@Howie_Johnson92 all your hard work, dedication, effort, and heart went into this moment! You have a home… You are a GOPHER!! I’m proud of you, son!

Had an awesome time at the @Coach_Fleck padded camp on June 7th!! Here are some of my highlights from the camp from all the drills we did! Grey 94 yellow helmet @pavvy94 @bradbeeskow @LOScrimmage @PrepRedzoneMN @Coach_CJRobbins @Coach_DeBo46 @CoachLoganMcc @CoachWhit_UW

Way to close out the 7AAA Section Championship @Howie_Johnson92 ! Hitting that shot PR with a 60’2” throw and taking first, sending you to state… Time to take it all the way! #proud #elite #RTB #gopherfootball

It's a thought-provoking exercise to project the #Gophers 2026 defense across all three levels. Here's a look at my projected post-spring defensive depth chart, where there are still a ton of roles to sort out. 247sports.com/college/minnes…

Still crushing!! #RTB

Ryen’s Freshman Year! Going to be an amazing one for her! #FLRangerSoftball classy.org/fundraiser/695972…

Blessing from God

RT @CullenChristens: After a great visit last week, I’m excited to announce I’ve received my first D2 scholarship offer from @CSPBearsFB‼️H…

The Gophers have 7 incoming freshmen who are recognized as 4⭐️ recruits by a major service DL Howie Johnson (Rivals, 247, ESPN) Edge Aaden Aytch (Rivals, 247) TE Roman Voss (247, ESPN) WR Quayd Hendryx (Rivals) RB Ryan Estrada (Rivals) OT Andrew Trout (ESPN) WR Rico Blassingame (247)

The Gophers have seven four-star recruits in the latest 2026 class rankings. More details: si.com/college/minnesota/gop…

The 247Sports and ESPN player rankings for the 2026 recruiting cycle were updated on Monday. A look at Minnesota's top signees across the board.

Minnesota finishes with four Rivals 300 commitments in the 2026 recruiting cycle - an impressive showing for P.J. Fleck and staff. EDGE Aaden Aytch - No. 33 WR Quayd Hendryx - No. 209 DL Howie Johnson - No. 272 RB Ryan Estrada - No. 276 STORY ➡️on3.com/sites/gophers-nation…

The third-highest-ranked Gophers signee is the consensus No. 1 player in the state of Minnesota. @FLRANGERS standout Howie Johnson is once again ranked inside the latest Rivals 300 update 😤 No. 272 OVR | No. 25 DL | No. 1 MN ➡️on3.com/sites/gophers-nation…

Happiest of birthday @Howie_Johnson92

305 Bench for 4 Light weight👀👀 Thanks @AlexKnies44 for the spot @Coach_Bade @bradbeeskow @CoachJFirm @KeatonJ_3 @PrepRedzoneMN @MSUBobcats_FB @UMGRIZZLIES

THE BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT OF THE YEAR

Flashback to a Rep against the 4 Star Howie Johnson. I’m not an O Linemen but I challenged him to 1v1. Had a great conversation with him after. Howie is going to be a game changer for the gophers!

Great first day of practice and installing both sides of the ball for the north team! Pretty cool to watch all the talent on the field and how the guys are already working hard! Interviews, dinner and guest speaker still remain! @WeAreMFCA @Vikings

Junior season awards‼️ - All district - All district offensive player of the year - 3.0 gpa while participating in a sport!! Best of all, I was honored to be named a captain! Thank you seniors! On to the next chapter. @Coach_Bade @bradbeeskow @PrepRedzoneMN @OJW_Scouting

I know my brother, @WillieHoward77 @77williehoward , has applied and inquired about this position for the past eight years. The graduating players would have loved the chance to play for him, and the current players would feel the same. His résumé truly speaks for itself. A Stanford All-American, drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with the 57th pick in the 2nd round in 2001, Willie’s NFL playing career was cut short by injury — but that setback opened the door to an incredible coaching legacy. From Vikings internships, to coaching in college all-star games, to training elite athletes for the NFL Defensive Line Combine, he has consistently earned respect across the football world. As the Head Coach of the Semi-Pro Minneapolis Warriors, he led the program to multiple conference championships and even a national championship appearance. He also coached the Minnesota Machine women’s tackle football team, further showing his ability to lead at any level. At the high school level, Willie chose Minnesota over several Power Five coaching offers, committing more than 18 years to high school football — three years as an assistant in St. Louis Park and 15 years as the Head Coach at Cooper High School. He is the winningest coach in Cooper High School history, earning multiple Coach of the Year awards and leading teams to conference championships and deep postseason runs. More importantly, he has helped over 145 players go on to play college football, including two #1-ranked players in the state within the last four years. Willie understands Minnesota. He understands recruiting. And he understands people. He also holds an administrative license, having served as a Principal before becoming an Athletic Director, a role he has excelled in for the past four years. His leadership approach is transformational, not transactional — exactly what this position needs. As for concerns about coaching his own son, it’s simple: his son plays a different position, and Willie has always shown he knows how to separate family from coaching responsibilities with honesty, integrity, and professionalism. This would be a home-run hire for the State of Minnesota — and it would finally bring long-term stability to the defensive line coaching position.