Standout Illinois running back Jayden Wright commits to Gophers

Jayden Wright, a 5-foot-10 running back from Illinois, has announced his commitment to play football for the Minnesota Gophers. 

Wright is a three-star running back from Kankakee, Illinois. He rushed for 1,224 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior last fall at Bishop McNamara High School. According to 247Sports, Wright is the 19th-best senior out of Illinois in the Class of 2024 and and the 60th-ranked running back in the country. 

He picked the Gophers over the likes of Syracuse and West Virginia. 

Wright racked up more than one-third of his yards during his junior season in a single game, rushing for 447 yards and eight touchdowns – both school records – in a Sept. 30 game that earned him accolades from the Chicago Bears. 

Wright's eight-touchdown game broke the school's record of seven, which was set by Wright's cousin Jonathan Ward in 2015. Ward currently plays in the NFL, having spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. 

You can watch Wright's junior season highlights here. 

Wright is the third verbal commit to Minnesota in the Class of 2024, joining linebacker Mason Carrier of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, and linebacker Brady Pretzlaff of Gaylord, Michigan.