots and lots of important people ticked off by the suddenness.

— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) August 12, 2020

IF the SEC, ACC and Big 12 play (and it’s a big if) and it is successful and with no problems, the recruiting fallout for the Big Ten will last for a decade

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) August 11, 2020

Mass Recruiting Exodus Unlikely

In all reality, a mass exodus of recruits from any Big Ten school is unlikely. These players, like Steven Ortiz, committed for reasons too big to die this easily. You’d sure hope it would take more than one season of no competition for incoming players to start defecting. Southern schools are still going to try their damndest…

One of Minnesota’s top commitments for the 2021 class, Steven Ortiz is already feeling the heat. It doesn’t seem to weigh on him though. Ortiz told me he isn’t going anywhere. The communication and trust he has in PJ Fleck and RTB culture shows.

“Schools try to talk to me, but I am 100% committed to Minnesota, and I let them know that… I am focused on my season right now and I hope those guys get to have a season.”

“I talk to coach Fleck all the time and he pretty much always tells me just to stay positive and control what I can control.”

Steven Ortiz Jr.

From all accounts, Fleck has shown nothing but genuine care and interest in his players. That’s a trait that’s becoming even more crucial during this pandemic and shifting college football landscape.

Recruiting in the Future

While it may not hurt the Gophers on the recruiting trail in 2021, not playing football this year could impact PJ Fleck’s ability to recruit the south going forward. The Gophers haven’t been a national powerhouse since the 60’s but Fleck has still done a good job recruiting against helmet schools in the south.

Minnesota has pulled the likes of Rashod Bateman (GA), Daniel Faalele (FL) and Curtis Dunlap (FL) from the area in recent years. Those individuals may not have been the five-stars more established schools attract, but to pull southern four-stars to Minnesota when nobody down there even knows we exist, is a feat in itself.

So how does the Big Ten’s postponement impact the Gopher’s future? According to 247Sports Composite Ratings from Southern states, the Gophers rank only behind Nebraska for Big Ten West schools who most often lure Top-1000 recruits up from the south.

Top 1000 National Recruits from Southern States in Big Ten West (2018-2021)

Fleck has made clear how important recruiting the south is. If the Big Ten isn’t playing football and southern universities are, Fleck’s footprint in football country could shrink…. but I don’t see it.

Flecknotized recruits are likely to see through the “Minnesota doesn’t care about football” charade, even years from now. Yes, the decision to postpone hits hard but if the University of Minnesota didn’t care about athletics (especially football), Fleck wouldn’t be the head coach and Mark Coyle wouldn’t be Athletic Director. The team also wouldn’t be primed to build off their 11-2 record in 2019.

Not the End of the World

This is not the end of the world for the Big Ten or the University of Minnesota football program…. at least not yet. If the pandemic takes a prolonged time to end and the conference doesn’t make better decisions leading into the 2021 season, then all bets are off. But as of right now, Fleck’s constant positive energy should be enough to keep his recruits in the boat.

How to get a major college football program through a pandemic, per #Gophers HC PJ Fleck:

1. Communication
2. Focus on the now (#RTB)
3. Trust pic.twitter.com/MTFMb8wNMG

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 15, 2020

It highlights how great of a player’s coach Fleck is and how he has rebuilt the program’s image from scratch. If there is anything Fleck’s recruits have shown, it is empathy. With the likes of Steven Ortiz wanting the current group of guys to play the season they deserve.

Recruits like Steven Ortiz get it. They are going through similar situations, themselves, unsure about their last high school seasons. It will take more than an opportunistic pitch from Dabo Swinney to sway recruits away from the Gophers. Just keep rowing the boat and everything will be fine.

Keep an Eye Out for the “Two For One”…

With the postponement of the 2020 season being potentially moved to early 2021, questions have arisen regarding early enrollees for the upcoming class. Could one player be eligible for two seasons in one calendar year if football is played in the spring after freshman enroll early? If they were to play that year (2 seasons), would it eat up one year of eligibility or two?

Both Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Purdue’s Jeff Brohm, have come out with differing plans for a spring or winter season. There is a lot of politicking going on.

Purdue Coach Jeff Brohm has released a football plan for 2021. pic.twitter.com/USYPxNmoOq

— Sam McKewon (@swmckewonOWH) August 13, 2020

Ryan Day pitched the idea of incoming players playing a two-for-one calendar year, last week. This may be a non-starter for leagues that are playing in the fall but you can’t fault him for trying. The pitch makes even more sense when SEC, ACC, and Big XII schools are trying to poach top incoming recruits.

