Addition of two top linemen lifts Gophers’ 2024 recruiting class into top 10

The Gophers football program has continued to stack commitments for its 2024 recruiting class and two new additions are among the highest-rated prospects in the group. Nathan Roy, the top-rated player in Wisconsin, was the headliner among four pledges during the Gophers’ second straight official visit weekend. The U also added four new players on June 10-11. Roy, a Mukwonago, Wis., offensive lineman, gave a verbal commitment Saturday over his two other finalist schools — Michigan State and UCLA. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound, 4-star prospect received more than a dozen Power Five offers, including from his home-state Badgers. The Gophers’ second-highest rated players also joined the class with Palm Bay, Fla., defensive end Adam Kissayi on Sunday. Kissayi is listed at 6-foot-7 and 230 pounds; he had offers from Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Nebraska and others. With Roy and Kissayi at the top of the list, the Gophers’ 23-member recruiting class was bumped into the Top 10 in the nation, according to both 247sports and Rivals. The Gophers needed to add O-linemen in next year’s class and filled it with Roy, the highest-rated recruit since coach P.J Fleck’s tenure began in 2017, per 247sports. They also added 6-foot-5, 285-pound offensive tackle Mauricio Hinds of Porters Lake, Nova Scotia, and Clearwater (Fla.) Academy International over the weekend. The Gophers have a connection with Clearwater Academy, with receiver Dallas Sims also in this year’s recruiting class and defensive back Rhyland Kelly coming to Minnesota in last year’s crop. Philadelphia running back Ohifame Ijeboi also joined the Gophers on Sunday morning over other offers from Nebraska, Northwestern, Rutgers, Virginia Tech and others. The 6-foot, 190-pound speedster will pair with Kankakee, Ill., power back Jaydon Wright, a 5-foot-10, 220-pounder who committed to Minnesota in February. Ijeboi ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and posted a 39-inch vertical jump at the Under Armour Next camp in Baltimore in May. Roy’s highlight video showed him playing left tackle at the suburban Milwaukee high school. He turned multiple blocks into pancakes and showed an athleticism to make blocks in space and on the second level. Roy’s older brother, Benjamin Roy Jr., is a redshirt sophomore offensive lineman at UCLA, with a listed hometown of Las Vegas.