What Might Be the Gophers' Priorities in the Transfer Portal?

The first edition of National Signing Day is next week, but it is also the season of transfers. A year ago, for example, Jack Gibbens announced his decision to join the Gophers from Abilene Christian. With P.J. Fleck preferring to have most (if not all) of his team's high school class locked down by mid-December, Minnesota is also pursuing players in need of a new school.

Typically, there are two reasons to add transfers to your team:

• To build depth, often making up for attrition or lapses in recruiting
• To find stopgap starters to bridge the gap between outgoing veterans and unprepared youth

These aren't isn't hard and fast rules, as every situation is different, but for the average, reasonably well-run college football team, that is why transfers are important. 

This post will examine where the Gophers might need to plug some holes with experience.

Quarterback

Potential need: depth

Minnesota looks unlikely to look for someone who would have a real chance at supplanting Tanner Morgan at quarterback. But the team may have to make up for losses behind him on the depth chart. As the second-choice passer, Zack Annexstad offered experience in the program and as a onetime starter. Maybe Cole Kramer or Athan Kaliakmanis is ready to take second-team snaps (either individually or splitting them), and maybe Fleck wants one or both of them to see garbage-time snaps in preparation for a potential starting role in 2023.

However, he may prefer a more veteran hand as the backup. Additionally, the departures of Annexstad and Jacob Clark will put the Gophers at four scholarship quarterbacks once commit Jacob Knuth signs. If the Gophers want to go back to five to gain some experience at the position, or to protect themselves further from the (low) risk of giving a true freshman meaningful snaps, a transfer might provide that. Though finding the right fit — an upperclassman who understands he isn't supposed to play next year and possibly ever — could be difficult, successfully finding one might be beneficial. Maybe there's a native of the Upper Midwest who wants to be closer to home or a junior college transfer wanting a season in a Big Ten program.

Offensive Tackle

Potential need: stopgap starter

Assuming Blaise Andries leaves for the NFL and can't move to one of the newly vacant tackle spots, Minnesota will need help on the outside. The upperclassman linemen who have seen remotely significant playing time to this point in their college careers are mostly on the interior: Axel Ruschmeyer, a starter in 2020; Karter Shaw, who started at Utah State; and Nathan Boe, a rotational player who started the Nebraska game last season.

Returning tackles with any experience include Aireontae Ersery (76 career snaps, per Pro Football Focus) and J.J. Guedet (35). Other options have yet to see the field at all. To avoid a hard reset on the offensive line, the Gophers could look to find someone who can fill one of the tackle spots for 2022.

Defensive Tackle

Potential need: stopgap starter and/or depth

With Micah Dew-Treadway and Nyles Pinckney on their way out, Trill Carter is left as the lone player who factored into the tackle rotation this season. The rest of the depth chart looks really young. In 2020, Logan Richter got into a couple of games as a situational nose tackle, but that's been the extent of his meaningful playing time. Though Jacob Schuster or former 5-technique Gage Keys may play parts in 2022, the Gophers will likely want a more veteran presence to at least supplement their youth, if not to start next to Carter.

Minnesota has reportedly already offered former Richmond tackle Kobie Turner. At 290 pounds, Turner could fill a kind of pass-rushing role Val Martin or Rashad Cheney Jr. figured to play before the defense moved to a strict three-man rotation at tackle. It would be wise, though, to target another 300-pound lineman.

Linebacker

Potential need: stopgap starter

Linebacker is actually one of the deeper positions on this team, assuming Mariano Sori-Marin returns for 2022 and Minnesota doesn't face more departures after losing D.J. Gordon IV. Though Gibbens will be gone, Braelen Oliver has enough experience to play a bigger role; and Donald Willis, Jaqwondis Burns, and Cody Lindenberg will have that opportunity as well. This shouldn't be a priority.

But the Gophers have offered a scholarship to former UNLV linebacker Jacoby Windmon, who made 14.5 havoc plays this season, including 6.5 sacks. If they don't trust Oliver or the others, Windmon could at least compete for a starting job if he came to Minneapolis.

Cornerback

Potential need: stopgap starter and/or depth

Whether Minnesota wants a new corner may depend largely on how they feel about two players: Terell Smith and Jalen Glaze.

Smith, who can come back in 2022 thanks to the extra year granted by the NCAA for the pandemic, began this year as a starter but lost playing time due to some combination of injuries (Smith missed the last three regular-season games) and the play of Justin Walley. When available, the results were mixed.

Glaze, meanwhile, played exclusively — but consistently — on special teams as a redshirt freshman. Miles Fleming, another second-year player, was injured and got few reps, but it looks like Glaze is the underclassman most likely to move into a more prominent role. It is just hard to know how he'll do as a primary backup when he hasn't taken a defensive snap.

Minnesota may want competition for a starting cornerback spot or for the third-choice role. Even if the Gophers like what they have in Smith and Glaze, they need experienced depth to cover for the potential of injuries. Fleming and Victor Pless have received practically no playing time in college, and former 4-star recruit Steven Ortiz Jr. profiles more in the slot than on the outside. Corner qualifies as a real concern.

Safety

Potential need: depth

Bringing back Jordan Howden and Tyler Nubin, who both were reliable this season, would mean the Gophers don't need help at the top of the depth chart. But as was apparent in Minnesota's opening game, safety has been a spot where the defense is a little thin. Calvin Swenson, who was not up to the task of filling in for an injured Howden, was only the backup because of a preseason injury to Michael Dixon.

Swenson will be gone after Minnesota's bowl game, meaning that true freshman Darius Green and incoming recruit Coleman Bryson will be the team's reserve safeties. It's possible that the coaches like Green enough to give him a shot, but it's not a comfortable position to be a couple of plays away from needing a contribution from one of two freshmen. The Gophers may want to bring in a buffer.