Northwestern’s final road game will be a trip to the Twin Cities to take on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers finished last season at 8-5 overall, with a 7-0 home record. The Wildcats head to Huntington Bank Stadium on Nov. 21 for their second-to-last game of the regular season.
The BasicsReturning Production: 68% overall (71% offense, 65% defense); 7th in FBS
2025 Record: 8-5 (5-4 B1G)
Head Coach: P.J. Fleck (10th season)
The Stats2026 SP+ Overall: 45th
2026 SP+ Offense: 71st
2026 SP+ Defense: 24th
2026 SP+ Special Teams: 125th
2025 Capsule2025 was a very strange season for Minnesota, to say the least. On the road, the Gophers were 0-5, although three of those losses came against Ohio State, Oregon and Iowa—three teams that finished the season ranked in the final AP Poll, two of those being in the top five. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Minnesota was 7-0 at home (8-0 including neutral-site games), but only one of those wins came against a ranked opponent at the time. The Gophers’ offense was statistically one of the worst in the country, while their defense was in the top third in the FBS. An interesting season for sure, but something the Gophers are looking to build on in 2026.
Offensive OverviewMinnesota’s offense begins with Drake Lindsey. I, for one, am extremely high on Lindsey’s potential, especially after watching him in person at Wrigley Field last year. He has the ability to stretch the field, giving the Gophers’ offense the potential to avoid being one-dimensional with the run and an abundance of short passing. If Lindsey takes a step in his second year as a starter, Minnesota’s ceiling could be higher than expected.
Also returning is running back Darius Taylor, who has dealt with injuries throughout his collegiate career. When he’s healthy and running behind a good offensive line, though, he can be explosive. He hasn’t seen the same type of success in the last two seasons as he did in 2023, but if he gets blocking up front, he could be dangerous. Behind him, the RB room is a bit murky, with the most promising player being A.J. Turner. If history repeats itself, the depth pieces at running back will need to play expanded roles for Minnesota, and that could be for a chunk of the season (or at least becoming more of a one-two punch if Taylor isn’t 100%).
Minnesota returns two of its top three wideouts from 2025 in Javon Tracy and Jalen Smith. Tracy led the team with six receiving touchdowns, while Smith had four touchdowns. Both players had over 400 receiving yards and could see their numbers increase if the offense as a whole takes a step. The Gophers also brought in three WR transfers that could make an immediate impact. Perry Thompson never quite found his footing at Auburn, Noah Jennings had over 300 receiving yards for Cincinnati in 2025 and Zion Steptoe comes in from Tulsa after two consecutive seasons with over 200 receiving yards.
At tight end, not having Jameson Geers, who had four touchdowns last season, is a big deal for the Gophers. It seems most likely that Oklahoma transfer Kaden Helms or returning TEs Pierce Walsh and Julian Johnson will get the bulk of the work, with Walsh seemingly the one who will be the starter on Day 1, although he’s been dealing with a left-hand injury. P.J. Fleck did say Walsh will be good to go, so this group is very much a wait-and-see.
Most importantly, the offensive line. The tackle position seems to be clear-cut for Minnesota. Nathan Roy started 12 games at LT for the Gophers in 2025 and steadily improved as the season progressed. This offseason, they brought in Tennessee transfer Bennett Warren to take over at RT, with Minnesota focused on shoring up the right side of its O-line. Greg Johnson was named to the AP Preseason All-America Second Team and is on the watchlist for the Outland Trophy, and he’s more than locked down the LG spot. Ashton Beers projects to slot in at center for the Gophers, like he’s done previously in his career in the Twin Cities. Right guard is where the most questions arise, but there are also the most options. It will likely be either Tony Nelson or Jerome Williams, but it might not be either guy. Again, a wait-and-see.
Defensive OverviewMinnesota’s identity is defense. The strength of this roster is in the front seven, with a heavy emphasis on the pass rush. On the interior, the four players from 2025 who saw the most action are all gone. Riley Sunram is in position to take the next step and become a starter for the Gophers on the D-line as he enters his third year with the program. Jaylin Hicks is another returning player who projects to be used more in obvious passing situations. Minnesota also has three new transfers to help beef up the defensive line, with Xion Chapman from Florida International alongside Sid Kaba and Naquan Crowder, both from Marshall. Right now, Crowder seems to be the most likely player who will start, with Chapman and Kaba battling to be a part of the rotation, but there’s also the chance that two of the three transfers are starting on Day 1.
At the edge position, Minnesota has Anthony Smith—one of the best edge players in all of college football. In 2025, Smith led the Big Ten and finished third in the FBS with 12.5 sacks. He has the potential to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, which is a big deal considering how loaded that draft class projects to be at the moment. Karter Menz is also back after posting 6.5 sacks last season, and Jaxon Howard returns for the Gophers after 4.0 sacks of his own. TJ Bush Jr. is the new addition to the room, coming over from Cal and before that, Liberty, where he has had 5.5 sacks in each of his two seasons. Minnesota has one of the deepest edge rusher rooms in the Big Ten, and that’s significant when looking at what some other teams have on their rosters.
At linebacker, Minnesota brings back one of the best in the conference in Maverick Baranowski. In 2025, he led the Gophers in tackles and was tied for sixth-most in the Big Ten with 103. Matt Kingsbury should slot in right next to the experienced Baranowski after his first season playing meaningful defensive snaps. As for depth, Minnesota brought in Eastern Michigan transfer Andrew Marshall, who had 61 total tackles with the Eagles last season. This group is really headlined by the experience that Baranowski brings entering his fifth season, so there shouldn’t be too much concern here if he stays healthy.
Minnesota saw its biggest losses of the offseason at secondary. Do-it-all safety Koi Perich transferred to Oregon, which leaves an obvious hole not only at safety, but also in the return game. What could come of the transfer, though, is that the Gophers can focus on being less Perich-centric defensively. John Nestor returns at cornerback after a six-interception season in 2025, which was tied for the most in the Big Ten. On top of that, Nestor had 50 tackles and 6.0 TFLs. Aidan Gousby and Kerry Brown are both back as well and will almost certainly start somewhere in the secondary, with the most likely spot being the two safeties. Zack Harden also should be in the mix as at least a rotational piece in the secondary, as well as Division II transfer Parker Knutson from Southwest Minnesota State. Knutson looks like he could be a Day 1 starter. For the other corner spot opposite Nestor, Michigan State transfer Aydan West will likely be the guy. Even without Perich, this secondary still looks solid, and the defense as a whole has two of the best returning players in the Big Ten at their respective positions.
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