As a culture, we ascribe monumental importance to the sports we watch. An excellent athlete is not just good at their sport, but a legend. Breaking a record is not just an achievement, but rewriting history. A widespread change in tactics is not just a new way to play a child's game, but a revolution. Making your sport's hall of fame is not receiving an honor, but an enshrinement, the moment an individual achieves immortality.
More than a century of grandiose sports coverage has set the standard that 22 men fighting over a ball is a titanic occasion. Countless books, films, and docuseries about any athlete, coach, team, or game you can think of have helped make this language as natural as any other part of discussing sports. Everything that happens is on the grandest, most superlative scale. You can draw a line from Grantland Rice and "the Four Horsemen" of Notre Dame to John Facenda's NFL Films voiceovers to ESPN's 30 for 30 series to a team using a timeout before their first snap being labeled "the most electric moment in college football history" on YouTube.
Romance is a major part of getting into sports. Someone has been playing under the name and colors of your team for likely a lifetime or two. Millions have been spectators just like you, learning the rules and the songs and whom you are supposed to love and hate until it becomes part of you. You convince yourself that what happens in your stadium is a life-and-death concern because at its best, it sure feels like life. We make real, long-lasting memories and social bonds while sitting on a metal bleacher.
Yet part of growing up is realizing how unimportant it all actually is. I mean this both as a matter of maturing — not turning a bad result into someone else's problem — and as what must occur to you when you just take a look around.
However and whenever you start paying attention, you always do so in media res. Sports are endless. Before you were born, your team was playing. They may play until well after you die. When you are not watching, a season happens the same way that it does when you are. The world goes on largely unaffected.
Each season, especially in college football, is so ephemeral. Even if you center your whole Saturday or even your whole weekend around a game, by Monday, you are back in reality. You have the same responsibilities and problems you did before the game. You can look forward to the next one, all the way through the national championship in January, but your life is still your life, and the game is just a game. There are no brightly colored heroes and villains, no grand narrative, no tidy resolution of a final score.
If you are suffering, football is a momentary escape, not a cure. If you are worried masked government agents are going to illegally snatch one of your family members off the street, or if you are about to lose food stamps so rich people can pay less in taxes, whoever wins the Axe game on Thanksgiving weekend doesn't actually matter. The real world is on fire, as the hazy skies over the Twin Cities this summer demonstrated literally. To avert your eyes even for a few hours can feel like an act of complacency. I cannot tell you with certainty that it is not. Football is just football.
Even when one tries to frame football as potentially important within its own context, the stakes can be small. Minnesota's record since Glen Mason's first season is 179-166-1, not dramatically better than .500. You can easily argue that the 2025 season might be a step on the way to something bigger, but a lot needs to go right for that to be true. This year, like all the others, will pass — not without its own highs and lows, but almost definitely without great consequence.
In many ways, the sport's off-the-field storylines have worn me down. I do not have it in me to read about how exactly the House settlement works, the short-lived presidential commission on college sports, continuing conference realignment, or each effort of dumb corporate synergy by the suits in charge. To different degrees, these things still matter to me. I want the athletes who create profit for their schools to be justly compensated instead of being subject to whatever anti-labor solution Ted Cruz will inevitably put forth in Congress. I want college sports to go back to a regional focus. I want Brett Yormark to never say another word in public. But life is hard. I cannot let each example of the sport's capitalist rot occupy my mind when there are bigger concerns.
Yet I let football occupy my mind constantly. Despite its messy and scummy business, and despite the fact I probably should spend my time in a way that more materially improves myself and the place I live, I still intensely engage with football because it's what I know how to do. We only get a dozen Saturdays every fall. Whether they deserve to be remembered as myth, or if it is all just a game, they help us maintain some vigor for life. I don't know what that is really worth, but it feels like it's more than nothing.
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From this point on, you will find a more straightforward preview of the Gophers' season. For each area of the team — offense, defense, special teams — I've linked the position previews I published over the last few weeks and offer a predicted depth chart. I also ask 10 big questions facing the 2025 Gophers, divided between the three units.
Offense
Position previews: receivers and tight ends ・ running backs ・ quarterbacks ・ offensive line
Predicted depth chart:
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| Click to enlarge any image in this post. |
How ready is Drake Lindsey?
It's the most obvious question, but a necessary one. Drake Lindsey has thrown five passes as a college quarterback, and only one was versus an FBS defense. Everyone in the program praises Lindsey, but when that is the public approach of any team with a first-time starter, that praise is a mostly irrelevant data point. There is no telling what Lindsey will be.
Realistically, he will probably not be so good that the Gophers make the Playoff or so bad that they miss a bowl game. There remains a chasm between those two extremes. However prepared Lindsey is will determine much of how this fall goes.
Do the Gophers have depth at receiver?
Drake Lindsey's top targets will help him ease into his starting role: Logan Loya and Javon Tracy can work defenses over the middle, Le'Meke Brockington provides a deep threat, and Jameson Geers and Darius Taylor can keep drives on schedule as checkdown options.
The rest of the roster has limited track records, however. Several players will have a chance to stick in the rotation. Cristian Driver had a quiet debut season but still has the profile to feature more in the slot (if he's on the team). Malachi Coleman could not crack the lineup at Nebraska, but his height and speed are unique traits. Kenric Lanier II, Donielle Hayes, and Jalen Smith will be vying for snaps on the outside. If any of them can make plays, it raises the floor for this offense and will bode well for next season.
Can a reshuffled offensive line create more room for Darius Taylor and A.J. Turner?
Brian Callahan's lines were for a long time a strength of this program. Last year's group, even with a 2nd-round pick at left tackle and a legit passing game to keep opponents off balance, suddenly could not generate space for the run, ranking 113th in FBS in line yards per carry and 85th in stuff rate. The new starting five does not look obviously better than the previous one. In order for Minnesota to reboot the rushing attack, they will need to be.
