WARNING: This is a CFB debate, NOT a political debate.

I am here to address a hypothetical. I’m not interested in debating the merits of the idea that would lead to this hypothetical.

So...I had a weird thought. When you look at people under 35-40, and it’s arguably the most politically progressive generation since, if I were to hazard a guess, maybe the WWI generation?

College is extortion in this country whereas in most other western countries it’s free or cheap.

So let’s say free college/free trade school becomes law.

What happens to CFB?

The optimist in me says it doesn’t change a ton.

1) the ability receive elite coaching and training at elite facilities with a ton of support in all aspects of their lives is still so compelling that the structure doesn’t change a ton.

2) A significant percentage of guys couldn’t get admitted to most power 5 schools without a scholarship anyway and the per diem and free food is a huge draw.

I think there’s a compelling case that’s how it works out and the status quo of CFB doesn’t that much.

But what if it does change?

What’s the big give? Is it the per diem? Does that increase?

Do they straight up start paying players like it’s a job as well as an academic requirement?

How do you deal with private schools that still charge tuition vs. public schools that don’t?

What can you offer players if they could go to school for free anyway?

CFB would still exist I think. The NFL loves that’s it doesn’t need to have any kind of developmental system.

Do players feel emboldened to start demanding more money?

I am suddenly and quite selfishly rethinking this whole thing.

Slowly getting to meet more of you guys. Here's the list so far (in order):

@-TUNDRA-
@kcgorilla
@Matt Jessen-Howard
@OPD77
@dubwa
@djwerd
@SMiDT
@umfb27
@#coolstorybro
@MN_Bulldog
@GopherRx78
@fencejumpers
@sky dragon 15
@GopherJim
@pewterschmidt
@junit3
@vikings81
@cheddar wurst
@minnyrules11
@DWG In NE
@thested
@Ryan Burns

NLIs will get faxed in at 7 am local time. Below are when several commits' signing ceremonies are. All times central.


Jacob Clark: 8:15 AM
Cameron Wiley: 9:00 AM
Michael Lantz: 10:00 AM
Solomon Brown: 11:30 AM
Donald Willis: 1:00 PM
Noon: James Gordon
Nnamdi Adim-Madumere: 12:30 PM
JJ Guedet: 1:30 PM
Michael Brown-Stephens: 1:30 PM
Tyler Nubin: 6:30 PM
Kristian Williams: not signing until February

For Robinson. ..bummer

One day before signing day, and we don’t have much of an update from what we’ve already reported this week.

Login to view embedded media There has been a shift for Colorado now being the favorite for Darius Robinson since the Kristian Williams commitment. Remember, even though the Colorado head coach changed, Robinson’s recruiter stayed. He took two official visits to Boulder because of the new rule changes. Mizzou and Michigan are the other options, but the Michigan folks aren’t convinced he’s a take for them, and remember, they want him to play TE, which I’m not sure Robinson wants to do. Whatever the case is, I’d be surprised if the choice is Minnesota, which is fine because Minnesota’s defensive line class is already really big.

Login to view embedded media Demariyon Houston looks like he’ll sign in February. Haselwood to Oklahoma steam could increase SIGNIFICANTLY if Justin Fields transfers to Oklahoma, which has been noted as one of his top options. The two are very close. Haselwood to OU should guarantee Houston doesn’t have a spot there, which it looks like he already doesn’t have. Also watch for Langston Anderson and Oklahoma State, as he decides tomorrow and is their top WR target. Haselwood to OU, and Anderson to OKSU would be good for Minnesota, but they’ll still have to hold off other schools that try to jump in late.

Login to view embedded media Ahmarean Brown I don’t think has a committable offer from Minnesota. Again, Gophers are pretty tight on room and satisfied with their class.

Login to view embedded media Dontye Carriere-Williams decides today. He’s the one to watch for, but our sources in the South say he’ll be signing with Vanderbilt. I guess now that Damarion Williams won’t be signing, Minnesota’s door is likely now open for Carriere-Williams, but we’re expecting him to choose Vanderbilt.

Login to view embedded media Hookfin we expect to sign with Baylor, or maybe Texas.

This leaves Minnesota at 21 total commitments (Peter Udoibok and Tyler Cooper are maroonshirts). Houston will be the main target to watch for in the next Signing Period.

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Just spoke briefly to Kristian, and he was thrilled about his commitment to Minnesota. Here's what he had to say:

“It was unexpected, but when I went on the official visit I noticed the culture, the people involved. I looked at it and saw the type of person that I would be coming out of Minnesota. The coaching staff, the relationship that I have with them. I just feel like they will make me a better person spiritually, mentally, physically, and socially. I just felt like it was the best for me. My family like them. It’s a development process right now, and they’re very young. The recruiting class we have coming in, I feel like we can come in and make an impact right away. RTB I’m committed to Minnesota.”

Marcus West:

• Christmas came early for us. We attacked a position of need. This group is selfless. They're highly-rated, talented, sought-after. I can't wait to coach them. It was fun to develop relationships with them.
• We're changing the narrative of playing defensive line. We got two state champions.
• DeAngelo Griffin is disruptive. At nose tackle you want a bull in the china shop. DeAngelo Griffin is a bull in the china shop. Coach Fleck used his one contact to watch him in the state championship. He looked to Coach Fleck and rowed the boat.
• MJ Anderson can slide to the 3-tech and win one-on-ones.
• D'Vion Harris has what you cannot coach: first step and twitch. The first thing we look for is twitch because that's something you can't coach. He'll be the leader of the Big Ten in sacks in the near future.

Kenni Burns:

• This class serves and gives to their community. They're also state champions.
• Cam Wiley is long, rangy, can move and change direction. Trey Potts can make you miss. He could play some slot as well.
• Coach Fleck wanted to emphasize Missouri, and being from central Illinois, I'm just an hour away.

Matt Simon:

• Going to start Jason Williamson in the backfield and will put him all over the place. Going to find the best place for him to play.
• Udoibok we saw at camp. He brings a lot of size.
• Logan Richter has been through the process and rolled with it.

Jahmile Addae:

• A lot of work goes into the last three weeks, from both the coaches and support staff, on both the front end and the back end. It's important the players understand how excited we are to have them.
• If I took off this jacket right now, you'd see some big time pitting going on. This year we were able to hold commits within our family when they had some other big opportunities.
• Cam Wiley is an elite athlete. He has a lot of upside. I'm excited to see a 6'2" running back with his athleticism.
• Solomon Brown's high school head coach played at Iowa, so that was a pain in my butt. He did exactly what we told him to do, to be loyal to the program, because we were loyal to him as well. He's from my hometown so that means a lot, as well.

Clay Patterson:

• Coach Fleck does everything on an elite level. This is a great production.
• Coach Ciarrocca said you're never going to go to Texas and beat Texas schools for a Texas kid. Coach Ciarrocca likes to rib me a lot. Nnamdi wanted to do something different and chose an elite culture. He analyzed what was important to him and found that at Minnesota.
• Keonte Schad changed his life forever by signing with Minnesota and our culture today. I told him when we offered that people are going to come in and be reactive but we were proactive.
• I cannot confirm or deny that Coach Fleck was walking aroud Madison with the Axe when we visited his family in Madison.

Verified account 2h2 hours ago

So excited and proud that these young men are now officially Gophers!! A truly ELITE day for Minnesota!! #RTB #HYPRR #SkiUMah


6 replies58 retweets476 likes

Has to crush work productivity. At work and still getting nothing done.

We’ll see, but it appears Rivals made sweeping changes across their platforms last night after an update.

If things go how I expect them to go, things likely out of @Matt Jessen-Howard ’s control will continue to be taken away and/or censored.

It might be nothing, but we’ve already all lost our avatars, which make it easier to remember who is who.

If threads that normally wouldn’t be locked and/or zapped start getting removed, then it may be the end of me depending on what privileges get taken away.

Anyway, hopefully the Rivals overlords aren’t that dumb.


Oh and Ski-U-Mah and go Gophers!

See tweet below. notice it is an appeals form, not the actual form???

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Matthew Guggemos commits to Minnesota per his Twitter page.

per a cbs update I got appears he committed to mn after all. Sweet.

Probably not a complete list, but these players have announced on social media they will be walk-ons for Minnesota in 2019. Nothing wrong with adding walk on talent to continue building roster depth.


Logan Graetz https://www.hudl.com/profile/6580786/Logan-Graetz

Caden Fey http://www.hudl.com/profile/5655081/Caden-Fey

Ben McNaboe https://www.hudl.com/profile/5635657/Ben-McNaboe

Larry Wright http://www.hudl.com/profile/5504423/Larry-Wright

Cody Smith http://www.hudl.com/profile/5603057/Cody-Smith

Matt Guggemos http://www.hudl.com/profile/8126817/Matt-Guggemos

Derik LaCaptain http://www.hudl.com/profile/5431964/Derik-LeCaptain

Austin Winfield https://www.hudl.com/profile/8051829/Austin-Winfield

Tom Foley https://www.hudl.com/profile/6239042/Tom-Foley

Per TOS, Richter 320 Cooper 315 Guedet 305

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I think Minnesota decided they didn't want Damarion Williams to be a part of the class...

has there been any talk of him entering the draft and is there any info of which round he would go?

This class has more commits graded 5.7 or higher than any Minnesota class this decade.

This is the highest-rated Minnesota class this decade and second-highest in the Rivals era.

This is the highest-rated defensive line class for Minnesota in the Rivals era.

Kristian Williams is the highest-rated Minnesota commit from Tennessee in the Rivals.com era.

Kristian Williams, Rashad Cheney, and Keonte Schad are the highest-rated defensive line commits for Minnesota this decade.

Rashad Cheney is Minnesota’s highest defensive end commit this decade, according to Rivals.

Rashad Cheney is the highest-rated defensive commit from Georgia to Minnesota, and second-highest overall, trailing just Rashod Bateman in the 2018 class.

Rashad Cheney had more Power 5 offers than any other defensive line commit to Minnesota in the Rivals.com era.

Cam Wiley is the first Nevada commit in the Rivals era.

Nnamdi Adim-Madumere has more offers than any other Minnesota TE commit in the Rivals era.

Treyson Potts is Minnesota’s first Pennsylvania commit since 2010.

Tyler Nubin is tied for the highest-rated Minnesota safety commit of the Rivals era.

Tyler Nubin is the highest-rated Minnesota commit from Illinois in the Rivals era.

Tyler Nubin has more offers than any other Minnesota safety commit in the Rivals era.

Jacob Clark is the highest-rated pro-style QB commit to Minnesota in the Rivals era.

Jacob Clark is tied for the highest-rated Minnesota commit from Texas in the Rivals era.

Keonte Schad is the highest-rated defensive JUCO commit for Minnesota in the Rivals era.

Keonte Schad is the highest-rated commit from Iowa in the Rivals era.

James Gordon has more Power 5 offers than any other inside linebacker commit to Minnesota in the Power 5 era.

James Gordon is the highest-rated inside linebacker commit this decade in the Rivals era.

are we excited? I’m excited. I can finally pay attention to recruit process.

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@Littlefinger
@dubwa
@-TUNDRA-
@Matt Jessen-Howard
@Viperman69
@umfb27
@GopherJim
@OPD77
@stroke the post
@bradt42
...
UPDATE: and now @AhliBobwa! Welcome to the 10K like club!



Next 5 on deck:

@Slab Of Bacon
@Vifan
@Tuchman Marsh
@Gopher Rube
@Connor Stevens

was named our next president.