Minnesota Golden Gophers · QB RoomQB
#12 Michael Merdinger
Class RS SO/TRFrom Liberty (transfer)Ht / Wt 6'1" · 205 lbHometown Fort Lauderdale, FL · Cardinal Gibbons
Depth-chart placement
Current role
QB3Placement
DepthRoom
QuarterbackExperience
3-SOLast change
Updated 2026-07-29QB room context
View full depth chart →Michael Merdinger holds the QB · Depth spot in Minnesota Golden Gophers’s quarterback room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:
Transfer history
2026Liberty→Minnesota Golden Gophers
Background & career
Michael Merdinger is a redshirt sophomore quarterback for the Minnesota Golden Gophers who enrolled in January 2026. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native attended Cardinal Gibbons High School, where he threw for 2,850 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior and 721 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. After redshirting at North Carolina in 2024, Merdinger played one season at Liberty in 2025, appearing in five games with two starts. He completed 12-of-21 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown while rushing 19 times for 28 yards and one touchdown at Liberty.
North Carolinathrough 2024
Liberty2025
Minnesota2026 — presentPrevious schoolLibertyRecruiting3-star · No. 1040 nationalOriginFort Lauderdale, FL · Cardinal Gibbons