How does Greg Harbaugh Jr. shift the Gophers' approach?
P.J. Fleck's offenses have long molded their identities around the talent available. This has meant force-feeding their two tailbacks the ball because there are no receiving options, running RPOs and fades ad nauseum, and trying to bludgeon opponents to death with eight-man offensive lines. In 2024, Greg Harbaugh Jr. took advantage of having a quick-thinking quarterback, running the kind of West Coast passing attack he had been pushing Minnesota toward since first becoming playcaller.
With a redshirt freshman under center and star power at running back, Harbaugh surely leans more on the run game this season. The specific way he does that, and the degree to which he does, will be a fascinating storyline, one intrinsically tied to the abilities of his young quarterback.
What will Koi Perich do in this offense?
We know only that Koi Perich will not spend this season as a "gadget" player, taking a bubble screen here and an end-around there in an awkward, minimally productive attempt to force him onto the field. Yet Perich is too important to the defense (and return game) to play upwards of 90 snaps per week. Whatever his role ends up being, he will add some dynamism and excitement to the Minnesota offense.
Defense
Position previews: defensive line ・ linebackers ・ secondary
Predicted depth chart:
Do the Gophers have at least two viable cornerbacks?
Fans can feel relatively at ease with Za'Quan Bryan taking over on the field side. I have no idea which cornerback will take the majority of snaps opposite him, however. Will transfer Jaylen Bowden hold off the two freshmen pushing for the starting job? Has John Nestor moved up the depth chart since the start of camp? And are any of them actually good? More than any other position on the team, the hierarchy at corner might not look remotely settled until October.
Just how good can Koi Perich and Kerry Brown be?
I am really excited to watch these two for the next two seasons. Kerry Brown and Koi Perich are incredible players at the back of the secondary. If they live up to their potential, Minnesota might have the best safety group in America both this season and next season.
How exotic does Danny Collins get with his safeties?
Between Kerry Brown, Koi Perich, Aidan Gousby, and Darius Green, Minnesota has four safeties who have been regular starters. While Green is likely a permanent nickelback, the other three have played all over and will continue to do so. This group is versatile, experienced, and talented.
The aforementioned concerns at cornerback mean defensive coordinator Danny Collins will probably not take too many pages from the guy whose office is 30 minutes down the road. Players dictate scheme. But the depth and upside at safety could let Collins — the safeties coach — get weird, presenting challenging looks for quarterbacks and bringing pressure from unexpected places.
What is the ceiling of the Minnesota defensive line?
You can describe this defensive line in a way that projects confidence: two veteran tackles, a hulking future pro and a former blue-chipper at each end, and loads of experience coming off the bench all sounds good.
When you look more closely, though, you can question just how strong this line is. Deven Eastern took a major step forward in 2024 but can still improve. Jalen Logan-Redding has never been very disruptive. At end, Anthony Smith is a star, but his tackles for loss total last year was more than the number of all tackles Jaxon Howard has made in college. The players on the second string all face questions about their previous level of competition (Steven Curtis and Rushawn Lawrence), past production (Lucas Finnesy), size (Lawrence and Mo Omonode), and health (Omonode). This unit could well be one of the best in the Big Ten, but they need to prove it.
Special teams
Predicted depth chart:
Can the new kicker and punter do their jobs?
Minnesota's specialists have provided stability for the last few years, even if Mark Crawford was not an elite punter and Dragan Kesich's final year didn't go quite as well as hoped. In Tom Weston and Brody Richter, Minnesota should have two okay punting options. Brady Denaburg and Daniel Jackson, meanwhile, are less certain propositions. Denaburg lost his placekicking job at Syracuse, and Jackson is a true freshman. In any close game, special teams can make the difference. The Gophers need to know they can trust whoever is kicking the ball.
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Schedule
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| Bill Connelly, creator of SP+, does not put out win probabilities preseason, but you can enter his ratings to a handy calculator made by a Redditor. I added two decimal places for the Northwestern State game because rounding up to 100 percent would look wrong, and any doomers reading this would call it a jinx. |
The good news is there are more games on the Gophers' schedule where they should be definite favorites than ones where you would call them heavy underdogs. Starting with two of the former games — arguably three, depending on your level of Cal pessimism — should provide valuable, low-pressure live reps for new starters at key positions, albeit without testing them much. We might not have a good read on the team's level until the end of October. Such is the nature of college football's short season that clarity only arrives when it's almost gone.
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However uninspiring the Pete Lembo hire was, Buffalo looks pretty smart for it a year later. Lembo had not been a head coach in almost a decade, having briefly crested at 10-3 before losing the plot at Ball State, and bounced between assistant jobs in the time since then. But he knows the MAC and knows the Northeast, and Lembo immediately got the Bulls on track with a 9-4 record.
What's more, UB brings back nine defensive starters. That includes some of the most important members of their front six: linebacker Khalil Murdock, who had 17.0 tackles for loss (2.0 sacks) and a Division I-leading 7 forced fumbles; and edge rushers Dion Crawford and Kobe Stewart, whose 8.5 and 9.5 sacks were 2nd (in a tie) and 1st in the MAC. Even with consensus All-American Shaun Dolac in NFL training camp, the Bulls still have players who can put an offense behind schedule. Drake Lindsey and center Ashton Beers will have to be on top of their protection calls.
Especially since the best way to hurt Buffalo is probably with the long ball. This defense ranked 85th in yards per completion allowed and gave up 25 passing touchdowns, tied for the 12th-most in FBS. Three of their four top cornerbacks were underclassmen a season ago, and all four return for 2025. So does Solomon Brown, one of the three remaining members of Minnesota's 2019 team in college football. (Gophers special teams captain Derik LeCaptain and Missouri State quarterback Jacob Clark are the others.) Miles Greer, a transfer from Shepherd (Division II), will join Brown at safety.
