Emmanuel Karmo heads a 21-player Gophers football recruiting class heading into Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

The Gophers nearly had the top-rated in-state recruit sign with the U in three straight classes, but Cooper defensive lineman Jaxon Howard went to Louisiana State for a year before transferring back to Minnesota. He played 118 snaps for the Gophers as a redshirt freshman this fall. .