Minnesota's first verbal pledge in 2022 recruiting class comes from 4-star DE

Minnesota has landed its first commitment of the 2022 recruiting class.

On Thursday, 4-star defensive end Trey Bixby of Lakewood, Ohio became the first player in the 2022 cycle to verbally commit to Minnesota. He made his announcement with a post on Twitter.

Bixby picked Minnesota over offers from seven other programs. Arizona State, Indiana, Toledo, Penn State, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Arkansas and Boston College also showed interest.

First, Happy Birthday to my Mom! I’m not here today without you! ❤️ya

Second, thank you to every single school that showed interest in me or gave me an opportunity at a college education and to play at the next level.

With that said… 👀〽️#RTB #SkiUMah #GoGophers #HYP22 pic.twitter.com/sN4wPqfinP

— Trey Bixby (@TreyBixby_91) August 13, 2020

At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Bixby brings an intimidating frame to the defensive line. Though his arrival to Minnesota is still a bit into the future, he should compete for snaps early in his career.

Bixby is ranked as the No. 8 player out of the talent-rich state of Ohio and is listed as the No. 13 strong-side defensive end in the 2022 class. Overall, he comes in at No. 213, per 247Sports Composite Rankings.

P.J. Fleck has seen plenty of recent success on the recruiting front due to Minnesota’s 11-2 season in 2019. Right now, the Golden Gophers own the No. 27 recruiting class nationally in the 2021 class, sitting No. 6 in the B1G.