ANN ARBOR, Mich. – When Michigan football takes the field Saturday against Minnesota, it will do so against seven players who received scholarship offers from Jim Harbaugh.
The Wolverines have 25 players who got offers from Minnesota, and several of them will start on Saturday. Meanwhile, three of Minnesota’s best players received Michigan offers.
Recommended Videos
It’s no surprise that two Midwest teams from the same conference have recruited many of the same players.
Michigan vs. Minnesota: Which team lost more talent from last year?
Harbaugh and his staff offer dozens of players each recruiting cycle -- far more than they actually have room to accept. That’s how recruiting works in this era of college football, and it means Michigan likely prioritized each of these players differently.
NOTE: Scholarship offer information based on player pages from 247 Sports.
CB Benjamin St-Juste
Recruiting ranking: 4-star, No. 338 in 2017, No. 39 CB, No. 1 in Quebec
This should be a familiar name for Michigan fans, because St-Juste accepted Harbaugh’s scholarship offer and spent the first two seasons of his career with the Wolverines. As a true freshman, he appeared in 12 games, primarily on special teams. In 2018, he didn’t see the field.
St-Juste transferred to Minnesota and started nine games last season, making 45 tackles and breaking up 10 passes. He was an honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team.
OL Curtis Dunlap Jr.
Recruiting ranking: 4-star, No. 218 in 2018, No. 8 OG, No. 39 in Florida
Dunlap started 12 games at right guard last season, helping to protect quarterback Tanner Morgan and lead an explosive Golden Gophers offense. He was an All-Big Ten honorable mention.
OL Daniel Faalele
Recruiting ranking: 4-star, No. 295 in 2018, No. 19 OT, No. 52 in Florida
Before missing the bowl game with an injury, Faalele was one of Minnesota’s most reliable offensive linemen, starting 11 games at right tackle. He has been named an All-Big Ten honorable mention two years in a row since arriving at Minnesota out of powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida. He chose the Golden Gophers over the likes of Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Florida State.
DB Miles Fleming
Recruiting ranking: 3-star, No. 1,167 in 2020, No. 76 athlete, No. 47 in Ohio
According to 247 Sports, Minnesota and Michigan were the only Power Five schools to extend scholarship offers to Fleming. The Columbus, Ohio, native played quarterback and cornerback in high school and is listed as a defensive back on Minnesota’s roster.
DL D’Vion Harris
Recruiting ranking: 3-star, No. 833 in 2019, No. 53 WDE, No. 17 in Missouri
Harris redshirted last year as a true freshman after picking Minnesota over Michigan, Florida and several other schools that offered scholarships. He racked up 263 tackles and 20 sacks at Lutheran High School North in St. Louis.
DB Tyler Nubin
Recruiting ranking: 3-star, No. 391 in 2019, No. 38 CB, No. 4 in Illinois
Minnesota and Michigan weren’t the only Big Ten schools interested in Nubin. He also received scholarship offers from Michigan State, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue and Illinois. Nubin appeared in 12 games as a true freshman last year, making six tackles and breaking up two passes.
DB Benjamin Sapp III
Recruiting ranking: 3-star, No. 806 in 2018, No. 70 CB, No. 3 in Minnesota
Despite offers from Michigan, Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia, Oklahoma and more than a dozen others, Sapp stayed home to play for P.J. Fleck. He’s appeared in 24 games his first two college seasons, but has just eight tackles so far.