Minnesota Gophers Football - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/category/gophers-football/ Minnesota sports, but different Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:41:21 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=32,height=32,fit=crop,quality=80,format=auto,onerror=redirect,metadata=none/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-cropped-MSF-favicon-1.jpg Minnesota Gophers Football - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/category/gophers-football/ 32 32 MN Gophers Land Another Portal Commit Out of Marshall https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/sid-kaba-transfer-portal-commit-marshall-2026/ Mon, 12 Jan 2026 02:41:19 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78740 PJ Fleck - Minnesota Gophers vs New Mexico
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The Minnesota Gophers’ mission to have the best offseason of PJ Fleck’s 10 year coaching tenure in Dinkytown has been on full display this offseason. Yes, they lost Koi Perich and a few other starters to the transfer portal.

But Fleck and his staff have spun around and turned the millions of dollars in NIL money left in the wake of Perich, Za’Quan Bryan, Fame Ijeboi and 20 other outgoing Gophers and turned it into 19 new transfer portal commitments from across the country.

Minnesota Gophers get 19th portal commitment of 2026

On Sunday evening, the most recent in that count became Marshall defensive lineman, Sid Kaba, who lands in Dinkytown with two years of eligibility remaining.

Related: Gopher Football Lands Former FCS Freshman All-American

Kaba is an interesting transfer portal take for the MN Gophers. At first glance, I assume Fleck is either running out of talent interested in coming to Minnesota or he’s running out of NIL dollars to dole out.

Out of high school in Columbus, OH, Sid Kaba was a low three-star prospect who was supposed to start his college career at Western Michigan. Unfortunately, after two seasons (freshman + redshirt freshman) in Kalamazoo, the 6’3″, 289 pound defensive lineman failed to get on the field for even one snap as a Bronco.

So last offseason, Kaba entered the transfer portal, where he eventually landed at Marshall. With the Thundering Herd, Kaba finally saw saw his first playing time in three collegiate seasons… but it was still rather sparingly.

What does Kaba bring to Minnesota?

Officially, Kaba played 154 snaps on defense in 9 games last season for Marshall, totalling 18 tackles, 0.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. But he only played 11 defensive snaps in seven of those nine games, and never played more than 23.

If you trust PFF, however, then you might think Sid Kaba is a deep, deep sleeper on the Golden Gopher defensive line. Last year, Kaba posted a 72.3 PFF grade on defense, built up by a 79.9 grade vs run and 74.2 tackle grade.

He played all over, too, logging snaps at right and left defensive tackle, both ends, both edges and both outside linebacker spots. In his one season at Marshall, Kaba was the epitome of a swiss army knife. Whether he can be that in the Big Ten is yet to be seen.

It’s worth noting that Minnesota struggled vs the run in 2025 in a way that it hasn’t very often under PJ Fleck. Kaba is the third interior d-lineman to commit to the Gophers in the 2026 transfer portal class.

He comes in behind Xion Chapman (FIU) and Sid Kaba’s teammate at Marshall, Naquon Crowder — who may or may not have played a part in his d-line buddy landing in Dinkytown.

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]]> Sun, 11 Jan 2026 20:41:21 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gopher Football Lands Former FCS Freshman All-American https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/tj-thomas-transfer-portal-elon-running-back-minnesota-commit/ Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:17:08 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78639 Minnesota Gophers incoming transfer TJ Thomas - Elon University at Duke
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The Minnesota Gophers will not stop their transfer portal plundering for anything. So amid the controversy surrounding the Twin Cities area this week, numerous campus visits went on, as scheduled.

For his determination, PJ Fleck has been rewarded with commitment after commitment after commitment over the last week. And on Saturday night, he got the 18th transfer commitment in the past eight days and fourth in the last 24 hours.

On Friday night, the first of back-to-back wide receivers (Noah Jennings – Cincinnati) committed, followed by Zion Steptoe – Tulsa Saturday morning. Then, Fleck mixed it up this afternoon when he landed a much-needed interior defensive lineman, (Xion Chapman – FIU).

