Four-star cornerback Steven Ortiz Jr., committed to the Gophers on Thursday, sight unseen.

The 5-11, 170-pound Arizona native announced his decision on Twitter, without having even visited Minnesota. College football is in a recruiting dead period because of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning a moratorium on recruiting travel. But Gophers staff have been conducting video chats and virtual tours.

That clearly worked for Ortiz, the No. 17 cornerback in the country per 247Sports.com.The Desert Edge product had plenty of other offers, including from Penn State, Oregon and Nebraska.

Ortiz is believed to be the best cornerback recruit the Gophers have ever received. He is the seventh member of the Gophers' 2021 class so far.