As great of an offseason PJ Fleck and the Gophers have had, the program received some disappointing news on Wednesday afternoon when three-star recruit Pierce Petersohn announced his commitment to Penn State.
The Gophers have dominated the in-state recruiting battle so far, locking down Minnesota’s top three recruits in the 2026 class.
Petersohn, however, slipped away. The Triton High School product, ranked the No. 4 player in the state, opted for the Nittany Lions — a program with a strong track record of developing tight ends.
Nationally, Petersohn checks in as the No. 29 athlete, while the 247Sports Composite bumps him to four-star status with a .8984 rating — good for No. 22 among athletes and No. 3 overall in the state.
Standing 6-foot-5, Petersohn showed he could do it all as a junior at Triton.
He led his program to an 8-3 record and a Section Championship last season, throwing for 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns. He wasn’t just a passer either — he added nine rushing touchdowns on 382 yards. On defense, he also made some plays with three interceptions.
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But football isn’t the only sport where Petersohn shines.
On the basketball court, he put up impressive numbers, averaging 29 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists per game. He also stood out in track and field, earning MVP honors at the Minnesota State Meet. Some of his best times were 11.24 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 22.18 in the 200, 48.16 in the 400, and he cleared 6-foot-4 in the high jump.
With that kind of athletic ability, it’s no surprise schools took notice.
Petersohn got 10 scholarship offers, including from three Big Ten programs — Penn State, Minnesota, and Northwestern. In the end, it was the connection he built with the Nittany Lions’ tight ends coach Ty Howle that helped him decide to join James Franklin’s program.
Despite missing out on Petersohn, Fleck’s recruiting momentum continues to build.
The Gophers hold the No. 14 class nationally for the 2026 cycle, according to 247Sports, and have already secured three four-star in-state commitments — the most of Fleck’s tenure. It also marks just the second time under Fleck the program has landed more than three four-star recruits in a single class.
Losing Petersohn stings, but the Gophers’ ability to compete for and increasingly win top in-state talent shows the program is making clear progress on the recruiting trail.