TWO DEEP
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Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer portal

NCAA · Big Ten · 2026
OverviewRoster changeReplacementsPortal portfolioDependenceFlowAll moves
Position
Window
Transfer portal · 2026

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Both windows
Projected two-deep impacti
+11
Projected two-deep roles added · 2026 arrivals
Minnesota added 11 transfers projected into the two-deep (3 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.
18
Arrivals
-2
20
Departures
0.87
Avg rating in
+0.00
0.86
Avg rating out
11
Proj two-deep in
—
—
Out roles untracked
11 of 18
’25 production in
—
8 of 20
’25 production out
What changed
Upgraded
Projected starters arrived with rating holding or rising in 1 room, led by EDGE.
Depth concern
More players out than in with no two-deep answer — depth, not the starting line, is the exposure.
Still unresolved
Departures with no portal answer yet. Replacement must come from the returning roster or signing class.

How the roster changed

38 moves · 12 rooms touchedi
Offense
-3 net players
Replaced+1 player
TE
+1 in · −0 out
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.
Unresolved-1 player
QB
+0 in · −1 out
InOut
No arrivals
Jackson Kollock out to UC Davis drives the room.
Replaced-1 player
OL
+1 in · −2 out
InOut
Bennett Warren in from Tennessee drives the room.
Depth concern-2 players
WR
+3 in · −5 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
?
?
Zion Steptoe in from Tulsa drives the room.
Defense
+2 net players
Replaced+2 players
DL
+3 in · −1 out
InOut
Naquan Crowder in from Marshall drives the room.
Replaced+2 players
CB
+4 in · −2 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
Za'Quan Bryan out to South Florida drives the room.
Upgraded+1 player
EDGE
+1 in · −0 out · 1 proj starter in
InOut
No departures
TJ Bush Jr. in from California drives the room.
Replaced—
LB
+1 in · −1 out
InOut
Andrew Marshall in from Eastern Michigan drives the room.
Unresolved-3 players
S
+0 in · −3 out
InOut
No arrivals
Koi Perich out to Oregon drives the room.
Specialists
-1 net players
Replaced—
K
+1 in · −1 out
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 production percentile (smallest = none recorded)

Did Minnesota replace what it lost?

Role slots, not player-for-player
Replaced
1 chain
WR
Starting slot
Out · to Wisconsin
Malachi Coleman
rating 0.86 · 41st pctl ’25 production · 5 rec · 83 yds
Upgrade
High confidence
In · from Cincinnati
Noah Jennings
rating 0.87 · 70th pctl ’25 production · 23 rec · 323 yds · wr21 starter
Jan 10
▾ Detail
Partially replaced
8 chains
RB
Rotation slot
Out · to Purdue
Fame Ijeboi
rating 0.85 · 72nd pctl ’25 production · 441 rush yds · 4.5 ypc · 2 TD · 12 rec
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Elon
TJ Thomas
rating 0.86 · rb2 rotation
Jan 11
▾ Detail
WR
Rotation slot
Out · to Missouri
Kenric Lanier II
rating 0.85 · 40th pctl ’25 production · 3 rec · 79 yds
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Tulsa
Zion Steptoe
rating 0.85 · 71st pctl ’25 production · 21 rec · 272 yds · wr22 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
OL
Rotation slot
Out · to California
Kahlee Tafai
rating 0.87
Partial replacement
Low confidence
In · from Tennessee
Bennett Warren
rating 0.87 · rt2 rotation
Jan 4
▾ Detail
DL
Rotation slot
Out · to North Texas
Steven Curtis
no ’25 production record
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Florida International
Xion Chapman
rating 0.92 · 60th pctl ’25 production · 14 tkl · 3 TFL · 2 sk · dt2 rotation
Jan 10
▾ Detail
CB
Starting slot
Out · to South Florida
Za'Quan Bryan
rating 0.87 · 76th pctl ’25 production · 37 tkl · 1 TFL · 3 PD
Partial replacement
High confidence
In · from Michigan State
Aydan West
rating 0.87 · 60th pctl ’25 production · 19 tkl · 1 TFL · 0.5 sk · cb21 starter
Jan 6
▾ Detail
CB
Rotation slot
Out · to East Carolina
Jaylen Bowden
25th pctl ’25 production · 3 tkl
Partial replacement
Medium confidence
In · from Lehigh
Mekhai Smith
rating 0.86 · cb22 rotation
Jan 6
▾ Detail
K
Rotation slot
Out · to Kennesaw State
David Kemp
no ’25 production record
Partial replacement
Low confidence
In · from Michigan
Beckham Sunderland
no ’25 production record · ko2 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 replaced
2 chains
WR
Production lost
Out · to unannounced
?
Quentin Redding
0th pctl ’25 production · 1 PR · 2 yd avg
Unresolved
Room restocked · slot open
In
No further two-deep addition
2 two-deep arrivals answer other losses · 1 depth arrival in room
Dec 3
▾ Detail
S
Production lost
Out · to Oregon
Koi Perich
rating 0.95 · 98th pctl ’25 production · 82 tkl · 3 TFL · 1 sk · 1 INT
Unresolved
Loss not replaced
In
No portal addition
2 producing losses unanswered
Jan 13
▾ Detail

