Minnesota Golden Gophers Depth Chart 2026 — starters, backups & full two-deep

Unit

Tags · year-class · 3-SO = third-year soph

JobStarter2nd3rd4th5th+

Offense

11 starting jobsPrimary personnel · 11

×6

5Drake LindseyQB13-SO—6Max ShikenjanskiQB24-JR—12Michael MerdingerQB33-SO

PORTAL 14Dylan WittkeQB44-JR

15Owen LansuQB5 16Brady PalmerQB6

×9

1Darius TaylorRB14-SR—2A.J. TurnerRB25-SR—

PORTAL 23TJ ThomasRB33-JR

PORTAL 21Grant WashingtonRB42-FR

22Jaron ThomasRB5

PORTAL

X×5

8Jalen SmithX13-SO—13Noah JenningsX24-SR—

PORTAL 7Bradley MartinoX32-FR 89Quayd HendryxX4FR (4)

84Hayden MooreX5

Z×4

3Perry ThompsonZ13-JR—

PORTAL 18Donielle HayesZ24-JR—85Rico BlassingameZ3FR (3)17Braiden StevensZ4FR (3)

SLOT×3

11Javon TracySLOT15-SR—

PORTAL 25Zion SteptoeSLOT25-SR—

PORTAL 81Josiah DozierSLOT3FR (3)

—open

×8

87Kaden HelmsTE15-SR—

PORTAL 19Pierce WalshTE24-JR—82Julian JohnsonTE33-SO 4Roman VossTE4FR (4)

86Gabe WeaverTE5

LT×4

50Nathan RoyLT13-SO—60Kaveon LeeLT22-FR—79Andrew TroutLT3FR (4)66Beckett SchreiberLT4FR (3)

LG×4

65Greg JohnsonLG14-SR—58Jaden BallLG23-SO—

PORTAL 69Gavin MeierLG3FR (3)77Nick SpenceLG42-FR

C×3

78Ashton BeersC15-SR—56Brett CarrollC23-SO—57Aaron ThomasC3FR (3)

—open

RG×3

59Tony NelsonRG15-SR—55Jerome WilliamsRG24-JR—75Mark HandyRG32-FR

—open

RT×3

68Bennett WarrenRT13-SO—

PORTAL 51Daniel ShippRT22-FR—71Lucas TielschRT3FR (3)

—open

Defense

11 starting jobsBase front · Nickel sub

DT×10

90Xion ChapmanDT14-JR—

PORTAL 92Sid KabaDT24-JR—

PORTAL 55Jaylin HicksDT33-SO 48Aaden AytchDT4FR (4)

56Jay'Quan StubbsDT5

NT×9

70Naquan CrowderNT14-JR—

PORTAL 93Riley SunramNT23-SO—50Mo OmonodeNT35-SR

PORTAL 91Howie JohnsonNT4FR (4)

47Enoch AtewogbolaNT5

EDGE

DE×3

0Anthony SmithDE15-SR—3TJ Bush Jr.DE24-SR—

PORTAL 98Adam KissayiDE33-SO

PORTAL

—open

EDGE

RUSH×2

1Jaxon HowardRUSH14-JR—

PORTAL 11Karter MenzRUSH24-JR—

—open

WLB×5

49Matt KingsburyWLB14-JR—2Emmanuel KarmoWLB22-SO—46Mason CarrierWLB33-SO 16Hudson DunnWLB4FR (3)

32Angel LucianoWLB5

MLB×5

6Maverick BaranowskiMLB15-SR—19Joey GerlachMLB25-SR—29Andrew MarshallMLB34-JR

PORTAL 44Ethan StendelMLB42-SO

53Nate ClevelandMLB5

LCB×5

17John NestorLCB14-SR—

PORTAL 8Mike GeraldLCB23-SO—25Justin HopkinsLCB3FR (3)24Chance PayneLCB4FR (3)

15Samuel MaduLCB5

RCB×5

5Aydan WestRCB12-SO—

PORTAL 21Naiim ParrishRCB22-SO—23Lamont HamiltonRCB3FR (3)36Tavian WhiteRCB4FR (3)

18Rhyland KellyRCB5

NB×6

20Parker KnutsonNB14-JR—

PORTAL 9Garrison MonroeNB24-JR—26Elisha WestNB33-SO

PORTAL 31Jordan LampkinsNB4FR (3)

27Simon SeidlNB5 28Trason RichardsonNB6

FS×2

7Aidan GousbyFS15-SR—4Zack HardenFS22-SO—

—open

SS×3

14Kerry BrownSS14-JR—22Mekhai SmithSS23-JR—

PORTAL 13Zahir RainerSS33-SO

—open

Special Teams

4 starting jobsCoverage & return units

×2

92Beckham SunderlandKO15-SR—

PORTAL 36Daniel JacksonKO22-FR—

—open

×2

80Alan SoukupLS13-JR—43Jakob LutzLS22-FR—

—open

×2

92Beckham SunderlandPK15-SR—

PORTAL 36Daniel JacksonPK22-FR—

—open

×2

42Tom WestonPT14-JR—

PORTAL 37Zachary RobbinsPT22-SO—

PORTAL

—open

Offense

11 starting jobs

Primary personnel · 11

QB6 listed

Drake Lindsey#5QB13-SO—QB26Max Shikenjanski4-JR QB312Michael Merdinger3-SO

PORTAL QB414Dylan Wittke4-JR

RB9 listed

Darius Taylor#1RB14-SR—RB22A.J. Turner5-SR

PORTAL RB323TJ Thomas3-JR

PORTAL RB421Grant Washington2-FR

WRX5 listed

Jalen Smith#8X13-SO—X213Noah Jennings4-SR

PORTAL X37Bradley Martino2-FR X489Quayd HendryxFR (4)

