2025 Gophers Position Previews: Linebackers

On the other side of this interminable heat, humidity, and rain is a precious thing in Minnesota: fall. To get you ready for it, Ski-U-Blog is again previewing this year's Gopher football team, one position group at a time. Next up: the linebackers.

Likely Starters

Revisiting the 2024 season, it is incredibly apparent how valuable Cody Lindenberg was to the Minnesota defense. However long it took for him to reach his ceiling, through injuries and on-the-field difficulties, Lindenberg's final form was fantastic. He fit the run correctly and quickly, he made plays in coverage, he was a sure tackler, and he led the defense. He was an ideal linebacker.

Lindenberg was Minnesota's only every-down linebacker last season. The Gophers alternated his partner every drive: Maverick Baranowski would play the Mike next to Lindenberg at Will on one drive, and Devon Williams would play the Will with Lindenberg at Mike on the next. Baranowski started when healthy, blitzed a little more, and was slightly less likely to come off on 3rd down, but the two almost evenly split snaps.

Neither was totally up to speed when they started together two years ago, but 2024 was a bit smoother. Playing in the middle and being more of a run-stopping linebacker, Baranowski was around the ball more and racked up the bigger stats: 43.0 tackles (21 solo), including 5.0 tackles for loss (1.0 sack), plus a couple pass breakups. You could see in small ways the benefits of another year in the program. Baranowski made smarter reads, and his tackling was more consistent.

He is still just a true junior who needs to clean up his game a bit. The stats above nearly match his stats from the prior year, which is not a perfect reflection of his progress but does illustrate how much more he can grow. He is a better tackler but can still get outmuscled by heavy running backs. He is a naturally aggressive player but sometimes seemed half a beat behind Lindenberg coming downhill. Baranowski's two predecessors at middle linebacker took time to put everything together, and it has been no different for him. Even if this might not be the season he becomes a true standout, he should keep improving.

Last year, Williams was quiet. He fulfilled his role without making a huge impact. At his worst, he rode the line between patience and tentativeness and came out on the wrong side, often arriving late to fit the run. Williams did not look very convincing taking on linemen, failing to shut down gaps and sometimes getting knocked out of the play before he could make a stop.

At his best — and that mostly came later in the season — Williams got where he needed to be and contributed to the defense but did not make many plays himself. In coverage, he followed his assignment and made tackles after the catch, but he could lose track of receivers entering his zone.

Like Baranowski, Williams will need to be better now that he is playing full-time again. The difference is that this is Williams' last college season.

Key Backups

Jeff Roberson played the most snaps of any Oklahoma State linebacker last year and will probably be Minnesota's third linebacker. His experience will be valuable. Roberson generally identifies where plays are going and goes there, and he is a competent tackler.

The issue with Roberson is getting there. I don't mean how fast he gets there, mind — as you see above, Roberson does have closing speed. Instead, he has a habit of getting stuck in traffic. If a blocker gets his hands on him, he's not probably getting free or even really getting in the way. Sometimes, it is because Roberson does not read the run quickly enough, but he mostly just needs to be stronger.

For someone who will play a fair bit against the likes of Iowa and Oregon, Roberson would ideally be better in run support. He is still a fine player to have on the two-deep.

Last season, Joey Gerlach had a clear role as a passing-downs-specific player. By Pro Football Focus' tracking, only one Minnesota linebacker spent even half their snaps in coverage. That was Gerlach, who spent a full 70 percent of his 84 snaps in coverage.

As a result, Gerlach did not register a single "havoc" stat (TFL, pass defensed, forced fumble). He rushed the passer a few times but never registered a pressure or batted a ball down at the line. His tackles were largely on plays like the following, stopping receivers or a scrambling quarterback from converting on 3rd-and-long.

The Gophers mostly used a three-man linebacker rotation in 2024, and the number of veteran safeties and nickelbacks on this roster means Danny Collins could mostly stay out of a 4-3 and maybe even play dime more often. Both of these facts do not suggest a dramatically larger role for Gerlach. Then again, the redshirt junior might have a little more trust.

Potential Rotation Options

Matt Kingsbury is still working his way up the depth chart, this time in a more controlled manner than when injuries briefly propelled him into the starting lineup two seasons ago. As expected, he covered kickoff returns last year and only got defensive reps in a couple of games that were close. His only role in the bowl was as a 3rd-down substitute, usually hovering over the edge, which says less about his skillset than the amount of responsibility the coaches wanted to give a second-year player for one game. Kingsbury will show up a bit more often this year but likely not as a key player.

According to P.J. Fleck, Emmanuel Karmo will get on the field "somehow, some way this year." The Gophers' top high school signing has been bouncing between positions in practice, lining up at rush end in addition to his primary role as a traditional linebacker. This is actually a reduction in duties for Karmo, who at Robbinsdale Cooper also was a prolific tight end and an occasional Wildcat quarterback. He is a rare athlete, combining an explosive first step with great closing speed, short-area agility, and powerful hits. Whether he has a bit part or does something bigger in 2025, Karmo should be a key player in next season's defense.

Notables Unlikely to Contribute

Thanks to past injuries and the bonus pandemic season, Derik LeCaptain is the last player left from Minnesota's 2019 team. The longtime special teams captain and former makeshift running back at this point plays no role on defense, even when the subs enter at the end of blowouts.

Underclassmen Mason Carrier and Drew Wilson were both injured as of early August's open practice. Carrier covered one kickoff in the bowl game as a true freshman, and the walk-on Wilson has yet to enter a college game. If either appears in 2025, it will be on special teams. Carrier could have a place on the defense in time.

Caledonia's Ethan Stendel primarily played quarterback before his senior year, which he increased his workload on the other side of the ball. He then won his conference's defensive player of the year award. His long touchdown runs and crunching tackles show that Stendel has the requisite athleticism and physicality to stick at linebacker, but he will not feature for a while.

Nate Cleveland was a prolific multi-position player in high school. At each spot — quarterback, receiver, inside linebacker, and safety — his biggest asset was his speed. There is little doubt Cleveland can move well enough to play outside linebacker in college. While he might need to clean up his tackling, he is not afraid of contact, either, with probably more trucks as a ballcarrier on his highlight reel than big hits as a defender. Cleveland could eventually fill Gerlach's shoes as the Gophers' preferred coverage linebacker.