The question is whether 2021 recruits are playing this fall and thinking of enrolling early.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

Lets make 2021 the best class in Minnesota History… Who gonna ride w me? 〽️〽️〽️ pic.twitter.com/9qK0tYsUvg

— Steven Ortiz Jr (@1stevenortizjr) April 10, 2020

I can confirm the #Gophers have received a commitment from 2021 Arizona four-star corner @1stevenortizjr over Oregon, Penn State and Washington among others.

Ortiz ranks as the top rated defensive back to commit to Minnesota in the @247Sports era.https://t.co/QghavgPCWf pic.twitter.com/fe9FGtBcU0

— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) April 10, 2020

via GIPHY

If you’re still refusing to row the boat…. (WTF are you doing?) it’s time to grab your oar. You can even borrow one of mine, until you can get back out to pick up your own. I have plenty.

Steven Ortiz Jr. doesn’t need any help with his rowing duties. This kid is fully bought in and completely capable of handling his own. Standing 5-11, the Arizona native likes to tattoo his facemask permanently into the pads of opponents. Ortiz blows up more screens in the highlight video below, than the Kool-Aid Man on a sunny Saturday.

He didn’t need to bust through U of M campus doors to make his commitment, though. Ortiz visited 12 schools while being recruited but Minnesota wasn’t one of them. This Arizona native didn’t need to feel the Minnesota cold before putting the block “M” stocking hat on.

I know it’s just a highlight video but some of these plays are just tear-worthy. Both mentally and physically, he seems to be on a different level, compared to others on that field. His acceleration to the ball is stunning… He’s like a heat-seeking missile. It doesn’t matter who is between him and the ball. He’ll light blockers up, when necessary, but the way he weaves through defenders is what seems most effortless.

The 4-star recruit often has the play read before it’s set up. Many times, especially on all of the screen plays he disrupts in his highlight, he’s weaving through defenders and heading toward the receiver way before the ball gets to his target… sometimes before the QB has even released it. His awareness seems off the charts already.

Ortiz has offers coming in from all over the country, some from the most popular helmet schools, like Oregon and Penn State. He also had them from Washington, Cal, Mississippi State, Iowa State and Nebraska. The recruiting experts parrot what the highlight clips and offer sheets show. Ortiz Jr’s 7-7 coach also raves about his physicality (both via GopherIllustrated.com):

A physical player in the secondary, Ortiz brings position flexibility.  He’ll be able to play corner, nickel or safety in the Gophers defense. From the run support, to being a guy you can blitz off the edge to obviously being able to cover, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Ortiz should shine in several ways once he’s suiting up in the Big Ten.

GopherIllustrated – Steve Wiltfong

“He’s a kid that I think in the right style he’ll do extremely well,” Ortiz’s 7-on-7 coach Tracy Ford told 247Sports. Ford also trains several college and NFL athletes at his facility in Washington state. “I think he’s a true nickel, safety type body. I know he plays outside corner now but he’s fierce in the run game, obviously he can cover, he was real good in 7-on-7 and I think he is a lot better pads player because he’s so versatile in the run game.

He’s kind of in the mold of a Tyrann Mathieu. I truly think that. He’s not extremely fast but he’s twitch. He is strong for his size. He just has a nose for the football and he’s a leader.”

GopherIllustrated – Steve Wiltfong

Ortiz’ commitment is massive and he looks like someone who should blossom into a big time contributor, individually. It was the message he brought with him last night, that doubles down on the excitement.

I wrote about it when they first started doing virtual visits, and this is only the beginning of the payoff. PJ Fleck and his staff are always hungry to do more. Right now, doing more can only happen on the recruiting trail and their RTB attitude is about to pay off in their 2021 class.

In his twitter post at the top of this blog, Ortiz says “Lets make 2021 the best class in Minnesota History…”, and he’s not joking. It’s already on its way there. Fleck has seven guys committed for 2021 and two of them are 4-stars who tip a .90+ rating… but I fully expect much more to come.

In an interview with 247Sports.com before his commitment, Ortiz mentioned a specific 4-star buddy of his, who he “doesn’t want to speak for”, that is interested in Minnesota too (it’s this 4-star buddy). Whether he lands here or not, what we’ve seen so far for this class, is only the tip of the iceberg.

PJ has had his quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, picked out and committed for over a year and he has been recruiting on and off of social media ever since. Earlier, I mentioned two 4-stars already committed for the 2021 class…. Athan is the other.

Grab an oar… let’s row.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan