Photos from the visit show a handful of Florida State items on the walls and ledges, but it wasn’t a precursor to Seminoles coach Willie Taggart jumping out to spook Fleck and try to snatch away Gordon. But the threat was there, with Florida State and Miami offering scholarships to Gordon in November — months after Gordon pledged to the Gophers in June.
Gordon stayed true to Minnesota, and on Wednesday, he was one of 21 scholarship players to sign national letters of intent with the Gophers as the early signing period opened before dawn. Gordon is one of many examples of the Gophers contending, and sometimes winning, recruiting battles with programs such as Oklahoma and Alabama and in-state schools like Florida State, which can be magnets for recruits.
Fleck called them “big-boy fights. That’s where we want to be.”
The Gophers’ 2019 class has four remaining open scholarships, which they will attempt to fill during the traditional national signing day on Feb. 6. Last year was the first with the early signing period, and the Gophers signed all 25. They went into the winter wishing they had one or two vacancies, and now still-incoming prospects could be a mix of high schoolers, junior college transfers or graduate transfers.
One of those “big-boy fights” will be waged for four-star defensive tackle Kristian Williams of Memphis, Tenn. The second highest-rated prospect in the U’s class had committed to the Gophers on Friday and told the Pioneer Press on Wednesday his plan has been to wait and sign in February.
“It’s just simply me being comfortable with it, and by that time, I would be mentally prepared to do it,” said Williams, who visited Minneapolis in early December.
Fleck can’t speak about specific recruits until they sign, but he expressed confidence Wednesday, saying, “We still have one player committed to us that is going to sign in February.”..
Thirteen of the 23 new Gophers will enroll in January — more than double those that came early in Fleck’s first two classes. That total includes two walk-ons: Cretin-Derham Hall receiver Peter Udoibok and St. Croix Falls offensive linemen Tyler Cooper. Udoibok will join in January, and both will be given distinct shots to earn scholarships, Fleck said...
https://www.twincities.com/2018/12/...g-away-from-big-boy-fights-with-top-programs/