Minnesota Football: “Game On! Top 5 Transfer Portal Must-Haves for the Gophers as NCAA Limits FBS Rosters to 105!”

The football transfer portal opens on Monday, Dec. 9, and closes on Saturday, Dec. 28. With new NCAA regulations limiting FBS teams to 105 players, including both scholarship and non-scholarship athletes, programs nationwide are expected to face increased player departures.

Minnesota will see its share of players leaving, but I anticipate that the Golden Gophers will be proactive in the transfer portal to address their roster gaps.

Here are the Top 5 roster needs I foresee for the Gophers:

1. Cornerback
   Minnesota will be losing its four-year starter, Justin Walley, along with former Bucknell transfer Ethan Robinson, after the bowl game. Both players were heavily involved on defense, with Robinson and Walley participating in 96.6% and 71.3% of snaps this season, respectively. After Walley missed two games due to a knee injury, redshirt freshman Za’Quan Bryan stepped in. Rhyland Kelly, a redshirt junior next fall, played only 17 snaps this season, while Sam Madu, Mike Gerald, and Simon Seidl all redshirted as freshmen. The Gophers will need to secure at least one or two experienced cornerbacks via the transfer portal.

Along with these departures, nickel back Jack Henderson, a two-year starter from Southeastern, is leaving. Craig McDonald will also enter the portal for a third time after leaving the team midseason. Jai’Onte’ McMillan, a former TCU transfer, will likely be first in line to fill Henderson’s role with one year of eligibility remaining.

2. Wide Receiver
   Minnesota will be losing its top two receivers, Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer. Only one other wide receiver on the team has reached double-digit receptions this season. Le’Meke Brockington and Cristian Driver may step into larger roles next year, but neither has proven to be consistent playmakers. The rest of the wide receiving corps lacks experience.
3. Defensive Line
   The Gophers have struggled with depth on the defensive line this year. Danny Striggow has handled the majority of the snaps at rush end, with occasional support from Lucas Finnessy and Jaxon Howard. At defensive end, Jah Joyner and Anthony Smith have split time. Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding are essentially the only trusted defensive tackles, with Smith filling in when Logan-Redding was injured. While Logan-Redding will return for his final year, Striggow is graduating, and Joyner may enter the NFL Draft.

Coaches will need to evaluate if Finnessy, Howard, or Karter Menz can step up at rush end. If Joyner leaves for the pros, Smith will need help at defensive end, and relying on Eastern and Logan-Redding again isn’t feasible. Given the limited playing time for backups, expect possible attrition in this position group this offseason. Ultimately, the coaching staff must focus on building depth along the defensive line, whether through current roster members or new additions from the portal.

4. Offensive Line
   The Gophers will need to rebuild their offensive line after losing three starters: left tackle Aireontae Ersery, left guard Tyler Cooper, and right tackle Quinn Carroll. Based on the current roster, here’s a possible starting five for next season:

• LT: Nathan Roy (RS-FR)
• LG: Tony Nelson (RS-JR)
• C: Greg Johnson (JR)
• RG: Ashton Beers (RS-JR)
• RT: Phillip Daniels (RS-SO)

This lineup includes only two returning starters, with a left guard lacking significant game experience and two underclassmen as starting tackles. This raises concerns about their ability to perform.

If Fleck and his staff choose to dip into the portal for offensive linemen, they may face higher costs, as quality players are in high demand.

5. Quarterback
   Some fans might rank this position higher due to the Gophers’ options for replacing Max Brosmer next season: redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, former Virginia Tech transfer Dylan Wittke, and incoming freshman Jackson Kollock. Reports suggest that Lindsey is viewed as the future starter after learning under Brosmer for a year. However, trusting a redshirt freshman with only 16 collegiate snaps to lead a Big Ten offense is a significant risk.

It wouldn’t be surprising if the Gophers explore the transfer quarterback market, but those players often come with a hefty price tag, and Minnesota may not have the financial resources to make a big splash. If they have confidence in Lindsey, Fleck and his staff might opt to allocate their NIL funds toward other pressing needs.