Minnesota Gophers land running back transfer – TJ Thomas

By Saturday night, however, Fleck and his staff were back to building up the offense. This time, it’s 2024 freshman FCS All-American running back, TJ Thomas, a soon-to-be junior out of Elon who totaled 961 yards and 11 touchdowns in during his FCS career with the Phoenix.

Thomas also returned 28 kickoffs for Elon over the past two seasons, and two punts. He can be a threat through the air too, catching 28 passes for over 200 yards and a touchdown.

There is no question over who Minnesota’s No. 1 running back is in 2026. It’s returning star, Darius Thomas. But behind the oft-injured senior, there is a lot of playing time to be had, after Fame Ijeboi entered the transfer portal, as soon as it opened last week.

Along with Taylor and Thomas, the MN Gophers have (SR) AJ Turner, (FR) Grant Washington and (FR) Xavier Ford, who combined for 47 carries for 231 yards and 1 touchdown in 2025. Purdue transfer Jaron Thomas will certainly compete for playing time, as well.

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]]> Sat, 10 Jan 2026 21:17:12 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football PJ Fleck Plugs Major Hole on Gophers Defensive Line https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/xion-chapman-fiu-defensive-line-transfer/ Sat, 10 Jan 2026 21:24:05 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78580 P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Gophers
Matt Krohn-Imagn ImagesMatt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Gophers have been going wild in the transfer portal over the last week-plus. Yes, they’ve lost some talent too, including local superstar safety, Koi Perich. But that departure also freed up a significant amount of NIL funds, to be utilized elsewhere on the roster.

Coming into the day, head coach PJ Fleck had already stacked up 15 portal commitments for 2026. On Saturday, the Gophers added their 16th, in Tulsa WR Zion Steptoe. Shortly after, a 17th rolled in, this time at a position of need on defense.

The interior of the MN Gophers defensive line could have used more talent in 2025. And that was before they lost just about everybody this offseason, mostly via graduation, where they lost Deven Eastern, Jalen Logan-Redding, Nate Becker and Rushawn Lawrence.

Xion Chapman brings new talent to MN Gophers defense

So when 300-pound Florida International defensive lineman Xion Chapman (two years of eligibility remaining) announced his commitment to the University of Minnesota on Saturday, the entire Gopher defensive staff breathed a big sigh of relief.

Chapman also took an official visit to Penn State earlier this month, and also received an offer from Oklahoma. Ultimately, once he got to Dinkytown, it was clearly a match made in football heaven.

At 6’4″ and 299 pounds, the Allentown, PA native has all the size he needs to play power five football. As a sophomore last season at FIU, Chapman played in 12 games, totalled 15 tackles, including two sacks and three total tackles for loss.

Related: Cincinnati WR Commits to MN Gophers

Xion Chapman is the second portal addition for Fleck’s 2026 defensive line. He joins Naquan Crowder (Marshall) as potential new starters. The Minnesota EDGE rushing group next season will take up plenty of attention from opposing offensive lines.

If defensive coordinator Danny Collins can get anything average or above from the interior, the front seven will be handful to deal with.

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]]> Sat, 10 Jan 2026 17:51:59 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Speedy Tulsa WR Transferring to Minnesota https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/transfer-portal-commit-2026-zion-steptoe-wr-tulsa/ Sat, 10 Jan 2026 19:11:32 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78563 New Minnesota Gophers transfer commitment Zion Steptoe - Tulsa
NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Gophers have been busy in the transfer portal since it opened on January 2, and they have shown no signs of slowing down. Friday night, PJ Fleck’s 2026 transfer class reached 15 players when Cincinnati WR Noah Jennings made his decision.

Then, Saturday morning, it was pushed to 16 when another wide receiver, this time Tulsa transfer Zion Steptoe, made his Golden Gopher commitment official. Steptoe spent the last two days touring the University of Minnesota.

Minnesota Gophers land commitment from Tulsa wide receiver

The shifty 5’11” pass catcher comes to Dinkytown with four years of college experience under his belt, and one year of eligibility remaining. Minnesota will be Steptoe’s second stop in the Big Ten. Before his time at Tulsa, he spent two seasons in West Lafayette as a Boilermaker.

