Minnesota S Target Messiah Tilson Announces Top Six

One of Minnesota's top targets on the defensive side of the ball in the 2026 recruiting cycle has announced his top six. On Tuesday night, Illinois safety Messiah Tilson cut his offer sheet down to Wisconsin, Iowa State, Kansas, Iowa, Rutgers, and Minnesota.

The Guildford (IL) standout is a consensus three-star prospect across the industry and is ranked by both On3 and Rivals as a top-15 player in the state of Illinois. He has already taken three of his official visits, with trips to Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin, and has two more on the docket: Minnesota on June 13 and Kansas on June 20.

“What stands out to me is what they’ve been doing with the safety room,” Tilson told Gophers Nation in January about his interest in Minnesota. “It means a lot, the program’s success at safety, because they have proof that they can develop me into a great safety and be one of those guys up next.”

After a campus visit this spring, Tilson shared a similar sentiment.

“It was great,” he said about his time on campus. “Just reminded me of some things, but just a great program overall, especially in the safety room lately.” He also noted that the Gophers are still “sitting pretty high” in his recruitment and that he “can’t pass up an opportunity to get developed and play at the next level just like the guys they have in the NFL now.”

Minnesota currently holds 10 commitments in their 2026 recruiting class, which is ranked in the top-35 both on Rivals and On3's team rankings.