Though Lindsay should test the Buffalo secondary, this is the sort of line against which Minnesota should be able to run the ball. The negative plays their stars created did not offset Buffalo's issues at tackle. Minnesota has clear advantages in size and experience up front. If Darius Taylor and A.J. Turner cannot find space, it will be worrying.
The worse side of the ball for the Bulls was their offense, and that should remain the case. While Al-Jay Henderson is decently explosive out of the backfield, he ran behind an ineffective line in 2024. UB ranked 126th in rushing success rate. All-MAC third-team guards Tyler Doty and Trevor Brock come back, but the unit as a whole has a lot to prove. Minnesota again matches up favorably in the trenches and should shut down the Buffalo run game.
Transfer quarterback Ta'Quan Roberson — originally at Penn State, followed by Connecticut and Kansas State — will not present a serious running threat but should take care of the ball. In his one year starting for UConn, Roberson averaged just 6.1 yards per attempt but only threw six interceptions and took seven sacks. He will not unlock the deep passing game, instead relying on tiny but talented slot receiver Victor Snow for that. Jasaiah Gathings will be the favorite target on the outside and has had a couple of good seasons for Akron and UConn. After these two, there are not any proven threats. They should make it through MAC play, but the Bulls are not a serious danger through the air to the Gophers.
This is far from a bad opponent. The expectation for Minnesota is still to win comfortably. If the Bulls' disruptive stars cause early issues, the Gophers' defense should hold Roberson and company at arm's length and allow the offense to settle in and pull away.
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In head coach Blaine McCorkle's debut season, Northwestern State went 0-12, with just one game decided by fewer than 19 points. In four games, the Demons allowed at least 59 points. It would not be fair to put any of that on McCorkle. The year before his arrival, they were 0-6 before the season was cancelled in the aftermath of the murder of a player. This is a program that has been through a lot and is only starting to pick itself back up again.
Continuity on the offensive line will be a start. Five lettermen return up front, having combined for 42 starts last season. They may not bring impressive résumés — the team was dead last in FCS in rushing — but it's not the only unit the Demons are trying to build from the foundation.
Three tailbacks who totaled 371 yards, led by Zay Davis (213) will occupy the backfield. The receiving group loses their only real threat in Myles Kitt-Denton, leaving Amaaz Eugene and Ty Moore as the only returning 100-yard receivers. A handful of transfers arrive but without college track records. If Eli Anderson does not start at quarterback, having bounced between three different JuCos before landing in Natchitoches, redshirt freshman Abram Johnston will. Johnston was 22-of-46 for 400 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions across four games last year.
The defensive outlook looks similarly bad. Northwestern State ranked second-to-last in FCS with 9.1 yards per pass attempt allowed last year. Freshmen who took their lumps last season have a little more experience, including cornerback Antonio Hall (7 pass breakups, 2 interceptions), which could make things a little better. However, returning defenders combined for 4.5 sacks, and nobody who transferred in has pass rushing bona fides. Linebackers Danny Sears and Landry Huddleston and edge rusher Cam George count as veterans in the box. LSU and North Texas transfers Preston Hickey and Javian Council give the Demons needed size at tackle but bring minimal experience.
I cannot find an area of the Northwestern State roster that even might give Minnesota trouble. The Demons would present a layup to most FCS teams, let alone one in the Big Ten. The check they get in exchange for showing up is vital to their athletic department, and the U of M gets to notch a free win on the way to bowl eligibility. But it will not be a competition. If you want a fuller idea of how the day will go, see what happened when Western Illinois came to Minneapolis three years ago.
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California hired Justin Wilcox the same cycle that Minnesota hired P.J. Fleck. While Fleck has ample job security, Wilcox might be on the way out soon. Cal has not won more than six games since 2019 and comes off a deflating, messy offseason. Both coordinators from last year are gone, with Terrence Brown and Vic So'oto co-running the defense and Bryan Harsin calling the offense.
Harsin was a strange choice, made stranger in a very specific way by the fact Wilcox then added Nick Rolovich to his staff. Harsin was bizarrely non-committal on his COVID-19 vaccination status while at Auburn; Rolovich decided he'd rather fashion himself into a culture war martyr than stay head coach at Washington State.
Harsin and Rolovich are two of six new offensive assistants, all of whom were external hires. Several players evidently did not take to the new guys. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who less than a year ago proclaimed through tears, "Go Bears forever," is now an Indiana Hoosier. The electric Jadyn Ott went to Oklahoma, and four other tailbacks found new schools. Eleven wide receivers and tight ends left. Of Cal's 33 transfers out, 22 were offensive players.
The new tailback trio of Kendrick Raphael (NC State), Brandon High (UTSA), and L.J. Johnson Jr. (SMU) should be pretty plug-and-play. Four of the five projected offensive linemen are new to the program. Mark Hamper (Idaho, with a four-month stop at Wisconsin this winter) and Carlos De Jesus (UNLV) are accomplished at lower levels and will probably be Cal's top targets on long balls and short routes. It could be a worse situation for quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, a 4-star freshman who beat out former Ohio State backup Devin Brown, but an offense built in an offseason will probably be less than the sum of its parts.
There is less change defensively but still a substantial amount. Cal leaned almost exclusively on two cornerbacks last year who are now in the NFL, meaning the position will be manned by two entirely new faces: Brent Austin (USF) and Hezekiah Masses (FAU). The safety and nickelback positions are full of players with part-time experience, but only Montana State transfer Dru Polidore Jr. has a significant record of starts. True freshmen Aiden Manutai and Jae'on Young are also expected to see time in the secondary.
