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The future keeps getting brighter for the Gopher football team as four-star recruit Stephen Ortiz Jr. announced his commitment to the program via Twitter on Thursday night, choosing Minnesota over Miami, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington among other schools.

Ortiz is a 5-foot-11, 170-pound cornerback from Arizona, who was also ranked 17th at his position by 247Sports. As the 232nd recruit overall, he is also the highest-rated defensive back recruit in Gopher history per Ryan Burns of Gopher Illustrated.

While Ortiz is listed as a cornerback, the Gophers also see him as a versatile piece that can also play safety. 247Sports' Blair Angelo noted that he can grow into his frame and not lose quickness which would be a big help replacing the graduating Antoine Winfield Jr.

Ortiz is the seventh recruit for the class of 2021, which is currently ranked 17th in the nation according to 247Sports.