Gophers offer self-proclaimed 'Jesus in cleats' SirPaul Cheeks

Cheeks attends Lloyd C. Bird High School in Chesterfield, VA, not far south of Richmond. He's a speedy 5'9", 185-pound running back who has also played wide receiver and cornerback and returned kicks and punts. He claims to have run a 4.37 40-yard dash and is a 100 and 200-meter sprinter for the track team, having won a Virginia state title in the 200M.

According to his profile, Cheeks put up nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards as a junior last season, with 18 total touchdowns and also six interceptions as a CB.

Cheeks is currently an unranked recruit according to 247Sports' composite rankings, but he holds other power-five offers from Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and West Virginia, as well as numerous smaller FBS programs, mainly on the East Coast. The Gophers are his first Big Ten offer.

Cheeks has an official visit with Pitt set for June 12.

The Gophers' 2026 recruiting class currently has ten commits, including one running back, three-star Ezekiel Bates from Pennsylvania. They also recently made the top three for 2026 Tennessee RB Lekhy Thompkins. New Gophers running backs coach Jayden Everett has a few other priority targets in the class, as well.

Darius Taylor and Marshall transfer A.J. Turner are set to lead the Gophers' backfield in 2025.