Originally from the Frisco, TX area, Steptoe committed to Purdue in 2022 as an undersized 3-star (88 overall – 247Sports) wide receiver with a ton of burst. After falling out of favor in the WR room, he converted to cornerback for his redshirt freshman season.

That didn’t work either, so he transferred to Tulsa for the 2024 season, and moved back to wide receiver. Steptoe went on to rack up 923 snaps of WR experience over his two seasons as a Golden Hurricane, where he totaled 36 receptions for 475 yards and 13.2 yards/reception.

What should Gopher football fans expect from Zion Steptoe?

The MInnesota Gophers weren’t the only big time destination on Steptoe’s radar either. He visited UCLA prior to experiencing Dinkytown (Dec. 8-9), and then chose PJ Fleck as his coach one day later.

If his body wasn’t ready for week-to-week Big Ten combat while he was a 175-pound freshman at Purdue, that’s not the case anymore. At 195 pounds, Zion Steptoe now looks the part of a power four pass-catcher… and he plays like one too.

With just one season of eligibility remaining, we’ll see if Zion has the talent to play at this level, now that he’s a bit older. We shouldn’t have to wait until the season starts, either.

The Golden Gophers’ new wide receiver room is quickly filling up with talent, and he’ll have to prove himself just to get on the field in 2026. Steptoe is the third WR they’ve landed out of the portal so far this offseason.

Related: New Tight End Lands in Dinkytown for MN Gophers

He will come into training camp most likely behind incumbent wide receivers Jalen Smith and Javon Tracy, along with fellow transfer Perry Thompson (Auburn), who currently sits as the highest-rated commitment of Minnesota’s 2026 transfer class.

That means, at best, Zion Steptoe currently slots in as the MN Gophers’ WR4 next season, and that’s if you put him ahead (or equal to) yesterday’s commitment from Cincinnati Bearcat transfer, Noah Jennings — which most transfer portal rankings probably will not.

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]]> Sat, 10 Jan 2026 15:59:52 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Cincinnati WR Commits to MN Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/transfer-portal-commit-noah-jennings-2026-cincinnati/ Sat, 10 Jan 2026 01:26:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78519 Minnesota Gophers transfer portal commitment Noah Jennings - Cincinnati Bearcats
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The Minnesota Gophers are watching the College Football Playoff tonight from the couch, something they hope to change next season.

While it may seem far-fetched to some, PJ Fleck enters his 10th year as Gopher football coach returning most of his starters in 2026, including sophomore Drake Lindsey, who comes in as one of the best and most experienced quarterbacks in the Big Ten.

On top of that, Minnesota is bringing the best recruiting class in modern program history, ranked No. 29 nationally according to 247Sports composite. Fleck didn’t stop there, however.

Gophers receive transfer portal commitment from Noah Jennings

When we woke up Friday morning, the Gophers had already secured 14 transfer portal commitments over the last week, dating back to January 2, when the portal first opened.

By the time we go to bed, that number will be at least 15. This after Minnesota received yet another transfer commitment, this time from Cincinnati wide receiver Noah Jennings, a senior with one year of eligibility remaining.

Related: Koi Perich Flirting with a Couple New Schools

Jennings was not on any power five radars, coming out of high school, which is why he ended up at Charleston Southern, where he spent two years of his college eligibility racking up 885 yards on 72 receptions as a Buccaneer, before transferring to Cincinnati for his junior season.

As a Bearcat, Jennings’ football come up continued. In his one season of FBS football, the South Carolina native caught 23 passes for 323 yards, and did not reach paydirt. Now a senior, he’ll look to change that in Dinkytown.

Minnesota Gophers WR room filling back out

The Minnesota Gophers need all the help they can get at wide receiver, after most of that room either ran out of eligibility (Lemeke Brockington, Logan Loya) or hit the transfer portal (Malachi Coleman, Kenrick Lanier).

