Transfer portal season is almost upon us
The football transfer portal opens on Monday, Dec. 9, and closes Saturday, Dec. 28. Programs across the country are expected to see increased attrition as new NCAA regulations impose a roster limit of 105 players for FBS teams, including both scholarship and non-scholarship players.
Minnesota will see its fair share of departures, but I also expect the Golden Gophers to be active in the transfer portal to address their roster deficiencies.
Here are what I see as their Top 5 roster needs:
1. Cornerback
Four-year starter Justin Walley and former Bucknell transfer Ethan Robinson are both walking out the door after the bowl game. Robinson and Walley saw the field on 96.6% and 71.3% of defensive snaps this season, respectively. When Walley missed two games with a non-contact knee injury, redshirt freshman Za’Quan Bryan filled in for him. Rhyland Kelly will be a redshirt junior in the fall after playing a total of 17 snaps this season, and Samuel Madu, Mike Gerald, and Simon Seidl will all have redshirted as freshmen. Minnesota is going to need to find at least one, if not two, experienced cornerbacks in the transfer portal.
The Gophers are also losing nickel back Jack Henderson, who was a two-year starter after transferring from Southeastern. Craig McDonald left the team midseason and will enter the transfer portal for a third time. Former TCU transfer Jai’Onte’ McMillan has one more year of eligibility left and will likely get first crack at replacing Henderson.
2. Wide Receiver
Minnesota will lose their top two leading receivers in Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer. Only one other wide receiver on the roster has double-digit receptions this season. Le’Meke Brockington and Cristian Driver could step into bigger roles next season, but neither has been a consistent playmaker for the Gophers. The rest of the wide receiver room is inexperienced and unproven.
3. Defensive Line
Depth is not a luxury Minnesota has had on the defensive line this season. Danny Striggow has dominated the snaps at rush end, occasionally spelled by Lucas Finnessy and Jaxon Howard. Jah Joyner and Anthony Smith have split snaps at defensive end. Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding are essentially the only defensive tackles the coaching staff trusts, with Smith sliding inside when Logan-Redding was banged up. Logan-Redding has announced he’ll return for his final year of eligibility, but Striggow is graduating and Joyner could declare for the NFL Draft.
P.J. Fleck and co. will need to decide if Finnessy, Howard, or Karter Menz are the answer at rush end. If Joyner goes pro, Smith will need help at defensive end. And I don’t think they can ride Eastern and Logan-Redding for another season. With the lack of playing time behind the starters, this could also be a position group that experiences a fair amount of attrition this offseason. The bottom line is that the coaching staff needs to build depth on the defensive line, whether it’s players already on the roster or additions from the portal.
4. Offensive Line
The Gophers will need to rebuild their offensive line next year after losing three starters this offseason: Left tackle Aireontae Ersery, left guard Tyler Cooper, and right tackle Quinn Carroll. If I were to predict next season’s starting five based on the current roster:
LT: Nathan Roy (RS-FR)
LG: Tony Nelson (RS-JR)
C: Greg Johnson (JR)
RG: Ashton Beers (RS-JR)
RT: Phillip Daniels (RS-SO)
That would be two returning starters, a left guard with no meaningful game experience, and a pair of underclassmen as your starting tackles.
Not sure how much confidence that inspires.
If Fleck and co. decide to dig into the portal to shore up the offensive line, it’ll cost them, as there is generally more demand for quality offensive linemen than there is supply.
5. Quarterback
I understand there are fans who would rank this as a higher position of need considering the Gophers’ options to replace Max Brosmer next season are redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, former Virginia Tech transfer Dylan Wittke, and incoming freshman Jackson Kollock. All indications out of the Athletes Village are that Lindsey is the heir apparent after a year of learning under Brosmer. That said, handing the reins of a Big Ten offense over to a redshirt freshman with only 16 snaps of collegiate football under his belt is a big ask.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the Gophers kick the tires on a transfer quarterback, but quarterbacks in the portal carry a hefty price tag and Minnesota doesn’t have the deepest pockets. If they’re confident in Lindsey, Fleck and co. may prefer to spend their NIL dollars on other roster needs.