Transfer portal · 2026
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Both windowsProjected two-deep impacti
+14
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Minnesota added 14 transfers projected into the two-deep (8 as starters) against 20 departures whose next roles aren’t tracked here. Every number on this page is counted, not modelled — no composite portal grade is published because no defensible one exists yet.
19
Arrivals
-1
20
Departures
0.87
Avg rating in
+0.00
0.86
Avg rating out
14
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
12 of 19
’25 production in
—
8 of 20
’25 production out
How the roster changed
39 moves · 12 rooms touchediOffense-2 net players
Upgraded+1 player
TE
+1 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
Kaden Helms in from Oklahoma drives the room.
Replaced—
RB
+2 in · −2 out
InOut
Fame Ijeboi out to Purdue drives the room.
Replaced—
QB
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
Michael Merdinger in from Liberty drives the room.
Upgraded-1 player
OL
+1 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Bennett Warren in from Tennessee drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
WR
+3 in · −5 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
?
?
Perry Thompson in from Auburn drives the room.
Defense+2 net players
Upgraded+2 players
DL
+3 in · −1 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Xion Chapman in from Florida International drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
EDGE
+1 in · −0 out
InOutNo departures
TJ Bush Jr. in from California drives the room.
Replaced+1 player
CB
+3 in · −2 out · 2 proj starters in
InOut
Aydan West in from Michigan State drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
Andrew Marshall in from Eastern Michigan drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
S
+1 in · −3 out
InOut
Koi Perich out to Oregon drives the room.
Specialists-1 net players
Upgraded—
K
+1 in · −1 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Beckham Sunderland in from Michigan drives the room.
No movement—
LS
+0 in · −0 out
InOutNo arrivalsNo departures
No portal movement in this room.
Replaced-1 player
P
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Brody Richter out to New Mexico State drives the room.
ArrivalDepartureHeavy ring · proj starter inThin ring · rotation inDotted · depth role or no ’25 recordMarker size = ’25 usage share (smallest = none recorded)
Did Minnesota replace what it lost?
Role slots, not player-for-playerReplaced5 chains
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Wisconsin
Malachi Coleman
rating 0.86 · 2% ’25 usage · 5 rec · 83 yds
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Auburn
Perry Thompson
rating 0.90 · 6% ’25 usage · 17 rec · 154 yds · z1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
OL
Starting slot
Out · to California
Kahlee Tafai
rating 0.87
Replaced
Low confidence
In · from Tennessee
Bennett Warren
rating 0.87 · rt1 starter
Jan 4
▾ Detail
DL
Starting slot
Out · to North Texas
Steven Curtis
no ’25 production record
Replaced
Medium confidence
In · from Florida International
Xion Chapman
rating 0.92 · 14 tkl · 3 TFL · 2 sk · dt1 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to East Carolina
Jaylen Bowden
3 tkl
Upgrade
Medium confidence
In · from Southwest Minnesota State
Parker Knutson
rating 0.86 · nb1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
K
Starting slot
Out · to Kennesaw State
David Kemp
no ’25 production record
Replaced
Low confidence
In · from Michigan
Beckham Sunderland
no ’25 production record · pk1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
Partially replaced5 chains
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to Missouri
Kenric Lanier II
rating 0.85 · 5% ’25 usage · 3 rec · 79 yds
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Cincinnati
Noah Jennings
rating 0.87 · 6% ’25 usage · 23 rec · 323 yds · x2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to unannounced
?
