I've been borderline OCD about Gopher football recruiting for 35 years and can tell you the truth lies somewhere between Laurentdalmeida and timsun. The pattern of top MN prospects going out of state is nothing new and has absolutely nothing to do with PJ. However . . . it has not gotten any better under PJ.
An earlier post nailed it. Minnesotans in general have a very low opinion of the U of M athlethic department. This is deeply ingrained in Minnesota athletes, almost like original sin or Catholic guilt or something. Going to the state school is extremely uncool unless you're a hockey player. Since the 80's, the top MN kids have almost always gone somewhere else for football (and basketball) and that pattern has been unchanged under Gutekunst, Wacker, Mason, Brewster, Kill and Fleck.
Sadly, the regents and faculty at the University of Minnesota have openly despised athletics since the days of Lou Holtz. For whatever reason, the notion that athletics are part of the school "brand" just isn't embraced here like it is at places like Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State, etc. Sports are considered vulgar and a necessary evil for the university, not something to support or invest in.
We've also had the misfortune of several local sportswriters who have literally made their careers out of trashing the University while slobbering over the local professional franchises. You can't imagine what it's like to be a college sports fan in a town that also has the Vikings, Twins, TWolves and Wild. The media (and thus, the fans) thinks pro sports are the only game in town and laugh at the idea of supporting the college game.
I will say I've seen two things in the last year that give me a tiny bit of hope that this might change someday. The fan reaction before, during and after the Penn State game was unlike anything I've seen since my first Gopher game in 1972. They've beaten Top 10 teams many times over the years but the local press and fan base always dismissed it as a fluke -- which it usually was. Not this time. People actually recognized that something might possibly be different with this team. Same thing after the Auburn game.
The University also has a new President and she has been extremely vocal about the role athletics play in marketing the school and securing donor support. Maybe the combination of a competent FB coach and school administration that doesn't resent him might lead to better things in the future. A guy can dream, anyway.