The team can at least feel okay about the situation closer to the line. Five of their six most-used tackles return for this season, including Aidan Keanaaina at nose. Returner Cade Uluave will lead a veteran group of inside linebackers, joined by transfers Harrison Taggart (BYU) and Buom Jock (Colorado State). The experience in the middle could be a boon to the Golden Bears' run defense; the only question is whether Ryan MCullough, Liberty transfer T.J. Bush Jr., and JuCo addition Odera Okaka can generate pressure from the edges.
The tumult of the last nine months has not cratered Cal, but the ground is still awfully shaky. Their many transfers will still be developing chemistry by the time the Golden Gophers come to Berkeley.
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Minnesota's trip to Piscataway last season was their most profligate, disappointing performance of the year. It's true: Greg Schiano has made Rutgers a decent team again. But the Minnesota offense was sloppy in the second half, struggling to run the ball, punting four times, fumbling the ball away in front of their own goal line, and taking a safety. They kept Rutgers in the game and ultimately paid for it.
The Scarlet Knights have a reputation of strong defense, and they finished 38th in SP+ last year, but I cannot see why. By yards per play, they ranked 105th; by success rate, 88th; and by explosiveness, 105th. Their more granular stats are unimpressive as well.
Things might get worse. For one thing, Robb Smith is the new defensive playcaller. Smith, on his third stint at Rutgers, is one of Schiano's guys but has been a poor coordinator for a decade at this point. For another, nine of the 14 players who registered 300-plus snaps for this defense are no longer on the roster.
The biggest losses are in the secondary, where Rutgers' newcomers will be most critical. Bo Mascoe (cornerback) and safety Kaj Sanders (safety) are the two returning defensive backs who started at any point last year, and they were only freshman part-timers. Transfers Jett Elad (UNLV) and Chris Joines (Mercer) will help at safety, while Jacobie Henderson (Marshall) will enter the cornerback rotation with Mascoe and longtime special teamer Al-Shadee Salaam. Henderson, as an all-Sun Belt third-teamer his redshirt freshman season, is the most decorated member of the remade secondary. There's enough experience for this group to stay buoyant, but I'm unsure how much better it can be in 2025.
In the box, Rutgers could see improvement thanks to the presence of some trusted playmakers. Linebacker Dariel Djabome and ends Jordan Thompson and Jordan Walker combined for 19.5 TFLs last year. Walker and former James Madison star Eric O'Neill will be the team's top pass rushers. The tackle position, reloaded with veterans from mid-majors, could be okay but will not offer havoc. There is more potential here.
Offensively, Rutgers no longer has Kyle Monangai but at least has C.J. Campbell Jr. Campbell was Florida Atlantic's best offensive weapon, more than doubling the all-purpose yardage of the Owls' second-best player. He is not the bruiser that Monangai was because, well, nobody is, but Campbell adds some dynamism to the run and pass games.
That pass game will not be tremendous but should be fine. Reuniting with Kirk Ciarrocca did Athan Kaliakmanis some real good, as he improved from 6.3 to 6.8 yards per attempt after transferring from Minnesota. He cut down on his sack and interception rates, threw for four more touchdowns, and contributed more as a runner. He won't ever complete 60 percent of his passes, but Kaliakmanis is an acceptable FBS starting quarterback now. Ian Strong, K.J. Duff, and North Texas transfer D.T. Sheffield should be a good enough receiving trio to at least maintain that level. And even after all-conference left tackle Hollin Pierce's graduation and transfer tackle Ryder Langsdale's season-ending injury, the offensive line has lots of experience.
This does not mean the Rutgers offense will be much better than competent, mind. It just means that the Scarlet Knights are capable enough to hang around once again when they come to Minneapolis. If the Gophers don't play a clean game, they could easily drop this one again.
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Any doubts one might have of Ohio State are always relative. Julian Sayin may or may not be the next star Buckeyes quarterback, but anyone can throw to Jeremiah Smith. Carnell Tate, Purdue transfer tight end Max Klare, and West Virginia transfer tailback C.J. Donaldson make an effective supporting cast. Another former blue-chipper — Brandon Inniss, Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter, or someone else — will be good for 25-plus catches because that is how things go when you have endless skill talent.
OSU's starting five up front may not look extraordinary, but most of them regularly played last year due to injury or planned rotation. Four of them appeared in Playoff games, including Austin Siereveld, who moves from left guard to left tackle. The other tackle spot is well-covered by Rice transfer Ethan Onianwa and former Gopher Phillip Daniels, and the interior is at least experienced and pedigreed, if not immediately convincing. Against most defensive lines, these guys should do the job. Though Minnesota will put up a fight in the trenches, I do not think it will offset the problems posed by Smith and his friends through the air.
The defensive line has largely promoted from within after losing all four starters from last year, which introduces some uncertainty. Incumbents Kenyatta Jackson Jr. and Caden Curry will have backup at each edge position, with Beau Atkinson (North Carolina) and Logan George (Idaho State) combining for 13.5 sacks at their previous stops. Eddrick Houston and 326-pounder Kayden McDonald are generally well thought of for their second-string work at tackle last season, but they are unlikely to reach the level of the stars they replace. This line should mostly keep linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese clean, but it lacks the high-end talent that made the Buckeyes' front so fearsome.
The secondary, meanwhile, has an elite playmaker in Caleb Downs, the only sophomore to earn unanimous first-team All-American honors last season. Downs is a supercharged box safety, with his 7.5 TFLs and 10 passes defensed, but he can and will play all over the field. The starters at corner lack Downs' flash but should be good enough with the veteran Davison Igbinosun and a capable enough Jermaine Mathews Jr.