Quality vs experience

Portal rating
0.750.800.850.900.951.00
No ’25 production record
High-upside betProven impactDevelopmentalExperienced depth
Perich
Bush
Chapman
Thompson
0th pctl25th pctl50th pctl75th pctl
’25 production · national position percentile
13 unrated moves not plotted — see the ledger

How much Minnesota depends on transfers

Projected 2026 two-deep · 50 slots
Quarterback
2
0%
Skill (RB/WR/TE)
5
1
3
44%
Offensive line
8
1
1
20%
Front seven (EDGE/DL/LB)
8
1
3
33%
Secondary (CB/S)
7
1
2
30%
Specialists
4
1
2
43%
Returning signeesPrior-cycle transfers2026 transfers
32%
Projected two-deep from transfers
16 of 50 two-deep slots
7 of 26
Projected starters from transfers
3 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
Adam Kissayi
EDGE · from Clemson · 2024 cycle · DE2 rotation
23rd pctl
’25 production · Minnesota
Javon Tracy
WR · from Miami (OH) · 2025 cycle · WR1 starter
79th pctl
’25 production · Minnesota
John Nestor
CB · from Iowa · 2025 cycle · CB1 starter
94th pctl
’25 production · Minnesota
Jaden Ball
OL · from Purdue · 2025 cycle · LG1 starter
—
no ’25 record
Tom Weston
P · from Ouachita Baptist · 2025 cycle · PT1 starter
93rd pctl
’25 production · Minnesota

Where Minnesota’s transfers came from — and where they went

Sources · 18 arrivals20 departures · destinations
Big Ten
4 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
Sun Belt
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
ACC
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
-2 net moves
Arrived from · 18
Big Ten
4 players
SEC
3 players
Non-FBS
3 players
Sun Belt
2 players
Mid-American
1 player
ACC
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.
11arrivals are projected straight into the two-deep (9 of 18 arrivals came from P4 leagues).
3departures stayed inside the Big Ten.

How the window developed

Cumulative net moves · in − out
WINTER WINDOWWarrenThompsonChapmanKabaPerich-2EVENTRANSACTION ORDER · DEC 3 → JAN 27 · UNIT: NET MOVE COUNTWINTER WINDOWChapmanPerich-2EVENTRANSACTION ORDER · DEC 3 → JAN 27 · UNIT: NET MOVE COUNT

