Top 2027 Minnesota OL DaJohn Yarborough transfers to Basha (AZ)
The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ recruitment of 2027 offensive lineman DaJohn Yarborough
just got a lot tougher. On Sunday, the Benilde-St. Margaret’s standout made his transfer to Basha High School in Basha, Arizona, known.
Yarborough was considered the No. 2 prospect in the state of Minnesota prior to his transfer to Basha. He’s also considered a top-300 prospect nationally in the Rivals 300 rankings and a top-15 interior offensive lineman.
Yarborough holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Boston College, Florida State, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Maryland, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin.
While the Gophers were not necessarily a leader for Yarborough before the announcement of his transfer, Minnesota has made it tough in recent cycles for top in-state standouts to leave the state. But that is now out of the Gophers’ hands.
The Golden Gophers currently hold a pair of commitments in their 2027 recruiting class from in-state edge rusher Eli Diane, the No. 85 player in the Rivals 300, as well as Mater Dei (CA) quarterback Furian Inferrera, a three-star, top-500 prospect in the Rivals industry rankings.
Perhaps good news for the Gophers, however, is that they have recruited Arizona and the west coast in general well over the 2025 and 2026 recruiting cycles. Currently, the Gophers have three Arizona natives on their 2025 roster in punter Brody Richter, long snapper Alan Soukup, and offensive lineman Nick Spence, a 2025 signee.
They also hold commitments in their 2026 recruiting class from linebacker Hudson Dunn and wide receiver Rico Blassingame. Of the Gophers’ 24 total commitments in the 2026 recruiting class, five come from west of the Rockies.
How Yarborough’s recruitment will evolve following his transfer remains to be seen. He already had an offer sheet worthy of a national-level recruit, and that attention will likely only grow now that he’s competing in Arizona. The Gophers will surely remain a presence, but no longer having him in their backyard makes this a much tougher recruitment to win.