The same questions of turnover still apply as you look at the rest of the group: Is Lorenzo Styles Jr. good enough to start in the slot? Are Malik Hartford and Jaylen McClain ready to step up at safety? Can 5-star true freshman Devin Sanchez play corner immediately? What is Ryan Day doing hiring Matt Patricia to replace Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator?
None of these questions will mean OSU cannot field another great defense, but the uncertainty all over the team adds up. Even if the Minnesota game is not close, and though the Buckeyes count as title contenders, they are probably a bit short of the 2024 team's level.
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The Ryan Walters era at Purdue was not just a disappointment, but a disaster. Walters' two-year tenure is the shortest of any permanent Boilermakers head coach in over a century, and his .208 winning percentage is the worst of anyone who coached double-digit games at the school. However much sense the hire made initially, Walters clearly was not ready to be a head coach.
Barry Odom, having turned around UNLV — and, after an underwhelming Missouri tenure, his career — has turned over most of the roster. Fifty-six transfers left the program, and 54 transfers fill their spots, along with 20 true freshmen. This is as hard a reboot as you will ever see.
Defensively, the Boilermakers lose all but 5.0 of their tackles for loss from last season. The new starting linebackers should at least partially make up for it. Mani Powell, one of eight newcomers who followed Odom from UNLV, made 9.0 TFLs; Sanders Ellis made 14.0 as a true freshman at Tennessee State. C.J. Nunnally IV was a two-time first-team All-MAC selection and is a proven sack-getter at end. Josh Burney, a 330-pound tackle from Fort Valley State (Division II), could be an important plug on the interior. But most of the players in the box are underclassmen without substantial experience, whether they were on the team before or arrive as transfers. Those just named will make some plays, but I suspect it will time to establish a decent floor on one of the nation's worst run defenses.
The pass defense was actually the bigger problem last year. Among FBS teams, only Tulsa allowed more yards per attempt than Purdue (9.2). Naturally, the secondary is almost totally remade. Tony Grimes (another UNLV import) is by far the most experienced cornerback, backed by a senior-heavy pack of safeties. Hershey McLaurin (Houston) has the best résumé of them all, with 8.0 TFLs last year. Just playing a less demanding scheme will help this unit on the road to respectability, but they will still have a rough go of it and face a fair few graduations at the end of the season. Losing Dillon Thieneman to Oregon also leaves them without a proven playmaker.
The offense has more familiar faces. Devin Mockobee is still one of the meanest running backs in the Big Ten, and it looks like the new staff will give Ryan Browne a chance to start for a full season at quarterback. Browne was at the helm of the Boilermarkers' best chance at an upset last year, throwing three touchdowns in the overtime loss to Illinois, and mopped up a lot of blowouts. The line in front of him will not be good but is at least intriguing. Left guard Jalen St. John was 2nd-team All-Mountain West at UNLV, center Giordano Vaccaro received a number of accolades in Canadian college football, and right guard Bradyn Joiner started a few games for Auburn as a redshirt freshman.
The receiving corps is as unproven as they come. None of Browne's targets has had more than a dozen catches in a season, including the seniors. There are three ex-Georgia wideouts, including De'Nylon Morrissette (a holdover from 2024) and former blue-chipper NiTareon "Nitro" Tuggle. Corey Smith had a decent showing as a true freshman at Tulsa, and 4-star signee Jalil Hall could make a difference down the line. But in the passing game and on the rest of the team, Purdue's 2025 is the definition of Year 0.
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Nebraska enters 2025 on a wave of unfamiliar optimism after making their first bowl game in eight years. Matt Rhule executed quick turnarounds at Temple and Baylor, and some fans are probably talking themselves into Rhule's third season at Nebraska continuing the upward trajectory.
You don't have to squint to see that happening, but it will be a challenge. A defensive line without Ty Robinson, Jimari Butler, and Nash Hutmacher will be worse. Mizzou transfer end Williams Nwaneri is one of three underclassmen about to take major roles, with support from longtime reserves Elijah Jeudy and Cameron Lenhardt. All-SoCon first-team selection Jaylen George arrives from East Tennessee State to help set a floor. The well-traveled Dasan McCullough (Oklahoma) will take over the "Jack" (rush end) position.
There are two new starters at linebacker as well in Javin Wright and Marques Watson-Trent. Wright has played on the second string for three seasons. Watson-Trent was the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year at Georgia Southern in 2024, recording 12.5 havoc plays, and is the surest transfer on the whole defense.
One can question whether the continuity in the secondary is good continuity, but there is tons of it. Marques Buford Jr., Malcolm Hartzog, DeShon Singleton, and Ceyair Wright return from the defense that ranked 83rd in yards per pass attempt last season. First-team All-Big Sky pick Andrew Marshall arrives from FCS Idaho, which should make cornerback more stable after the Huskers tried both Buford and Hartzog there. Hartzog is back in the slot full-time, while Hartzog moves to safety.
With new faces all over the front six and the issues at the back, semi-new defensive coordinator John Butler will have to manage some decline.
Both Butler and Dana Holgorsen, who went from his couch to the Huskers' offensive coordinator job in November, will be trying to help quarterback Dylan Raiola find the next level. Raiola's true freshman season was marked by inconsistency, which is not surprising but is something he needs to fix. Even his highlights were full of moments where he was bailed out by his teammates' efforts or by defensive errors.
Raiola will be playing behind one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country. Again, is it good experience? Sort of. Rocco Spindler was a two-year starter on a good Notre Dame line, and he will play right guard. Beyond him, it's a mix of Nebraska's future O-line and incumbents. The fine-when-healthy Teddy Prochazka and perennially bad Turner Corcoran are still on the depth chart, competing with younger tackles: Alabama transfer Elijah Pritchett, redshirt sophomore Gunnar Gottula, and redshirt junior Tyler Knaak. New center Justin Evans started every game as a redshirt sophomore at left guard; that spot now belongs to reliable redshirt senior Henry Lutovsky. There are more than enough players here to field an above-average line, even with injuries, but it's been a while since Nebraska has truly dominated the trenches. I don't expect that to start now.
