When PJ Fleck isn’t reading his team children’s books about bodily functions he has proven himself to be a consistent, capable recruiter of quality high-school athletes, and this has been by far the biggest difference between Fleck and every Gopher’s coach before him dating all the way back to the 1960s.

Yesterday a Minnesota wide-receiving recruit out of Texas had a super day during a losing effort in the Texas High School State Championship game. Brady Boyd, a three-star pass catcher out of traditional powerhouse Southlake Carroll, caught 12 balls for 189 yards and two touchdowns over the course of a blowout, 52-34, loss to Austin Westlake. Boyd’s quarterback, coincidentally, is a five-star 2022 Ohio State commit called Quinn Ewers.

Boyd showed the ability to use several different techniques to beat coverage and catch passes, including this back-shoulder touchdown grab in tight man-to-man coverage.

He also made the highlight reel with a reception deep over the middle of the field in which he planted, clicked on the spin cycle to make two defenders miss, and trotted into the end zone untouched.

The Golden Gophers were 3-4 in 2020 and are in need of playmaking wide receivers after the departure of All-Big Ten caliber wideout Rashod Bateman announced his departure for the NFL. Maybe Boyd can bring a little of that Texas know-how up to Minneapolis.