2026 Gophers Position Previews: Defensive Line

Summer days are getting shorter. Football is coming. To make you the fan at your tailgate most informed on the top, middle, and bottom of Minnesota's depth chart, Ski-U-Blog is previewing each position group on the roster. Our discussion of the defense begins with the 24 (!) members of the Gopher defensive line.

The Many Edge Rushers

After leading the Big Ten in regular season sacks last year, Minnesota could well lead the nation in sacks this season. There might not be a deeper collection of proven edge rushers in America, and four or five of them might see the field at once on 3rd downs.

It starts with hulking 5-technique Anthony Smith, one of the biggest personalities and biggest playmakers in the conference. After ranking 3rd nationally with 12.5 sacks, Smith could have gone to the pros. Instead, he returns to chase the program records for sacks (Karon Riley's 29.0) and tackles for loss (Willie VanDeSteeg's 43.5). Both are within reach for a player of his caliber.

Smith may be a 3-4 end at the next level, as his 285-pound frame actually can actually prevent him from chasing down quarterbacks. When Jah Joyner was still in the program, he played a good amount of tackle, and due to massive uncertainty on the interior, Smith may slide inside more than ever before. Wherever he is on a given play, his size and sheer power make him an invaluable every-down defender for the Gophers.

Though Minnesota made more necessary transfer additions to their roster, the one with the most productive track record is T.J Bush. Between one year at California and two at Liberty, he made 27.0 TFLs (13.0 sacks) and 10 pass breakups. He was 2nd on the Golden Bears in havoc plays (12.5) and led the team in sacks (5.5), posing major problem for the Golden Gophers' offensive line last September.

Bush slots in at rush end, which is more or less the role he had at Cal: some off-ball linebacker play mixed in with an overwhelming majority of snaps as a standup edge defender. He is a classic speed rusher, using his quickness and bend to round opposing tackles and attack the quarterback.

If you can't beat 'em, get 'em to join you.

Bush can be a neutral presence in run defense. He is game to take on a tackle but, despite being 265 pounds, does not often obstruct his blocker's progress or divert runs away from his edge. His value here relies on shooting gaps and chasing ballcarriers down from the back side. While Bush makes plays that way, that style has its limitations and will not work against every opponent.

Adding Bush to this defense is still a huge boost. He and Karter Menz, one of 2025's breakout performers, will form a strong partnership. I did not give Menz enough of a chance to become a full-time player last year, thinking he would be purely a backup, but he ended up splitting first-team snaps at rush end and trailing only Smith in sacks (6.5). He is now the incumbent, the leader at the position, and one of the key players in this defense.

Menz, Bush, and Jaxon Howard are all eligible through 2027. Howard's  composite rating as a high school prospect was the highest of anyone on the roster, which has led to high expectations since he returned to Minnesota as a transfer from LSU. Still, despite being overshadowed by Menz, Howard was productive last season. He made 5.5 TFLs (4.0 sacks) in his first year as a starter, having seen the field fairly little in 2024. It was a respectable if unspectacular step forward.

That said, Howard does need to get in the face of the quarterback more often. Pro Football Focus credited him with just nine pressures last season, well behind the other ends on the team. (Menz had 25, for example.) This is likely the biggest reason why Howard, despite his athleticism and history playing linebacker, at least nominally moved across the line to 5-technique. He is not the threat that Smith is there, but Howard holds the edge well enough versus the run and still has time to grow into a more formidable pass rusher.

The Even More Numerous Tackles

To fill the holes left by Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding, Minnesota turns to three transfers, a 4-star true freshman, and three returning backups who will try to prevent a massive drop in effectiveness.

Two of the transfers come from Marshall: Naquan Crowder and Sid Kaba. Each has another year of eligibility after with this one.

Crowder, arriving from Division II California (Pennsylvania), started Marshall's first two games and spent the rest of the year in a rotational role. At an official 330 pounds, he is immediately the heaviest player on a Minnesota team that needed size on the defensive line. He showed he could use that size to clog lanes in the Sun Belt.

I am uncertain exactly how the move to the Big Ten will fare. A poor performance at Georgia may not say a lot; it was his first Division I game, one where Crowder was nowhere near the only outclassed Marshall defender. His meager production at the end of a three-man line is in part attributable to the fact that, well, he shouldn't be playing end, even in a three-man line. Fairly often, Crowder successfully took on and shed his blocker but was just not quick enough to tackle the tailback speeding just past his reach. If Crowder can win battles against centers and guards, he can man the A gap. Even in a situational role, that is valuable, but he has to hold up his end of the deal.

Kaba, who did not play at Western Michigan before transferring to Marshall, will also play nose despite seeming like he'd be more at home playing 3-technique. He exclusively played end, and in flashes, he showed a bit more quickness than Crowder. Those were on display in a few standout moments against Sun Belt champions James Madison.

At the same time, Kaba did not penetrate the backfield consistently last season and was not a productive pass rusher. By PFF's charting, he had three pressures all season. He recorded no stats in the spring game and had no notable moments. A nose tackle who records no stats is often just a nose tackle, but I am skeptical of Kaba's fit. Playing even a part-time role in Huntington does nevertheless make him one of the most experienced members of this group.

Prior Lake's Howie Johnson committed to the Gophers before his junior year and reported no other scholarship offers, even after becoming the top recruit in the state and ranking 206th in the national composite rankings. Even if it is tricky to project linemen straight out of high school — I am skeptical that he is in fact 45 pounds heavier than he was as a prospect — it looks a lot like Johnson will get onto the field this fall. His junior highlights (senior tape is limited) demonstrate the kind of motor and explosiveness that, combined with his wrestling background, will make him a dangerous player in time. If Johnson can hold his ground in the run game, it will take even less time than I expect.