The skill positions look solid, at least at the top. Jacory Barney Jr. and Cal transfer Nyziah Hunter are coming off strong freshman seasons, and Dane Key is one of the most accomplished receivers in Kentucky's history. Emmett Johnson was fairly productive as the No. 2 running back. The Huskers are otherwise thin, however, with loads of freshmen backups and no clear threat at tight end.
An uncomfortably large amount of Nebraska's progress rests on Raiola. He should have enough support for the offense to make up for the losses on defense. If Raiola has taken a step forward, the Huskers' schedule is favorable enough for them to win nine games. If not, they will probably go bowling again, but the celebrations will be far more muted.
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If the Big Ten West still existed, I would pick Iowa to win it. I know they usually did that, but seriously: The only serious contender would be Illinois. If not for a tough schedule, I'd give Iowa a better shot in that reality than the Illini to make the Playoff. The Hawkeyes look really good.
Let's start with the offense. This is always the question with the Hawkeyes, but last season they took a dramatic leap up to 69th in SP+. New coordinator Tim Lester modernized their approach, the line finally looked like an Iowa line again, Kaleb Johnson was the nation's most explosive tailback, and while the quarterback situation was not good, it was way better than in recent seasons. The drop from Johnson to Kamari Moulton will be significant, but Moulton is a talented back in his own right. The line replaces one of its two lost starters with a former Division II All-American tackle, Bryce George. In the backfield and in the trenches, the Hawks are ready to run the ball.
The real intrigue, however, is at quarterback. Mark Gronowski was a two-time FCS national champion at South Dakota State (and two-time title game MVP), throwing for more than 10,000 yards in his four years as the Jackrabbits' starter. He is set to be the Hawkeyes' best starter since Nate Stanley. He still does not have many options — UT-Chattanooga slot receiver Sam Phillips can supplement Jacob Gill and tight end Addison Ostrenga — but Gronowski and Lester should revive this long-dead passing attack. Gronowski is a 235-pound tank of a runner as well, accumulating over 2,000 non-sack yards in his career. If he's short on options, he'll still add another dimension to the offense with his legs.
Defensively, Iowa does lose a lot. Sebastian Castro and Jay Higgins were two of the best players in the whole conference; Jermari Harris made the All-Big Ten 3rd team last year; and Yahya Black, Deontae Craig, Nick Jackson, and Quinn Schulte were honorable mentions. Those leaders are not easily replaced.
Still... it's a Phil Parker defense. Ethan Hurkett and Max Llewellyn are accomplished pass rushers. Aaron Graves was perhaps the Hawks' best defensive tackle, and Bryce Hawthorne is an intriguing up-and-comer. Of the eight returning lettermen at linebacker, none are obvious high-level starters, but I cannot imagine that position being a problem.
While Xavier Nwankpa and Koen Entringer should hold things down at safety, I have more concerns about the Iowa cornerback room. Deshaun Lee and T.J. Hall are experienced but far from elite. The staff seems to share this concern, having added South Dakota grad-transfer Shahid Barros to fill out the two-deep. It's not clear if Iowa has Castro's successor at Cash (nickelback), either.
Again, though, I give this defense the benefit of the doubt every time they graduate their stars. Parker has earned it. Until the Hawks fail to field a top-10 defense, I will believe they have a top-10 defense. Maybe they fall short of that, but it won't be by much. Minnesota will again face a formidable challenge when they go down to Kinnick Stadium.
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Of Michigan State's five wins in 2024, only two came by more than a possession: an upset of Iowa, in which Aidan Chiles threw for 256 yards, and a rout of FCS Prairie View A&M. Even Purdue kept things close, clawing back into the game as the Spartans' offense shut down in the second half. State's losses, meanwhile, were by an average of 21.3 points, the most disturbing of which was a 14-41 drubbing at Rutgers to close the year.
Chiles is at the heart of Michigan State's offensive struggles while also being its main source of upside. He is one of the least accurate quarterbacks in the Big Ten, tied for the conference lead in interceptions, and finished 2nd in sacks taken. He also has one of the conference's best arms, is not afraid to unleash it, and added 405 non-sack rushing yards. His best throws are brilliant, but Chiles will offset them with frequent mistakes and misses.
MSU has rebuilt almost the entire offense around Chiles. Four linemen, four wide receivers, and a running back look set to join the starting lineup or main rotation after arriving as transfers. The help is especially needed at receiver; big-play threat Nick Marsh and tight end Jack Velling are Chiles' only notable returning targets. Rodney Bullard Jr. (Division II Valdosta State), Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee State), and Chrishon McCray (Kent State) averaged even more yards per catch than Marsh, so it looks like the Spartans want to take advantage of their quarterback's big arm. Whether he'll stay protected (and protect himself) is another question.
In a situation like this, Joe Rossi's defense would normally have to carry the team. I'm just not sure it's good enough to do that yet. The defensive backs have been a problem at MSU for years, and the team aggressively added transfers to address this. Five were cornerbacks; Malcolm Bell (UConn), NiJhay Burt (Eastern Illinois), and Joshua Eaton (Texas State) have a chance to immediately start.
The Spartans will also be looking for a better pass rush. Their returning leader in Pro Football Focus-tracked pressures last year, end Jalen Thompson, only recorded 13. David Santiago, new rush end from Air Force, registered 24 and should be an immediate boost. The rest of the line did not threaten many quarterbacks and needs to improve to give Thompson and Santiago a hand. They should at least help maintain a fine run defense, though the linebackers behind them will be hurt by the losses of Jordan Turner and Cal Haladay. Jordan Hall and Wayne Matthews III are far from greenhorns but have not produced much as Spartans.
