Fleck, Gophers add 26 to roster on National Signing Day: 'These kids want and need to be here'

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Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck during a Big Ten conference football game between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes on November 16, 2019, at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire / Getty Images)

MINNEAPOLIS - Following the best season for the University of Minnesota football team in 115 years, P.J. Fleck signed 26 players to letters of intent on Wednesday.

It’s National Signing Day for high school seniors, who put pen to paper to make their college decisions official. Fleck added 26 players from 12 states and four countries. The 2019 class consists of nine offensive players, 15 defensive and two specialists.

Offensively, the Gophers added a running back, two tight ends, three receivers and three offensive linemen. On defense, they inked four linebackers, five defensive backs and six defensive linemen.

Fleck added some homegrown flavor to the 2019 class, which ranks currently in the top 40 in the country and eighth in the Big Ten. He added four in-state athletes, including Rosemount wide receiver Jonathan Mann, Anoka linebacker Cody Lindenberg, Orono defensive lineman Danny Striggow and St. Francis tight end Wyatt Schroeder.

Two of the biggest names in the class are 247 Sports four-star recruits in receiver Daniel Jackson out of Kansas and linebacker Itayvion Brown out of Missouri. The Gophers are also high on running back Ky Thomas out of Kansas. Fleck’s efforts to find a punter took him to Australia, where he found Mark Crawford. He also went international to find offensive lineman Tyrell Lawrence in Canada, and defensive lineman Melle Kreuder out of Germany.

Fleck also got a late commitment out of defensive lineman Jah Joyner, who signed Wednesday. He had previously been committed to Boston College. For the first time in the history of the program, Fleck has also gotten an ESPN 300 recruit for the third straight year.

"Really, really proud of this class. It’s a strong class, we love where we are. These kids want and need to be here, and that’s what’s fun about it. It’s the right fit for these young men, no matter if they’re in-state, out of state, they fit us and that’s all that I care about," Fleck said.

One of the best moments Wednesday came when Fleck told a story about hosting recruits at his Lake Minnetonka house last summer. He had 10 recruits on his boat in the middle of the lake, when it broke down. The fix was quite the process, and they got plenty of time to know each other.

The most important thing: All 10 of those recruits committed to Fleck that day.

Here’s a list of all 26 players Fleck signed on Wednesday. Eight of the 26 signees on Wednesday will enroll in January and participate in spring practice. Those include Kreuder, Thomas, Lindenberg, Abner Dubar, Lawrence, Jaqwondis Burns, Gage Keys and Crawford.

Fleck and the coaching staff took time either on the phone or via FaceTime on Wednesday when their letters of intent were sent over, making their choice as future Gophers official.