Cade McConnell. Haden Schwartz. Ryan Stapp. Maverick Baranowski.
Those are the names of four high school football players who committed to the Gophers over the weekend, giving P.J. Fleck’s 2022 recruiting class a boost on both sides of the ball.
McConnell is three-star offensive lineman recruit from Choctaw, Oklahoma. At 6’5” and 290 pounds, McConnell will bring a fresh big body to a team that is now known for producing high-caliber offensive linemen. McConnell committed to the Gophers are dropping his commitment to TCU.
Hit my insta @ cademcconnell71 😀 pic.twitter.com/gPnswFh5Q7
— Cade McConnell 7️⃣0️⃣ (@CadeMcConnell2) December 12, 2021
A fellow three-star recruit, Schwartz committed on Sunday. He’s a 6’4”, 240-pound defensive lineman from Jacksonville, Florida. He picked Minnesota over offers from Big Ten East Division powers Michigan and Penn State.
110% Committed! 🚣#RTB@Coach_Fleck @ChadWilt @Bolles_Football @DeshawnBrownInc @SWiltfong247 @GopherFootball @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/qqfuz18lgv
— Hayden Schwartz (@hayden_schw47) December 13, 2021
Stapp is transferring to Minnesota from Abilene Christian in Texas. The 6-foot cornerback also had offers from Nebraska, Mississippi State and Louisville, among others.
First off I would like to thank God, my family, and the entire Abilene Christian coaching staff and community for helping me get to this point. With that being said I am 110% committed to The University of Minnesota!! RTB!! pic.twitter.com/sVlod4xCEH
— Ryan Stapp 🌴 (@ryanstapp2) December 11, 2021
Baranowksi enters the recruiting class as a 6’3” linebacker from Florida. He had originally committed to Air Force before changing his plan to Minnesota.
1000% COMMITTED to the UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA‼️‼️ Thank you to everyone who has been with me through this entire process. Huge thank you to @JoeS_Rossi, @Coach_Fleck, and the entire @GopherFootball staff for believing in me. #RTB #SkiUMah Go Gophers!! @CoachMikeKlein pic.twitter.com/XMTE0EHHQx
— Maverick Baranowski (@Maverick_b5) December 12, 2021
According to 247Sports, the Gophers’ 2022 recruiting class ranks 37th in the nation and seventh in the Big Ten. The top three recruits in Minnesota’s 2022 class are:
- Trey Bixby, DL, Eden Prairie (4 stars)
- Anthony Smith, DL, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania (4 stars)
- Zach Evans, RB, Rockwall, Texas (3 stars)
Schwartz and McConnell round out the top five in the Gophers’ 2022 rankings.