Jonathan Smith's second year in charge might not go much better than his first. For this team to go anywhere, a lot of transfers from lower levels need to stick in the Big Ten, including a handful who were not stars at their previous stops. I would not count on them making a bowl.
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It sure felt like 2024 was Oregon's chance to win the national title. Going into the Playoff 13-0 and the deserved top seed, the Ducks looked like the best team in the country. And then Jeremiah Smith happened to them, and it was over.
Oregon should have another excellent year, likely ending in another Playoff berth. The problem is that no offense in the Big Ten lost more production than this one, with only two starters — scratch that, one starter — returning. The many newcomers will not be as effective as last year's group, and that will probably keep them from winning the conference or getting past the quarterfinals.
They are nevertheless well-equipped to win games. Left tackle Isaiah World (Nevada), left guard Emmanuel Pregnon (USC), and right tackle Alex Harkey (Texas State) are highly regarded transfers, and right guard Matthew Bedford will get his first full season in Eugene after a knee injury ended his 2024 after two snaps. Center Iapani Laloulu is the one familiar face in a veteran-heavy line. They will not be Joe Moore Award finalists again but should open up enough lanes for Tulane transfer Mekhi Hughes and returning backup Noah Whittington.
The real question is what the passing attack looks like. Quarterback Dante Moore had a mixed performance as a true freshman five-game starter for UCLA in 2023. While he has clear talent and connected on a few huge plays, Moore threw bad interceptions and took too many sacks. As a first-year, these are not uncommon issues. (See 2024 Dylan Raiola.) After a year on the bench, the former 5-star should be a little more refined, but the only way to see how much is to see him play.
With Evan Stewart's injury, tight end Kenyon Sadiq Jr. and receiver Justius Lowe are the only Ducks who made double-digit catches for Oregon last year. The top receiving recruit in the country, Dakorien Moore (no relation to Dante), will figure into the offense somehow. He and modestly productive Florida State transfer Malik Benson represent the only reinforcements, meaning a lot of former backups will have to step up. Skepticism is warranted.
While the losses on defense are also substantial, I trust this side of the ball better on a Dan Lanning team. Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, who combined for 19.0 TFLs (15.0 sacks), form one of the best edge rushing duos in FBS. Devon Jackson and Burlsworth Trophy winner Bryce Boettcher are a strong pair of inside linebackers as well. The Ducks scored one of the best transfer defenders in the country in safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), and Theran Johnson (Northwestern) will be a reliable starting cornerback. There are legit players here.
After that, you admittedly need to have some faith in the Ducks' pipeline. Oregon's defensive line stats were shockingly poor for a team with 1st-rounder Derrick Harmon at tackle: 118th in stuff rate, 89th in line yards per carry, 130th in power success rate. With Harmon gone, the interior looks a lot softer. Underclassmen make up most of the depth chart at tackle. Nose guard A'Mauri Washington will try to have a more effective junior year, and third-school transfer Bear Alexander (USC, previously Georgia) will once again try to live up to his prospect hype.
No one in the secondary, meanwhile, has started a game for UO. Thieneman and Johnson are the only two defensive backs who have started a game anywhere in Division I. As many blue-chippers as there are, the pass defense will suffer through significant growing pains.
By the time Minnesota visits in November, the Ducks' many position groups in a state of transition might have stabilized. The lack of continuity will still bite Oregon at some point.
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Adjusting for school-specific aspirations, Northwestern's addition of Preston Stone at quarterback was one of the best pickups of the offseason. Stone threw 28 touchdowns against six interceptions in his one full season starting for SMU before an even better starter in Kevin Jennings usurped him. Though many programs could have used him, Stone landed in Evanston and could well become the Wildcats' best quarterback since Dan Persa.
They also added talent up front to complement future NFL tackle Caleb Tiernan: Xavior Gray (Liberty) and Evan Beernsten (South Dakota State) were both first-team all-conference selections at their prior schools. If center Jackson Carsello and former Gopher Martes Lewis are not a high-level linemen, they have at least done the job before. Cam Porter is back for one more high-floor, low-ceiling season at tailback, backed by the less bruising but potentially more explosive Joseph Himon II. The pieces are here for a reasonably effective rushing attack.
Now: Who's catching the ball? Griffin Wilde, who had 71 catches for South Dakota State, is clearly the top option, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a No. 2, let alone No. 3 or 4. Not counting the two running backs, the leading returning pass-catcher is Frank Covey IV, who made 10 receptions last year. The Wildcats' tight ends are blockers, not receivers. Stone may spend a lot of time in the pocket looking for open men who aren't there, which might negate much of his use.
The Northwestern defensive line looks to be in good shape. The combination of Aiden Hubbard and Anto Saka at edge gives the Wildcats' pass rush some potential, and depth at tackle should offset Reginald Pearson's graduation. Leading tackler Mac Uihlein is back at linebacker, with support from competent transfers Yannis Karlaftis (Purdue) and Jack Sadowsky V (Iowa State).
The Wildcats' 80th-ranked rushing success rate allowed nevertheless signals that something wasn't quite right with this front a year ago. They didn't get burned but had trouble throwing teams off schedule.
The pass defense ranked even lower in success rate: 119th. While Northwestern might have been intentionally allowing short completions to play bend-don't-break, their coverage was too soft. There's some buzz about redshirt sophomores Josh Fussell (cornerback) and Damon Walters (safety), who took over as starters down the stretch last season. These two could lead the way to improvement, but it will be hard for others to step up in place of longtime starters Coco Azema, Devin Turner, and Theran Johnson.
After last year's 4-8 record, the floor should be higher for this Northwestern team. That means they could take down one or two teams in the conference's middle, including Minnesota. Concerns with this roster are still glaring enough to keep them from finishing above .500.
