The Carroll Chargers’ Jaxx DeJean warms up before a 7-on-7 football tournament game Saturday, April 13, 2024 at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

Gophers showing recruting interest in Cooper DeJean's younger brother

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Jun 17, 2025 2:53 PM ET

Recruiting officially began for the class of 2027 on Sunday, and the Gophers were among a handful of schools to reach out to four-star wide receiver Jaxx DeJan, the younger brother of former Iowa punt returner Cooper DeJean.

RTB!! @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/MN1dyTw9dB
— Jaxx (@Jaxxdejean35) June 15, 2025

Listed at 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, DeJean is a four-star recruit and currently ranked as the 249th-best player in the class of 2027 according to the latest 247Sports Composite. The Gophers have yet to officially offer him a scholarship, but he holds offers from Iowa, Michigan, Kansas State, UNLV and UAB.

Related: Recruiting thoughts: More of the same? Gophers still looking for big summer splash

He has posted on social media about multiple camp invites from the Gophers, as well as a Junior Day invite in the Spring. Iowa insider Eliot Clough even confirmed Minnesota reached out to DeJean on Monday.

2027 four-star ATH out of OABCIG, Jaxx DeJean tells me he’s heard from the following schools since the start of Junior Contact Day.

Iowa
Michigan
Minnesota
Kansas State

The Wolverines reached out shortly after midnight, followed by the Hawkeyes and Wildcats. pic.twitter.com/kXLI8O0s63
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) June 16, 2025

DeJean's older brother Cooper was notably involved in a controversial play during his final college season, when he had an invalid fair catch signal against the Gophers, which wiped away a potential game-winning touchdown.

It would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall for the discussions Jaxx DeJean has had with the Gophers staff. It's still incredibly early for the 2027 cycle, but it's safe to assume that Minnesota has a strong interest in recruiting DeJean. He currently projects as one of the top wide receivers in the class, so they will have a lot of competition.