PJ Fleck reacts to Minnesota's lone commitment to not sign in the Early Signing Period

Minnesota coach PJ Fleck was very understanding of Avante Dickerson’s decision to not sign with the Gophers on Wednesday.

Fleck couldn’t mention Dickerson by name due to NCAA rules, but he was able to vaguely discuss the matter at his Early Signing Period press conference.

“We have one [non-signee] and that’s OK,” Fleck said. “That’s part of the process. You support him. You love him. You are there for him him. It’s a year to be able to have incredible empathy.

While #Gophers coach PJ Fleck can’t address specific recruits, he spoke around four-star CB Avante Dickerson not signing.

“We have one and that’s OK. That’s part of process. You support him. You love him. You are there for him. It’s a year to be able to have incredible empathy."

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 16, 2020

Dickerson is a 4-star prospect and the No. 8 cornerback in the country, according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He hails from Omaha, Neb., and the Huskers are still heavily recruiting him.

Here’s his announcement from Wednesday morning that he would be waiting until February to sign:

I would like to announce that I will not be signing along with my teammates. I am simply not ready to make a final decision that will impact my future as a student athlete. I will be at the signing at Westside high school to support my teammates but not available for questions.

— AD #28 (@_dickerson1) December 16, 2020

Assuming Dickerson stays on board, the Gophers currently have the No. 27 class in the country and the No. 8 class in the Big Ten. It’s a class built on quality over quantity, too — Minnesota has just 18 commits while most programs in the top-30 have at least 20 if not more.

As of now, this is the Gophers’ best recruiting class in over a decade.

Minnesota is set to renew its rivalry with Wisconsin on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.