The Minnesota Gophers enjoyed something of a return to form in 2024, with head coach P.J. Fleck seeing the Huntington Bank Stadium side secure an 8-5 record, but once again, as they head into the 2025 season, they will do so with a new starting quarterback.
Fleck was hailed for bringing in Max Brosmer in the transfer portal before the start of last season, and the 24-year-old impressed before leaving after one year to join the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. Now, the Gophers will look to Drake Lindsey to fill the hole left by his departure.
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The situation the Gophers find themselves in is, according to CBS Sports’ Will Backus, among the most concerning in college football, with the lack of continuity likely to prove a real issue in 2025.
“Minnesota hit transfer portal gold with quarterback Max Brosmer, but he moved on to the NFL after one year with the Golden Gophers. Minnesota went back to the portal to add Georgia Tech transfer Zach Pyron, who subsequently left the program and transferred to South Alabama in April.”
“That leaves Minnesota with one quarterback — Lindsey — who has attempted a pass at the collegiate level. Lindsey went 4 for 5 for 50 yards as a freshman last season and will likely start in 2025. Minnesota’s staff is high on the 6-foot-5 second-year player, but his in-game ability is still a big question mark.”
Indeed, in his overall analysis, Backus ranked Minnesota as second only to Oklahoma State in terms of the teams with the bleakest outlook for the coming season.
It’s more than sixty years since the Minnesota Gophers secured a national championship, and despite the advances made last year, it would take a brave fan to back P.J. Fleck to end that barren run in 2025.
When asked to assess his side’s progress after spring training, the 44-year-old (who is set for his ninth season in the Gophers sideline), Fleck stated.
“Depth is our friend. I learned that, for sure,”
“If we can continue to create 1s and 2s, where it’s not really 1s and 2s. It’s really 1A and 1B. And if we can rotate as many people as we possibly can in this portal world, where it’s really hard to create depth. Our depth will be our biggest strength, if we can keep it hold on to it. Keep developing it. That’s really important as we go forward.” Fleck added.
Across his eight previous campaigns as Gophers’ head coach, Fleck has secured five winning seasons and an overall record of 56-39, but there is hope to repeat the 2019 success and build from there.