WRZ4 listed

Perry Thompson#3Z13-JR—

PORTAL Z218Donielle Hayes4-JR Z385Rico BlassingameFR (3)Z417Braiden StevensFR (3)

WRSLOT3 listed

Javon Tracy#11SLOT15-SR—

PORTAL SLOT225Zion Steptoe5-SR

PORTAL SLOT381Josiah DozierFR (3)

TE8 listed

Kaden Helms#87TE15-SR—

PORTAL TE219Pierce Walsh4-JR TE382Julian Johnson3-SO TE44Roman VossFR (4)

OLLT4 listed

Nathan Roy#50LT13-SO—LT260Kaveon Lee2-FR LT379Andrew TroutFR (4)LT466Beckett SchreiberFR (3)

OLLG4 listed

Greg Johnson#65LG14-SR—LG258Jaden Ball3-SO

PORTAL LG369Gavin MeierFR (3)LG477Nick Spence2-FR

OLC3 listed

Ashton Beers#78C15-SR—C256Brett Carroll3-SO C357Aaron ThomasFR (3)

OLRG3 listed

Tony Nelson#59RG15-SR—RG255Jerome Williams4-JR RG375Mark Handy2-FR

OLRT3 listed

Bennett Warren#68RT13-SO—

PORTAL RT251Daniel Shipp2-FR RT371Lucas TielschFR (3)

Defense

11 starting jobs

Base front · Nickel sub

DLDT10 listed

Xion Chapman#90DT14-JR—

PORTAL DT292Sid Kaba4-JR

PORTAL DT355Jaylin Hicks3-SO DT448Aaden AytchFR (4)

DLNT9 listed

Naquan Crowder#70NT14-JR—

PORTAL NT293Riley Sunram3-SO NT350Mo Omonode5-SR

PORTAL NT491Howie JohnsonFR (4)

EDGEDE3 listed

Anthony Smith#0DE15-SR—DE23TJ Bush Jr.4-SR

PORTAL DE398Adam Kissayi3-SO

PORTAL

EDGERUSH2 listed

Jaxon Howard#1RUSH14-JR—

PORTAL RUSH211Karter Menz4-JR

LBWLB5 listed

Matt Kingsbury#49WLB14-JR—WLB22Emmanuel Karmo2-SO WLB346Mason Carrier3-SO WLB416Hudson DunnFR (3)

LBMLB5 listed

Maverick Baranowski#6MLB15-SR—MLB219Joey Gerlach5-SR MLB329Andrew Marshall4-JR

PORTAL MLB444Ethan Stendel2-SO

CBLCB5 listed

John Nestor#17LCB14-SR—

PORTAL LCB28Mike Gerald3-SO LCB325Justin HopkinsFR (3)LCB424Chance PayneFR (3)

CBRCB5 listed

Aydan West#5RCB12-SO—

PORTAL RCB221Naiim Parrish2-SO RCB323Lamont HamiltonFR (3)RCB436Tavian WhiteFR (3)

CBNB6 listed

Parker Knutson#20NB14-JR—

PORTAL NB29Garrison Monroe4-JR NB326Elisha West3-SO

PORTAL NB431Jordan LampkinsFR (3)

SFS2 listed

Aidan Gousby#7FS15-SR—FS24Zack Harden2-SO

SSS3 listed

Kerry Brown#14SS14-JR—SS222Mekhai Smith3-JR

PORTAL SS313Zahir Rainer3-SO

Special Teams

4 starting jobs

Coverage & return units

KO2 listed

Beckham Sunderland#92KO15-SR—

PORTAL KO236Daniel Jackson2-FR

LS2 listed

Alan Soukup#80LS13-JR—LS243Jakob Lutz2-FR

PK2 listed

Beckham Sunderland#92PK15-SR—

PORTAL PK236Daniel Jackson2-FR

PT2 listed

Tom Weston#42PT14-JR—

PORTAL PT237Zachary Robbins2-SO

PORTAL

Program & Venue

Program

Minnesota Golden Gophers

University of Minnesota

Conference Big TenFootball began 1882Location Minneapolis, Minnesota

Home

Huntington Bank Stadium

50,805Listed capacity

Location Minneapolis, Minnesota

Coaching staff

Head coachP. J. Fleck

Offensive coordinatorGreg Harbaugh Jr.

Defensive coordinatorDanny Collins

Identity

Mascot Goldy Gopher

Maroon Primary

Gold Secondary