All portal moves

38 of 38 moves match · 25 shown
Show
Role in
Sort
PlayerPosDirectionOrigin / destinationRating’25 productionEligProjected roleDate
KP
Koi Perich
Winter window · 4★
S↑ DepartureOregon0.9598th pctl production · 82 tkl · 3 TFL · 1 sk · 1 INTImmediate—Jan 13
XC
Xion Chapman
Winter window · 4★
DL↓ Arrival
Florida International
0.9260th pctl production · 14 tkl · 3 TFL · 2 skImmediateDT2 rotationJan 10
PT
Perry Thompson
Winter window · 4★
WR↓ Arrival
Auburn
0.9054th pctl production · 17 rec · 154 ydsImmediateWR5 depthJan 6
SK
Sid Kaba
Winter window · 3★
DL↓ Arrival
Marshall
0.8956th pctl production · 17 tkl · 3 TFL · 0.5 skImmediateDT4 depthJan 12
BW
Bennett Warren
Winter window · 3★
OL↓ Arrival
Tennessee
0.87no recordImmediateRT2 rotationJan 4
AW
Aydan West
Winter window · 3★
CB↓ Arrival
Michigan State
0.8760th pctl production · 19 tkl · 1 TFL · 0.5 skImmediateCB21 starterJan 6
TB
TJ Bush Jr.
Winter window · 3★
EDGE↓ Arrival
California
0.8795th pctl production · 39 tkl · 10.5 TFL · 4.5 skImmediateDE21 starterJan 7
ZB
Za'Quan Bryan
Winter window · 3★
CB↑ DepartureSouth Florida0.8776th pctl production · 37 tkl · 1 TFL · 3 PDImmediate—Jan 8
NJ
Noah Jennings
Winter window · 3★
WR↓ Arrival
Cincinnati
0.8770th pctl production · 23 rec · 323 ydsImmediateWR21 starterJan 10
KT
Kahlee Tafai
Winter window · 3★
OL↑ DepartureCalifornia0.87no recordImmediate—Jan 14
NC
Naquan Crowder
Winter window · 3★
DL↓ Arrival
Marshall
0.8672nd pctl production · 26 tkl · 3 TFL · 1 skImmediateDE22 rotationJan 5
MS
Mekhai Smith
Winter window · 3★
CB↓ Arrival
Lehigh
0.86no recordImmediateCB22 rotationJan 6
PK
Parker Knutson
Winter window · 3★
CB↓ Arrival
Southwest Minnesota State
0.86no recordImmediateNB3 depthJan 6
KH
Kaden Helms
Winter window · 3★
TE↓ Arrival
Oklahoma
0.8635th pctl production · 5 rec · 35 yds · 1 TDImmediateTE4 depthJan 7
TT
TJ Thomas
Winter window · 3★
RB↓ Arrival
Elon
0.86no recordImmediateRB2 rotationJan 11
MC
Malachi Coleman
Winter window · 3★
WR↑ DepartureWisconsin0.8641st pctl production · 5 rec · 83 ydsImmediate—Jan 12
JT
Jaron Thomas
Winter window · 3★
RB↓ Arrival
Purdue
0.8512th pctl production · 1 rec · -3 ydsImmediateRB6 depthJan 3
AM
Andrew Marshall
Winter window · 3★
LB↓ Arrival
Eastern Michigan
0.8580th pctl production · 61 tkl · 3.5 TFL · 1 skImmediateLB24 depthJan 5
FI
Fame Ijeboi
Winter window · 3★
RB↑ DeparturePurdue0.8572nd pctl production · 441 rush yds · 4.5 ypc · 2 TD · 12 recImmediate—Jan 9
ZS
Zion Steptoe
Winter window · 3★
WR↓ Arrival
Tulsa
0.8571st pctl production · 21 rec · 272 ydsImmediateWR22 rotationJan 10
RT
Reese Tripp
Winter window · 3★
OL↑ DepartureMiddle Tennessee0.85no recordImmediate—Jan 14
KL
Kenric Lanier II
Winter window · 3★
WR↑ DepartureMissouri0.8540th pctl production · 3 rec · 79 ydsImmediate—Jan 16
JK
Jackson Kollock
Winter window · 3★
QB↑ Departure
UC Davis
0.85no recordImmediate—Jan 21
EW
Elisha West
Winter window · 3★
CB↓ Arrival
Michigan State
0.83no recordImmediateNB4 depthJan 6
BR
Brody Richter
Winter window · 3★
P↑ DepartureNew Mexico State0.83no recordImmediate—Jan 20

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