One of Iowa’s top high school football players, four-star recruit Julian Manson, shared Monday night that he’s “locked in” with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. While he hasn’t officially committed to the team, Manson has confirmed he’ll be attending the Gophers’ “Summer Splash” recruiting event from June 13-15.
If the Minnesota Golden Gophers manage to land Julian Manson, the standout athlete from Iowa City West High School, he would instantly become the highest-rated player in their 2026 recruiting class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Manson is currently ranked 257th nationally — 20 spots ahead of the Gophers’ top current commit, offensive lineman Andrew Trout from Rocori High School in central Minnesota.
Recruiting analysts project Manson as an off-ball linebacker at the college level. On3 national scout Cody Bellaire praised him in a February scouting report, saying, “Julian Manson has the frame, movement skills, and technical ability to become one of the top off-ball linebackers in the 2026 cycle. His range and ability to trigger to the football make him a stud covering every blade of grass between the white lines.”
On3 currently ranks Manson as the No. 6 linebacker in the nation for the 2026 class.
Julian Manson has drawn interest from several major programs, with offers from Iowa, Miami, Arizona, Kansas State, and others. His upcoming visit to the University of Minnesota for the “Summer Splash” event in June is an encouraging sign for the Gophers.
If the visit goes smoothly, there’s a real possibility Manson could pledge his commitment to Minnesota before he even heads back across the Iowa border.
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