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Under normal circumstances, this might be a make-or-break year for Luke Fickell, but no one in America may have a harder road than Wisconsin. How many games do you think the Badgers can win? The SP+ calculator up above favors them in just four, with near-toss-ups in three more. Bowl eligibility might require scoring an upset in that absurd October stretch. Everyone in Madison understands this predicament, seemingly, and is willing to give Fickell time as long as 2025 offers even the tiniest proof of concept.
His first step towards regaining trust was replacing offensive coordinator Phil Longo with Jeff Grimes. However much blame you want to put on Longo or on Wisconsin's rotten injury luck at quarterback, the experiment clearly did not work. Maybe it would have worked if Tyler Van Dyke didn't get pummeled out of the Alabama game last September, and Bradyn Locke didn't have to start a dozen games over two years, but the bottom line is Longo's offense never convinced a skeptical fan base that Wisconsin could work without being Wisconsin™.
Grimes will give the people something closer to what they want. Tailbacks Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree will get their chances to shine, with contributions from veteran Cade Yacamelli as well. Though there is no clear star, the unit as a whole was solid a year ago and added reliable tackle Davis Heinzen from Central Michigan in the offseason. Like with redshirt freshman Nathan Roy on the Minnesota line, it's fair to wonder if 4-star redshirt freshman Emerson Mandell is up for a starting job as Wisconsin's right guard, but he's surrounded by capable players. If the Badgers really do embrace the run game again, they should be able to make some headway.
That will be worth only so much if the Badgers cannot fix their ample problems throwing the ball. To that end, they turn to Maryland transfer Billy Edwards. You may remember Edwards for this pass:
Or this one:
Edwards is not a terrible player. He can run a bit, and he even had some genuinely good throws against the Gophers. Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekahuna are two fine targets to help him out, even if the team's depth at receiver is highly questionable. I still cannot escape the feeling that Wisconsin could have done better at quarterback. San Diego State transfer Danny O'Neil and 4-star true freshman Carter Smith — two severely mulleted young men — are Edwards' backups.
The real trademark of Wisconsin football, though, has been the defense, and that side of the ball took a step backward last season. The Badgers were one of the nation's best at preventing the big play but still finished 63rd in yards per play allowed. Safety Hunter Wohler (now with the Indianapolis Colts) and cornerback Ricardo Hallman were the only two Wisconsin defenders to earn even an all-Big Ten honorable mention.
This year's defense is hard to place. Up front, they should be good. Tackle is well-stocked, with veteran Ben Barten joined by Tennessee-Martin and LSU transfers Charles Perkins and Jay'viar Suggs. While the outside linebacker positions have more depth than upside, Mason Reiger could be a standout pass rusher after missing last season at Louisville with a knee injury.
Question marks appear behind the line. Christian Alliegro is a trustworthy inside linebacker, but his apparent partner, Tackett Curtis, has yet to live up to his pedigree as a prospect as he enters his junior year. Nickelback Geimere Latimer II played well at corner for Jacksonville State, but playing closer to the line and moving from the worst conference in FBS to the second-best could present challenges. Preston Zachman and Austin Brown have loads of experience at safety, and Division III All-American Matthew Jung was a prudent addition from Bethel (Minnesota). But then there's the cornerback situation.
Hallman returns, which is good. After him, though? Xavier Lucas transferred to Miami (FL), prompting a bitter lawsuit from the university. Nyzier Fourqurean is trying to gain another year of eligibility in court and so far has not gotten it. D'Yoni Hill — ironically, a Miami (FL) transfer — had an uninspiring 2024 season. The other two apparent options are freshmen Omillio Agard and Cairo Skanes. This position could end up alright but is a clear red flag entering the season.
Fickell would have to suffer complete disaster for this to be his last campaign at UW. Unless injury wrecks the roster, he should avoid that. The Gophers are by no means safe from losing Paul Bunyan's Axe in November. I am not wowed by any part of Fickell's team, though, and need to see progress to believe the Badgers can succeed in 2026 and beyond.
* * * * * *
Prediction
Parts of this team genuinely excite me. A season of watching Darius Taylor and A.J. Turner should be fantastic entertainment. The Koi Perich-Kerry Brown duo enthralls me even more. Anthony Smith and Deven Eastern look like they will have big seasons.
There are many more things about these Gophers that intrigue me, even if I am unsure whether they will be positives in 2025. What if Drake Lindsey has something? What if this decent-seeming, apparently large group of pass-catchers gives him a platform to succeed? What if the transfers on the defensive line, for their individual limitations, are the perfect additions for their specific jobs? What if Maverick Baranowski has the breakthrough Mariano Sori-Marin and Cody Lindenberg had at middle linebacker? What if Emmanuel Karmo is too good to use as a package player and makes an instant impact?
And then there are the areas that inspire heavy skepticism. I need to see improvement from the Minnesota offensive line to believe they can protect Lindsey and make the rushing attack more efficient. I need to see a second pass rusher emerge. I need the cornerbacks to show that the massive competition at that position is not because the Gophers have nobody who can start in the Big Ten. These are the kinds of potential problems that can lose games by themselves.
This season should be just fine. The schedule is manageable. There is a mix of star power and competence that will keep them in most games. If Minnesota has their quarterback, it will be a little better, and the 2026 season could present a serious opportunity. If Minnesota doesn't have their quarterback, it will be a little worse, and 2026 will still have reasons for optimism but probably a lower ceiling.
This program has been in far worse places in recent memory. Sometimes a merely pleasant fall, rather than one for the ages, is all one can ask to have.
Predicted regular season record: 7-5
Predicted bowl: Pinstripe Bowl (Bronx, New York) vs. Duke
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