Jennings comes in as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart, behind soon-to-be redshirt sophomore Jalen Smith (28 REC, 419 YDS, 4 TD), senior Javon Tracy (37 REC, 454 YDS, 6 TD) and Minnesota’s highest-rated portal commitment so far, Auburn’s Perry Thompson.

Without a doubt, we can expect Minnesota to bring in more wide receivers through the portal between now and the start of the season. PJ Fleck & Co. also have 4-star WR Rico Blassingame (AZ) and 3-star WR Quad Hendryx (NJ) signed out of high school for 2026, as well.

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]]> Fri, 09 Jan 2026 19:26:29 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Koi Perich Flirting with a Couple New Schools https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/new-schools-koi-perich-interest-texas-tech-oregon/ Thu, 08 Jan 2026 01:52:48 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78231 Koi Perich - Minnesota Gophers
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When the FBS transfer portal window opened on January 2, the Minnesota Gophers immediately dove head first into the fray. So far, they’ve received commitments from 14 incoming transfers.

But head coach PJ Fleck and his staff have more work to do because they’ve also lost 21 players into the portal. While most of Minnesota’s outgoing transfers are depth players, the’ve certainly lost his fair share of talent too.

That’s especially true in the secondary where Fleck and defensive coordinator Danny Collins lost two key starters, in Za’Quan Bryan (CB) and Koi Perich (S). Both will be difficult to replace, but the homegrown kid from Esko hurts the brand the most.

Koi Perich - Minnesota Gophers
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Every kid buying a Minnesota Gophers jersey the past two years have bought No. 3 with “PERICH” on the back. If you talk to casual Gopher fans who only know the name of one player, it was probably Koi Perich.

And now he will wear a different uniform in 2026. So far, we’ve seen Koi connected to both Ohio State and Miami, the latter of which employs his former coach at Minnesota, Corey Hetherman, as its defensive coordinator.

Former Minnesota Gophers superstar visiting new schools

On Wednesday, however, it appears Perich has found a couple more schools to flirt with. According to Matt Zenitz (CBS Sports), Koi is in Lubbock now, preparing to officially visit the Texas Tech campus on Thursday. It sounds like Eugene is next on his itinerary.

As a freshman, Perich led the Big Ten with five interceptions and was a regular menace anytime the football went up in the air. In 2026, he grabbed just one INT. But more worrisome than that was when you noticed him.

Far too often, the true sophomore stuck out in a negative way, whether he was getting beat, showing up late in coverage or just missing tackles — a stat that Koi easily led the 2025 Gophers defense in with 23.

Koi Perich also saw his PFF grades drop dramatically last season. His defense grade fell from 88.9 in 2024 to 62.4 in 2025, and his coverage grade saw the biggest decline, from 88.9 as a freshman to an unbelievable 57.7 as a sophomore.

Koi Perich opening his transfer portal options back up

Wherever Koi Perich ends up, he will have to bounce back from season in 2025, where he came down to earth a little bit. If he is taking visits now, however, you have to believe these other schools are just as much on his radar as the Buckeyes, and even Canes.

Much like Ohio State and Miami, the Red Raiders and Ducks are considered two of the wealthiest NIL programs in the country. Thus, it is no surprise they are the new schools on Koi’s radar.

Still, it’s a bit surprising to see Perich visiting other schools like this. Many insiders believed just last week that he was as good as gone to Miami, to reunite with Hetherman — something our own Ted Schwerzler found out doing his own digging, as well.

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]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:52:51 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football New Tight End Lands in Dinkytown for MN Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/oklahoma-sooners-kaden-helms-transfer-portal-commitment/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:32:25 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78182 Kaden Helms
SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesSARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Minnesota Gophers’ transfer portal success since the 2026 portal season began on January 2, has been pretty impressive. And PJ Fleck didn’t stop Wednesday, when he reeled in the 14th transfer commitment in the last five days.

Kaden Helms signs with Minnesota Gophers

After taking a visit to Minneapolis earlier this week, Oklahoma Sooners senior tight end Kaden Helms, a 2022 4-star out of Bellevue, Nebraska.

