Minnesota Recruiting: Five things to know about the commitment of Joseph Hamer
Minnesota picked up its 12th commitment of the 2027 recruiting cycle on Saturday afternoon as Lakeville South (Lakeville, MN) offensive lineman Joseph Hamer announced his decision to be a Golden Gopher.
Here are five things to know about Hamer, his recruitment, commitment, and impact on Minnesota.
1. Recruiting Timeline
Hamer’s recruitment has been a rather quick one, all things considered. The Gophers have been aware of the in-state prospect, as you can imagine, for quite some time, and he’s been on campus several times.
That being said, Hamer didn’t earn an offer from the program until late January, when they became the second program to do so. Iowa State was in on Hamer first, doing so last May. Shortly after the Gophers offered Hamer, Kansas State, and Arkansas also joined in.
He would make an unofficial visit to Minnesota on March 5 and was expected to visit Kansas State shortly thereafter, but cancelled the visit at the last minute. After a few weeks of contemplating, Hamer was officially ready to join the Gophers on Saturday.
2. Rankings & Accolades
Hamer is a Rivals Industry Ranking top-1000 prospect, coming in at No. 972 nationally, the No. 80 interior lineman, and the No. 8 player in Minnesota.
Rivals ranks Hamer as a top-65 interior offensive lineman and the No. 7 player within the state. 247Sports is not as high on Hamer, ranking him as the No. 82 interior offensive lineman and No. 8 player in the state.
3. What did Hamer have to say about Minnesota?
Hamer is generally a quieter prospect, but when caught up with in April by Rivals national recruiting analyst Allen Trieu, he said the following.
“I like the coaching staff and the chance to stay close to home,” he said. “Being able to play in front of my family is something that means a lot to me.”
4. Hamer is offensive line commitment No. 2 for OL coach Brian Callahan
It has been a tough last few weeks for the Golden Gophers on the recruiting trail when it comes to offensive linemen, with several targets either eliminating the Gophers or changing their official visit plans.
So Hamer’s commitment is a nice morale boost for Minnesota fans in that regard. While his offer sheet may not be lengthy like others, Hamer was a top target for P.J. Fleck and Brian Callahan.
In the class, Hamer joins Prairie (Ely, IA) offensive lineman Will Clausen, who committed to Minnesota in April. Clausen committed to the Gophers over offers from Baylor, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and others.
The Golden Gophers in the upcoming official visit season, which begins for them on May 29, will host a handful of additional offensive linemen. Making the trips to the Twin Cities includes uncommitted prospects IOL Dylan Mota (St. Patrick, IL), OT Jamail Sewell (Wisconsin Lutheran, WI), OT Conner Rutherford (Chillcothe, OH), and OT Alijah Shaw (Blue Valley North, KS).
5. Minnesota’s 2027 recruiting class breakdown
By Position:
Quarterback (2): Jett Feeney, Furian Inferrera
Running Back (2) : Greg Hargrow, Taye Reich
Wide Receiver (1): David Mack
Tight End (2): Brooks Bakko, Drake Mikkelsen
Offensive Linemen (2): Joseph Hamer, Will Clausen
EDGE (1): Eli Diane
Defensive Linemen (1): Gage Geyer
Linebackers: N/A
Cornerbacks: N/A
Safeties (1): Wyatt Liebentritt
By State:
Minnesota (6): QB Jett Feeney, RB Taye Reich, WR David Mack, OL Joseph Hamer, EDGE Eli Diane, DL Gage Geyer
California (1): QB Furian Inferrera
Iowa (1): OL Will Clausen
Mississippi (1): RB Greg Hargrow,
Nebraska (1): S Wyatt Liebentritt
North Dakota (1): TE Brooks Bakko
South Dakota (1): TE Drake Mikkelsen
