It’s not a secret that the Gophers are among every other Division I FBS football program that failed to recruit Trey Lance as a quarterback, but now there is public confirmation that Lance wanted to stay home in Minnesota and play for the Gophers.
However, Lance wanted to play quarterback, not safety or wide receiver. Minnesota’s coaching staff, led now and at the time by head coach P.J. Fleck, didn’t recruit him as a quarterback, ultimately crushing the Marshall native’s dreams of wearing Maroon & Gold.
“Shoot, if you would’ve asked my junior year, I would’ve thought that I was going to play quarterback at the University of Minnesota,” Lance said in a feature segment on ESPN. Lance said most Power 5 schools recruited him as a receiver, outside linebacker and safety.
Not being recruited as a QB by the Gophers “stung” Lance, according to his mother.
“When Trey learned that he was not being recruited as the quarterback for the University of Minnesota, that stung,” said Angie Lance. “Didn’t matter what they saw on film, they were not going to recruit Trey Lance as a quarterback at these huge schools, out of Marshall, Minnesota. No chance.”
“Lance added: “Any other school that wanted me at any other position, that was a pretty quick conversation.”
Minnesota’s loss was North Dakota State’s gain. Lance lit up the FCS for as a redshirt freshman by rushing for 14 touchdowns and passing for 28 more – and he didn’t throw an interception.
Now Lance is projected to be a first-round pick when the NFL Draft begins April 29.
The big question is how early he’ll go. The latest mock draft from Pro Football Focus has Lance sliding all the way to No. 15, where the New England Patriots pick. It just so happens that the Minnesota Vikings own the No. 14 pick.
CBS Sports also has Lance falling to the Patriots, while quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Mac Jones and Justin Fields are all projected to go before Lance.