Kaden Helms should add another veteran in Minnesota huddle for QB Drake Lindsey, not to mention the new blocking/receiving weapon Helms’ 6-5, 238 pound frame should provide the Gopher offense in 2026.

Hopefully Greg Harbaugh can get him more involved than Oklahoma ever did. In three seasons, Helms played 21 games as a Sooner, where he grabbed only 8 total receptions (for 35 yards and a touchdown).

Helms gets new football opportunity with Gophers

In 2025, Helms sat behind linebacker-turned-tight-end Jaren Kanak, who paced all Sooner tight ends with 533 receiving yards. Both Minnesota tight ends (Jameson Geers and Drew Biber) were seniors this season.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Pull Talented Brother Duo Out of Portal

Prior to Kaden Helms announcing his commitment, Pierce Walsh — 2 receptions in 13 games played — was the most experienced tight end returning to Dinkytown for 2026. Helms will come into the Gopher tight end room, along with top recruits Roman Voss and George Rohl, all three of which could push for playing time.

Minnesota still has spots to fill before the start of 2026, after 23 players from the 2025 roster entered the transfer portal. Most departures were depth pieces. Obviously, Fleck and his staff are trying to replace them with upgrades.

More must-reads:

]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2026 15:16:07 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Land Former All-American in Portal https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/tj-bush-jr-cal-transfer-portal-edge-rusher-commitment/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 17:34:52 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78147 T.J. Bush Jr.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn ImagesDarren Yamashita-Imagn Images

With the departure of Koi Perich among their transfer portal exits in this cycle, the Minnesota Gophers suddenly found themselves with a million-dollar-plus influx of NIL funds, which head coach P.J. Fleck has been using to grab 2026 transfer portal commitments left and right.

TJ Bush Jr signing with Minnesota Gophers

His biggest get of the cycle, thus far, is four-star wide receiver Perry Thompson from Auburn. In total, the Golden Gophers entered Wednesday with a dozen commitments out of the portal. This morning, they added lucky No. 13 in former freshman All-American outside linebacker from Cal, T.J. Bush Jr.

Danny Collins saw cracks in his defense at times during his first year leading the unit for the Minnesota Gophers. More pressure on the quarterback could help to alleviate some of those issues. Bush should help alleviate both issues in 2026.

What does Bush bring to Gopher defense?

After a his standout freshman season at Liberty, TJ Bush totalled 40 tackles (10.5 for loss) and 5.5 sacks in 13 games as a Golden Bear. Obviously, Bush impressed the Minnesota staff earlier this season when he grabbed a sack and three tackles in a win over the Gophers.

Fleck and Collins could opt to use Bush in a multitude of different roles. He started with Liberty as a traditional defensive end, but worked as a pass-rushing outside linebacker at Cal.

With the Bush commitment, the Minnesota Gophers — who are already returning their top three pass rushers (Anthony Smith, Karter Menz and Jaxon Howard) from 2025 — now have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive EDGE.

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]]> Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:43:22 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football MN Gophers Land New Kicker from Big Ten Rival https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/mn-gophers-land-new-kicker-from-big-ten-rival/ Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:26:27 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78072 Beckham Sunderland
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesJunfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers will need a new kicker after Brady Denaburg exhausted his final year of eligibility this season. The Syracuse transfer had put together a career year, but the results were hardly standout.

If the Gophers want to fully maximize the potential of quarterback Drake Lindsey and the offense as a whole, upgrading the kicking game to someone like Dragan Kesich could go a long way. Looking to a Big Ten rival like Michigan isn’t a bad place to start.

That said, Beckham Sunderland isn’t a traditional kicker, he hasn’t attempted a collegiate field goal.

Beckham Sunderland Transfers to Minnesota

The Minnesota Gophers didn’t face the Michigan Wolverines this season. It was a tumultuous year in Ann Arbor, followed by an offseason exodus stemming from the fallout of Sherrone Moore’s transgressions. Sunderland was part of the Michigan roster, but he’s not switching allegiances.

After spending his junior season at Texas State, Sunderland transferred to Michigan for the 2025 season. He appeared in all 13 games and primarily served as the kickoff specialist. He also recorded a 35-yard punt against Texas in the Cheez-It Bowl.

