College Football

Summer Splash: Coach P.J. Fleck and his staff secured Key commitments from two offensive linemen, one defensive lineman and one linebacker

Coach P.J. Fleck and his coaching staff successfully secured commitments from two offensive linemen, one defensive lineman, and one linebacker. The Gophers football program hosted its second “Summer Splash” recruiting weekend, where coach P.J. Fleck and his team started receiving commitments from players who had visited the campus officially.

On Sunday morning, the first two players to commit out of the group of 13 visitors were a pair of offensive linemen: Mark Handy, a three-star recruit from La Cueva High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Daniel (DJ) Shipp, a three-star tackle from Centennial High School, Corona, California.

Shortly after, linebacker David Amaliri, originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who played at Clearwater Academy International (Fla.) last year, and Jayquan Stubbs from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a defensive lineman, also pledged to join the Gophers.

Mark Handy, standing at 6 feet 5.5 inches and weighing 310 pounds, is ranked as the second-best player in New Mexico and the 36th best interior offensive lineman nationally in the 2025 class by the composite rating of major recruiting services from 247Sports. He excelled as an undefeated heavyweight state wrestling champion this season in addition to his football skills.

Daniel Shipp, at 6 feet 6 inches and 275 pounds, dealt with a knee injury that sidelined him for the 2023 season. Despite that, he received scholarship offers from Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Washington State. He is ranked as the 112th offensive tackle nationally by 247Sports.com.

David Amaliri, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and weighing 200 pounds, will be playing at St. Thomas More High in Oakdale, Connecticut, this season, holding the 14th position among players in Connecticut and the 114th in linebacker ranking nationally. He carries three-star recruit status with offers from schools like Syracuse, Kent State, North Dakota State, and North Dakota.

Jayquan Stubbs, at 6 feet 6 inches and 249 pounds, plays for Cleveland Heights High as the 18th-ranked player in Ohio and the 57th-ranked national defensive lineman according to the 247Sports composite ranking. He has made official visits to Purdue and West Virginia and was planning to visit Illinois, with other offers from Indiana, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.

These new additions bring the Gophers’ total committed players for the 2025 class to 21. As of Sunday morning, Minnesota’s class was ranked 19th nationally and sixth among the Big Ten teams in the 247Sports composite ranking.

2025 running back Shane Marshall from Georgia changes his commitment from South Florida to Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is currently hosting its “Summer Splash” June recruiting event, and they have recently received a commitment from running back Shane Marshall from Georgia.

Minnesota’s significant football recruiting period took place both last weekend and now during Coach PJ Fleck’s renowned “Summer Splash” official visit gatherings. Before this weekend, the Gophers had seventeen commitments, including players like quarterback Jackson Kollock from California, running back Grant Washington from Ohio, wide receiver Cameron Begalle from Minnesota, Bradley Martino from Florida, tight end Cross Nimmo from Ohio, offensive linemen Nelson McGuire, Zac Stascausky, and Nick Spence, defensive linemen Emmanuel Karmo, Enoch Atewogbola, Abu Tarawallie, Rhett Hlavacka, and Colin Hansen, linebackers Nathan Cleveland and Ethan Stendel, and cornerbacks Zachry Harden and Naiim Parrish.

As the Gophers aim to maintain their recruiting momentum in mid-June, they have recently secured a verbal commitment from Shane Marshall, a running back from Irwin County in Ocilla, Georgia, who switched his commitment from South Florida.

The Georgia native has been a varsity player for three years, accumulating nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns. Despite missing most of the previous season due to an injury, Marshall has bounced back quickly. Just a month ago at the Under Armour Camp in Charlotte, he was recognized as the running back MVP for the day.

According to information shared by Marshall with 247Sports ahead of his visit to Minnesota, he highlighted various aspects of his game.

“Minnesota running back coach Nic McKissic-Luke offered me this past week, and he said he sees me as a true three-down back,” Marshall said. “He said I check all of the boxes with my size, weight, speed and my short area quickness is elite to go with natural pass-catching hands. I’m excited to see what Minnesota is like this weekend.”

When reviewing Marshall’s high school footage or observing his performance at the UA camp, you can witness his agility in eluding defenders in tight spaces. Additionally, he exhibits a willingness to engage physically in pass protection and when running through linebackers. With Ohio running back Grant Washington already committed to the class, although Marshall and Washington may have similar physical attributes, they possess distinct styles of play. This diversity in skill sets is crucial in enhancing the running back group for the Golden Gophers.

 

 

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