Everyone involved with college football thought that the 2023 transfer portal was going to be chaotic when it opened, and it’s been all of that and more with over 2,000 division one football players already in. But PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gopher Football team were just able to snag a commitment from a former four-star wide receiver and Penn State transfer Cristian Driver, per his Instagram.
The 5-foot-11, 188-pound Driver appeared in four games for Penn State during the 2023 season. He caught his first career pass for eight yards against Delaware in September, and he recorded a pair of special teams tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, he totaled 27 offensive snaps.
While it didn’t manifest in the form of more playing time on Saturdays, Driver worked his way up the wide receiver pecking order over the course of the season. He made the travel roster around midseason, and down the stretch, he was wearing his own No. 80 as opposed to a scout number in practice.
The 2023 season marked Driver’s first season playing wide receiver for Penn State. He redshirted in 2022 while playing cornerback, and he appeared in four games, including the Rose Bowl, for the Nittany Lions.
Late in the 2022 season, Driver began to transition from cornerback to wide receiver. He approached coach James Franklin, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, cornerbacks coach Terry Smith and former wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield about making the switch.
“It was a thing I had kind of been wanting to do since the beginning of the season,” Driver said in February. “I’d been talking to my dad about making the transition. He was like, ‘You’ve gotta be a man about it. You’ve got to go tell them what you’re planning on doing, what you want to do, and the ways you feel you can help in the program.’”
Driver’s dad, of course, is former Green Bay Packers standout Donald Driver, who caught 743 passes for 10,137 yards and 61 touchdowns while making three Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl. Franklin was Driver’s wide receivers coach with the Packers in 2005. Driver committed to Penn State over Wisconsin out of Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian in the Class of 2022. He was rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, and he was ranked as the No. 31 safety nationally and the No. 51 prospect in Texas.
In the 247Sports Composite rankings, Driver was a four-star prospect, and he was ranked as the No. 18 safety nationally, the No. 36 prospect in Texas and the No. 228 overall prospect in the class.
Driver will have three years to play three at Minnesota after redshirting in 2022.
The Texas native makes sense to add to a receiver room that loses Chris Autman-Bell and Corey Crooms to graduation, plus Dino Kaliakmanis now heading to Rutgers. The Gophers get some immediate help at wide receiver to go with Daniel Jackson, Elijah Spencer and Lemeke Brockington.
Stay tuned to GopherIllustrated for more on Driver’s commitment to the University of Minnesota.
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PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Spent two years at Penn State • played in 10 games, seeing most of his action on special teams • moved from defensive back to receiver prior to the 2023 season • made one catch for eight yards • in 2023, played in six games and made two tackles on special teams • caught one pass for eight yards • in 2022, redshirted and played in four games.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, Texas • wore No. 8 for the Warriors and was coached by Jason Witten • played wide receiver and defensive back • was a four-time all-state selection, including a first-team selection three of the years • was a two-time team MVP • invited to compete in the Navy and Grey All-American Game and Under Armour All-American Game • as a senior, made 56 tackles and broke up six passes • as a junior, made 81 tackles and broke up five passes • as a sophomore, totaled 76 tackles, made two interceptions and broke up six passes and returned a pick for a touchdown • as a freshman, recorded 67 tackles and made two interceptions • consensus four-star prospect • ESPN ranked him as the No. 174 player in the nation and as the No. 31 recruit in Texas, while Rivals listed him as the No. 10 athlete in the country • also competed in track and field • won the 2021 Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Class 6A title in the long jump.
PERSONAL: Son of Betina and Donald Driver • has two sisters (Christina and Charity) • father, Donald, was a 14-year NFL veteran wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers and played four years of college football at Alcorn State University.
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