Being back in Minnesota where his father played for the Vikings, three-star junior wide receiver Daylen Sharper felt at home during his visit earlier this month with the Gophers football team.

Sharper, the son of former NFL safety Darren Sharper, lived in Plymouth and attended Gophers games growing up, so receiving a scholarship offer from coach P.J. Fleck was special.

"I went to a bunch of Gophers games," Sharper said. "I loved the Gophers since I'm from Minnesota. It was really cool to get an offer from the school I always looked up to as a kid."

The 6-3, 200-pound Phoenix Brophy Prep prospect is the No. 2 player in the 2026 class in Arizona. Sharper visited the Gophers with high school teammate and fellow junior receiver Devin Fitzgerald, the son of ex-NFL star and Minneapolis native Larry Fitzgerald Jr.

The Gophers, who beat USC and UCLA in consecutive games, have made recruiting California and the West Coast a priority. They've offered scholarships to more than 30 players in the Mountain and Pacific time zones in the 2025-27 classes, including Sharper's teammate, Fitzgerald.

"P.J. Fleck showed me a lot of interest in me and would love for me to go to Minnesota," Sharper said. "I'm also being recruited by USC, UCLA and a lot of the Cali schools."

The highlight of Sharper's trip back to his old stomping grounds was the Gophers' 24-17 upset Oct. 5 against No. 11 USC at Huntington Bank Stadium. A game-sealing interception by U freshman Koi Perich sealed the victory for the Gophers.

"The atmosphere was just crazy," Sharper said. "The student section was wild. I didn't know the student section was that crazy and that good with all the people showing up."

"He jumped like 10 feet in the air," joked Sharper about Perich's interception, who also has an offer from Wisconsin.

Being the son of a former NFL player is something a current Gophers wideout understands. Sophomore Cristian Driver is the son of former Packers wide receiver Donald Driver. But Sharper wants to stand out on his own.

"I definitely want to make a name for myself," Sharper said.