How Minnesota plans to use Sunderland remains unclear. Tom Weston led the Big Ten in punting yards last season and will return as a junior in 2026. Sunderland has attempted just one extra point and has yet to kick a field goal during his collegiate career.

Related: MN Gophers Football Transfer Portal Tracker – 2026

If the Gophers are simply seeking a big-leg specialist, Sunderland fits the mold. He signed a Major League Soccer contract as a goalkeeper out of high school and recorded 44 touchbacks for the Wolverines last season.

Sunderland isn’t the only new kicker coming this cycle for the Gophers. Utah State transfer Zachary Robbins will be in Dinkytown too. While more a punter, he operated as the Aggies kickoff specialist. 10 of his 21 kicks went for touchbacks. He has three remaining years of eligibility.

Daniel Jackson, a native of Alexandria, Minnesota, will return as a sophomore in 2026. He attempted just two extra points during his freshman season.

Mekhai Smith Jumps to MN Gophers

The Gophers also added help in the secondary, as Mekhai Smith committed after two seasons at the FCS level with Lehigh, and did so without even taking a visit.

A graduate of Lower Merion High School (yes, Kobe Bryant’s alma mater), Smith made an immediate impact at Lehigh. As a true freshman in 2024, he recorded 40 tackles. This past season, he added 56 tackles and four interceptions, earning first-team All-Patriot League honors.

With Koi Perich likely on his way out, Kerry Brown stands as the lone experienced safety returning. Smith will join Sartell, Minnesota native Parker Knutson as an option in the back end of the secondary.

More must-reads:

]]> Tue, 06 Jan 2026 20:04:49 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Minnesota Gophers Pull Talented Brother Duo Out of Portal https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/aydan-elisha-west-michigan-state-transfer-portal-commit/ Tue, 06 Jan 2026 17:55:17 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=78022 Aydan West
Brendan Mullin-Imagn ImagesBrendan Mullin-Imagn Images

As expected, the start to 2026 college football portal season has been plenty busy for the Minnesota Gophers. After an 8-5 season, PJ Fleck and his staff have been active in the transfer portal trying to reload a roster that finished in the middle of the Big Ten in 2025.

P.J. Fleck grabbed his highest-rated portal commitment on Monday, in the form of 4-star Auburn transfer wide receiver, Perry Thompson. In total, the Golden Gophers started the day with five total transfers committed for 2026.

Brothers coming to Minnesota Gophers from Michigan State

On Tuesday morning, they added two more commitments — a brother combo on defense, (CB) Ayden and (S) Elisha West — college sophomores who have three and four years of eligibility remaining, respectively.

The brothers, who went to high school in Maryland, are coming over from Michigan State, where they have spent their freshman season working under former Minnesota defensive coordinator, Joe Rossi.

When the Minnesota Gophers knocked off Michigan State at Huntington Bank Stadium this season, both Aydan and Elisha West were on the visitor sideline. Now, the brothers will trade in their forest green and white out for Gopher maroon and gold.

What are Gophers getting in Ayden West and Elisha West?

Aydan West — who was the higher-rated (3-star) prospect out of high school — played in 12 games as a freshman last season for the Spartans. He had 19 total tackles as a defensive back, including one for a loss. He also registered half a sack.

Elisha West, a non-rate recruit out of high school, played more sparingly in 2026 for the Spartans, finding the field in just two games — vs Penn State and Maryland. He didn’t record a stat in either contest.

Related: MN Gophers Announce Two More Top Talents Returning for 2026

The brothers hail from Maryland. Aydan adds to a cornerback room that lost Za’Quan Bryan in the transfer portal. John Nestor is back to lead the group though, and the Aydan could immediately be his running mate. Elisha is a safety and will provide depth on the back end.

Both West brothers are have three years of eligibility remaining. Naiim Parish and Mike Gerald are both returning corners that will play alongside Aydan. Kerry Brown broke out at the safety position in a big way last season.

More must-reads:

]]> Tue, 06 Jan 2026 12:23:25 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football