The Gophers football program has done an exceptional job recruiting top-rated talent in the state of Minnesota in recent years.
Here’s the trend:
Esko’s Koi Perich was No. 1 in the 2024 class, and the true sophomore is a starting safety and the primary kick/punt returner for this year’s team.
Robbinsdale Cooper’s Emmanuel Karmo was tops in 2025, and the true freshman linebacker/defensive end/special teamer is getting a taste of action, with 80 total snaps so far this season.
And Jackson County Central’s Roman Voss is the cream of next year’s crop, and the current small-school quarterback is in line to be a tight end on next year’s squad.
That hearty success is setting up in 2027 as well, with top-rated Wayzata defensive lineman Eli Diane committed to the U since April. He was at Huntington Bank Stadium for the Rutgers win on Sept. 27.
Shakopee linebacker Blake Betton is considered the No. 2 in-state recruit in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports. Three-star prospect is working his way through more than a dozen interested programs from Power Four conferences, including the Gophers.
“It’s been crazy,” his father and Shakopee head coach Ray Betton told the Pioneer Press this week. “The calls, the mail, the (recruiting rankings). It’s cool. It really is.
“Blake’s an even-keeled kid. He gets excited, of course, but his mannerisms are very — I wouldn’t say stoic — but he’s just a kid that’s going through it. You never know that he has the offers that he has, because he doesn’t really talk about it. He enjoys it. He talks about it with (family). But outside of that, he’s a 16-year-old kid just playing football.”
After Blake plays safety and some receiver for Shakopee on Fridays, the Bettons have been making a slew of game-day visits to colleges around the Midwest this fall.
They were in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the Wolverines’ win over the Badgers game last weekend, with previous trips to Wisconsin, Iowa State and Northwestern this fall. They will head to Illinois this weekend, followed by the Gophers’ Friday night home game against Nebraska on Oct. 17. They also have plans to go to Iowa and Ohio State, as well.
If schools such as Michigan and Ohio State make Gopher fans nervous, it’s worth remembering Perich turned down the Buckeyes and Karmo declined the Wolverines. Voss had Alabama in his final two before deciding to stay home.
On the Betton’s visits, they have been learning about why current players decided to go to those respective schools. When they hear from Gophers, personal connections come through from sources: Gophers’ senior defensive tackle Deven Eastern and sophomore safety Garrison Monroe are Shakopee alums. And Ray Betton has also taken coaching points from defensive coordinator Danny Collins.
Blake Betton, who is 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, is seeking connections to the head coach, and as a projected linebacker at the next level, to his future position coach. He wants a winning culture and quality academic programs. Business school has become an area of interest.
His current plan is to narrow down his choices in early 2026 and then go on official visits next summer.
Betton’s mix of schools also includes scholarship offers from SEC schools Missouri, Vanderbilt and Arkansas. Kansas State has also thrown its hat into the mix this fall.
The Bettons aren’t newbies to the recruiting process. They went through the recruiting process for Blake’s older sister Gabby, a standout Lakeville North basketball player who is now a sophomore guard at Loyola Maryland.
Ray was an athlete coming out of Tucson, Ariz., and started out at Arizona Western (Junior) College. He then played running back at Division-II Bemidji State. As a coach since 1995, he has been through recruiting processes for other players through his tenures at Simley, East Ridge, Holy Angels and Shakopee.
Blake, who also plays basketball, has been adjusting to a bigger spotlight on the football field.
“It’s a little different now because, I think, people know him, so he’s kind of a target, either not to run his way or to throw his way … or make sure he gets blocked,” Ray said. “He’s learning those things, but he’s doing well.”
Attention toward Betton will grow as college continue to seek his commitment over the next year.
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