P.J. Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers coaching staff have been on fire lately, really putting in the work and making the most of NIL opportunities. And they’ve been rewarded, landing multiple high-value commitments both in the portal and on the recruiting trail, in recent weeks (and even months). On Tuesday, he added another to that list, in Andover, MN 3-star wide receiver ( 247Sports), Cameron Begalle.
Not only did Begalle dominate on the football field, as a junior, racking up 1,252 receiving yards (more than any other receiver in the state) on 74 receptions (16.9 YPR), but he’s currently showcasing his athletic prowess as a standout Spring track star too.
Cameron Begalle – the Minnesota Gophers football fan turned commit
Begalle’s commitment adds another local 2025 recruiting win for PJ and the Minnesota Gophers. The 6-foot, 180-pound receiver spoke with Ryan Burns (247Sports), after visiting campus a couple weeks ago. He told the recruiting insider that Gopher football was crucial to building the close bond he currently holds with his father.
“A Minnesota offer would mean a lot to me. It’s always been my dream since I was a little kid to play for my hometown Minnesota Gophers. I use to watch the games with my dad, so I always looked up to the players. It would be so amazing to be that player I used to look up to.”
Cameron Begalle – 247Sports
In case you were wondering, Begalle committed immediately upon receiving an offer from PJ. It’s the exact type of homegrown origin story commitment that Fleck believes the Gophers need more of, if Minnesota football is to ever become what Iowa, Wisconsin or Nebraska football currently is.
Every year, those schools get high level recruits who grew up as fans and felt destined to wear a specific color scheme since birth, no matter what other helmet school comes calling. And he has an entire senior season left to play, so who knows who those schools will be, or would have been, had the Gophers not come calling.
But now that he’s committed to staying home, it seems safe to assume Begalle will be a Minnesota Gopher on National Signing Day and when he first puts on a college football uniform. His other early offers were from Air Force and Army.
That’s another boost for a recruiting class that seems to get more impressive by the week, and it’s stacked with homegrown talent, including Robbinsdale Cooper’s Emmanuel Karmo, who’s the top-rated recruit of the same local recruiting class.
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