The likely starter at nose tackle is Riley Sunram, who was a composite 4-star prospect in 2024 but has only played 44 snaps for the U of M. Sunram's spring game was nothing remarkable (he recorded half a tackle, plus a pressure), but it also could not have been that informative when neither team ran the ball much.

You can find good moments in the smattering of snaps Sunram had in 2025. For example, this shed block and assisted tackle in the fourth quarter at Oregon:

For plays that meant something, Sunram had a decent cameo in the Purdue game. He has shown violent hands and enough power to win some of his battles. In the end, though, we really just do not know how he will fare until we see him on the field. The first few weeks of the season could do a lot for acclimating Sunram to starter-level playing time.

Theorin Randle, meanwhile, needs to get used to any playing time again after missing the 2025 season and playing just eight snaps in his first two seasons in the program. That is not quite the amount of past experience you want in a potential starter, but injuries have kept Randle from accumulating more. He could not even dress for the spring game.

To get an idea of what Randle is, we have to scrounge. His appearances in competition were so brief that they do not combine into any sort of picture. Minnesota held no public spring game in 2024 or 2025. Randle was a June enrollee and therefore did not play in the 2023 spring game. In his prospect tape, Randle played with speed and great effort, two tools he will need at 3-technique. But knowing that he entered the program with the right profile as a true freshman and knowing he can play as a redshirt junior are two different things. Randle is the single greatest unknown among all Gophers who will play a meaningful role in 2026.

In his second year with Lackawanna College (Pennsylvania), Xion Chapman made 5.0 TFLs (2.0 sacks), which was enough to jump from junior college into the Florida International defense. A year later, he is set for a big role in Minnesota's tackle rotation.

I see a little more reason than with the Marshall guys to think Chapman can be an asset, at least in the run game. His best moments were sporadic — if for no other reason than that Chapman was not a first-choice tackle for FIU, even in games he started — but he showed some a capability in working an opposing lineman's pads, closing off a lane, and sometimes even making a tackle.

Considering the size of his role on the Golden Panthers, it is somewhat impressive that he posted the line he did: 11.0 tackles (7 solo), 3.0 TFLs (2.0 sacks), a forced fumble, and a pass breakup. The Gophers probably did not find a hidden gem but may have gotten a real contributor.

The 275-pound Mo Saine could have a place as a passing downs specialist. Rushawn Lawrence had this role last year and was fine enough at it. (The problem was whenever Lawrence was on the field for a running play.) Normally, such a crowded tackle room would look like a problem for someone trying to earn his first college snaps, but Saine probably needs to be sheltered. He registered a solo tackle and (by my counting) a couple of pressures against the 2s in the spring game.

Possibly Featuring Yet More Edge Rushers

Primarily a linebacker, Emmanuel Karmo played a bit of rush end last year and should be considered part of the rotation again, though his role on the edge may be reduced by Bush's arrival.

Aaden Aytch is the highest-rated Gophers edge signing since Carter Coughlin, a top-200 recruit and the No. 2 prospect in Indiana. His senior year, Aytch recorded a preposterous 33.5 TFLs (19.5 sacks), six forced fumbles, two pass breakups, and two blocked punts. With his length, dip, and speed, Aytch makes pass rushing look easy. P.J. Fleck is already enamored with him. In just about any other year, Aytch would immediately see regular playing time. He will probably grow into a small but real part of the rotation before finding a bigger role in 2027.

Adam Kissayi is trying to keep Aytch off the field. As a redshirt freshman, he made a smattering of appearances, even registering 1.5 TFLs between the Northwestern State and Ohio State games. Howard's move to 5-technique makes it harder for Kissayi to do anything this season, but Kissayi will at least begin the year ahead of Aytch.

It looked like Jayden Hicks would be a pass rush-focused tackle, but he is seemingly going to split time between both the inside and the edge. I'm putting him here because in a densely crowded lineman room, he seems more likely to get on the field as a 260-pound situational end than as a tackle.

Notables Unlikely to Contribute

Sam Macy, a redshirt sophomore from Chanhassen, is the oldest member of the defensive line who has not played in a real game yet. He has appeared in spring games, though, and could make his way onto special teams. Redshirt freshman Enoch Atewogbola has more upside but is similarly buried on the depth chart, along with Colin Hansen and Rhett Hlavacka. There are just too many edge players for any of them to break through.

Josiah Anyansi and Anthony Charles signed with the team, presumably, knowing this. Anyansi is a twitchy, intense player with experience at both end and tackle. He lost almost his whole senior year because of an injury but has the combination of power and motor to develop at 5-technique. Charles, whose listed prospect weight was 196 pounds, will be a long-term project at rush end. His length and speed were enough for Michigan and Penn State to offer scholarships.

Abu Tarawallie and Jay'Quan Stubbs are intriguing young tackles who must also wait a bit for playing time. Jeremiah Benson was the lowest-rated prospect in Minnesota's 2026 recruiting class, per the 247 Composite, but Fleck (and 247's Ryan Burns and Allen Trieu) are bullish on Benson's ceiling. "The Boogeyman" is a violent defender who seems to engulf his victims, claiming 73 TFLs in his high school career. We will see whether he can keep that moniker in the Big Ten.