Minnesota Golden Gophers NFL Draft Prospects

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Minnesota Golden Gophers 2026 Season Preview: Fleck Banks on Lindsey's Leap and a Loaded Pass Rush

Minnesota went 8-5 (5-4 Big Ten) in 2025 and closed the year the way P.J. Fleck's teams almost always do, grinding out a 20-17 overtime win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl for a ninth consecutive bowl victory. It was the program's second straight 8-5 finish, and the Gophers return one of the higher shares of production in the country, roughly 71 percent of their offense and 65 percent of their defense. The defining offseason story cuts both ways: quarterback Drake Lindsey enters his redshirt sophomore year with a foundation laid, while safety and return man Koi Perich, the team's most explosive weapon, transferred to Oregon and left holes on defense and special teams.

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RANK	Player	Pos	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
96	Anthony Smith	DE	285lbs	6-6	4.75	16	78	84.2 MORE>>	Smith led his Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, team to an 11-1 record as a senior with 64 tackles, 12.5 for loss and 9.5 sacks, earning...
106	Greg Johnson	OG	325lbs	6-6	5.25	11	65.3	83.7 MORE>>	A team captain at Prior Lake in Minnesota who paved the way for a run game averaging nearly 240 yards a contest, Johnson earned As...
130	Drake Lindsey	QB	230lbs	6-5	4.70	9	62.7	82.3 MORE>>	Lindsey grew up in a Razorback family in Fayetteville, where his grandfather played on Arkansas' 1964 national title team and his ...
275	Darius Taylor	RB	215lbs	6-0	4.54	9	202.5	73.9 MORE>>	Out of Walled Lake Western High School in Michigan, Darius Taylor rushed for 2,450 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior, including ...
336	Anthony Smith	DL	350lbs	6-2	4.75	27	183.5	50.9 MORE>>	Smith honed his game at national power Chaminade-Madonna in South Florida, a key contributor to back-to-back state championship te...

RANK	Player	Pos	Coll	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
291	Deven Eastern	DL		315lbs	6-5	5.15	64	271.8	78.0 MORE>>
444	Darnell Jefferies	DL		285lbs	6-3	5.09	88	444	68.0 MORE>>	Darnell Jefferies from Newton High School was rated a 4-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 3-star grade by 247 Sports. After high ...

RANK	Player	Pos	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
45	Aireontae Ersery	OT	331lbs	6-6	5.01	10	45.4	86.4 MORE>>	From track and field athlete to potential NFL starter, Aireontae Ersery's journey is as fascinating as his imposing frame. The Kan...
164	Jah Joyner	DL	265lbs	6-5	4.60	44	149.4	81.3 MORE>>	Born in Connecticut, Jah Joyner dominated the high school ranks at Danbury High School, where his explosive athleticism and natura...
201	Tyler Cooper	OG	310lbs	6-6	5.15	49	233	79.6 MORE>>	Tyler Cooper entered the Minnesota program as an unheralded two-star recruit from Saint Croix Falls, Wisconsin, where he earned WF...
264	Cody Lindenberg	LB	240lbs	6-3	4.71	22	219	77.0 MORE>>	A local Minnesota product who transformed from a three-star recruit into one of the Big Ten's most instinctive linebackers, Cod...
308	Quinn Carroll	OT	315lbs	6-7	5.59	64	310	75.0 MORE>>	Quinn Carroll spent his first three seasons at Notre Dame before transferring to Minnesota, where he became an immediate starte...
320	Justin Walley	CB	195lbs	5-11	4.40	40	171.6	74.4 MORE>>	Justin Walley played high school football at D'Iberville High School in Mississippi, wearing No. 5 for the Warriors. As a senior, ...
321	Max Brosmer	QB	225lbs	6-2	4.79	16	261	74.4 MORE>>
326	Daniel Jackson	WR	195lbs	6-0	4.63	49	301	74.2 MORE>>
472	Marcus Major	RB	220lbs	6-0	4.61	40	472	59.4 MORE>>

RANK	Player	Pos	Coll	Weight	Height	40YD	AVG POS RANK	AVG OVR RANK	Rating	Summary
40	Tyler Nubin	S		199lbs	6-1	4.60	9	45.2	87.0 MORE>>	Tyler Nubin from St Charles North High School was rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 4-star grade by 247 Sports. Followi...
255	Brevyn Spann-Ford	TE		260lbs	6-6	4.77	16	209.3	77.0 MORE>>	Brevyn Spann-Ford from St. Cloud Technical High School was rated a 3-star recruit by ESPN and handed a 3-star grade by 247 Sports...