Quentin Redding
1 PR · 2 yd avg
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Tulsa
Zion Steptoe
rating 0.85 · 6% ’25 usage · 21 rec · 272 yds · sl2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to South Florida
Za'Quan Bryan
rating 0.87 · 37 tkl · 1 TFL · 3 PD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Michigan State
Aydan West
rating 0.87 · 19 tkl · 1 TFL · 0.5 sk · rcb1 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
S
Rotation slot
Out · to Oregon
Koi Perich
rating 0.95 · 82 tkl · 3 TFL · 1 sk · 1 INT
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Lehigh
Mekhai Smith
rating 0.86 · ss2 rotation
Jan 6
▾ Detail
P
Rotation slot
Out · to New Mexico State
Brody Richter
rating 0.83
Partial replacement
Low confidence
In · from Utah State
Zachary Robbins
no ’25 production record · pt2 rotation
Jan 7
▾ Detail
Not replaced2 chains
RB
Production lost
Out · to Purdue
Fame Ijeboi
rating 0.85 · 16% ’25 usage · 441 rush yds · 4.5 ypc · 2 TD · 12 rec
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No starter/rotation addition
2 depth arrivals in room
Jan 9
▾ Detail
S
Production lost
Out · to South Dakota
Harrison Brun
1 tkl
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
1 two-deep arrival answers other losses
Jan 14
▾ Detail
Quality vs experience
Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 usage recordHigh-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depthMerdingerIjeboiChapman
0%20%40%60%
’25 usage share of previous team’s snapsets
13 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger
How much Minnesota depends on transfers
Projected 2026 two-deep · 52 slotsQuarterback0%
2
Skill (RB/WR/TE)60%
4
2
4
Offensive line20%
8
1
1
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)42%
7
1
4
Secondary (CB/S)40%
6
1
3
Specialists50%
4
1
3
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
40%
Projected two-deep from transfers
21 of 52 two-deep slots
13 of 26
Projected starters from transfers
9 from the 2026 cycle, 4 held over
41st
Big Ten percentile · transfer share
11th-most transfer-dependent two-deep of 18 Big Ten teams
Returning portal corePrior-cycle transfers still in the two-deep
Jaxon Howard
EDGE · from LSU · 2024 cycle · RUSH1 starter
29 tkl
’25 · Minnesota
A.J. Turner
RB · from Marshall · 2025 cycle · RB2 rotation
8%
’25 usage · Minnesota
Javon Tracy
WR · from Miami (OH) · 2025 cycle · SL1 starter
8%
’25 usage · Minnesota
John Nestor
CB · from Iowa · 2025 cycle · LCB1 starter
50 tkl
’25 · Minnesota
Jaden Ball
OL · from Purdue · 2025 cycle · LG2 rotation
—
no ’25 record
Tom Weston
P · from Ouachita Baptist · 2025 cycle · PT1 starter
65 punts
’25 · Minnesota
Where Minnesota’s transfers came from — and where they went
Sources · 19 arrivals20 departures · destinations
Big Ten
4 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
Conference USA
2 players
Sun Belt
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
Other
4 players
+
Non-FBS
6 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big Ten
3 players
Conference USA
3 players
+
Unannounced
2 players
Mountain West
1 player
+
Other
2 players
Minnesota
-1 net moves
Arrived from · 19
Big Ten
4 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
Conference USA
2 players
Sun Belt
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
+
Other
4 players
Departed to · 20
Non-FBS
6 players
American Athletic
3 players
Big Ten
3 players
Conference USA
3 players
+
Unannounced
2 players
Mountain West
1 player
+
Other
2 players
4arrivals came from Big Ten programs — the single largest source.
14arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (9 of 19 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
3departures stayed inside the Big Ten.
How the window developed
Cumulative net moves · in − outAll portal moves
39 of 39 moves match · 25 shownShow
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
XC
Winter window · 4★
PT
Winter window · 4★
SK
Winter window · 3★
BW
Winter window · 3★
AW
Winter window · 3★
TB
Winter window · 3★
NJ
Winter window · 3★
NC
Winter window · 3★
MS
Winter window · 3★
PK
Winter window · 3★
KH
Winter window · 3★
TT
Winter window · 3★
MM
Winter window · 3★
JT
Winter window · 3★
AM
Winter window · 3★
ZS
Winter window · 3★
JK
Winter window · 3★
EW
Winter window · 3★