Max Brosmer’s Arm and Leadership Highlight Successful MN Gophers Pro Day

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Max Brosmer - Minnesota Gophers football 2025 Pro Day
Credit: Photo courtesy of Gophers Athletics

We last saw the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team January 3, when they knocked off Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Since that day, they’ve been in offseason mode. For a handful of NFL Draft hopefuls from last year’s Gopher squad, including one-and-done grad transfer QB Max Brosmer, the past couple months have been full of preparation for the 2025 NFL Combine and Minnesota’s Pro Day.

When P.J. Fleck took over as head football coach at the University of Minnesota in 2017, it was one of the least-drafted from programs in the Big Ten. Back then, NFL Pro Days in Dinkytown were quiet and not very well represented by NFL teams.

Lots of NFL scouts on hand for Minnesota Gophers Pro Day

In 2025, after eight seasons und Fleck, that’s no longer the case. On Wednesday, at Athletes Village on the west side of the Mississippi river, there were over 70 NFL scouts, coaches and executives on hand, including at least one rep from all 32 teams, to watch 17 Gopher players participate in the workout.

Left tackle Aireontae Ersery should be the first Minnesota Gophers player to hear his name called, possibly even on day one. Others on the NFL Draft radar, who were working out at the U of M Pro Day Wednesday, included all five of February’s combine participants (a school record) — (LT) Aireontae Ersery, (WR) Daniel Jackson, (DE) Jah Joyner, (LB) Cody Lindenberg and (QB) Max Brosmer.

Minnesota kicked off the day in the weight room. Max Brosmer was the first player in line. He did not participate in the broad jump or cone drills, due to an ankle injury. He told a representative from the San Francisco 49ers that his ankle is fully healed, but that he did not have the adequate training time to prepare, off the injury.

Max Brosmer takes center stage for Minnesota Gophers

Brosmer only ran the 40-yard dash once, after recording an unofficial 4.78 seconds. Only three quarterbacks ran at the NFL Combine, but Brosmer’s time would have checked in just behind Memphis’ Seth Henigan (4.76), who finished last of the three.

Related: Homegrown Gopher Legend Signing with Jets

There was plenty of time between that dash and the throwing portion of the day. In between, quite a large contingent of Minnesota Vikings coaches, scouts and executives showed up. Those present included… well, pretty much everyone — HC Kevin O’Connell, GM Adofo-Mensah, QB coach Josh McCown, OC Wes Phillips, and many more (photo above).

Then, it was time to show of his arm, which he absolutely did. Max methodically worked the field, tossing clean, crisp intermediate passes, before showing off his arm and putting multiple 60+ yard deep balls on the money. Afterwards, Brosmer told reporters that he felt good about his throwing session, better than he did at the combine.

Max Brosmer is not going to be a high draft pick, but whichever team shoots their shot with this kid is going to be happy they did. Will the 6’2″, 217 lb kid out of Rothwell, GA develop into a QB1 at the next level? Maybe not, but he seems to have the floor of a 10-year veteran backup, who will add talent, brains and work ethic to whatever QB room he lands in.

First Gophers QB drafted since when…?

If Max Brosmer does get drafted next month, he’ll be the first Minnesota Gophers quarterback selected in the NFL Draft since 1972, when Craig Curry was taken by the Miami Dolphins in an 8th round (pick 207) that no longer exists. That’s 52 years ago, for anyone who might be counting. The NFL/AFL merger was two years old and the Super Bowl wasn’t called the Super Bowl yet.

Related: Gophers Draft Prospects Praise PJ Fleck’s Culture at Minnesota

Before Max Brosmer threw a pass, though, he got all of his receivers together for some instruction and encouragement. Minnesota’s Pro Day doesn’t only spotlight Gophers players. It is used to give local smaller school talent a platform to show off their skills, as well (DII, DIII, etc). So Brosmer was unfamiliar with some of his targets.

Still, that didn’t stop him from taking the time to introduce every single one of his receivers, by name, to the contingent of NFL coaches and evaluators gathered at the U of M indoor football facility Wednesday. Remember, Brosmer transferred to Minnesota after four years of football at FCS New Hampshire. Thus, he felt an obligation to give those players the best possible opportunity to be seen.

Other Minnesota Gophers stand out

There were plenty of other notable performances during the Minnesota Gophers 2025 NFL Pro Day, on Wednesday. On the bench, offensive linemen Quinn Carroll benched 225 pounds 29 times. I counted 31, which would have come in among the best performances at the NFL Combine.

Cornerback Ethan Robinson, who P.J. Fleck spoke glowingly of with the media as the day finished, exploded off the floor on a 42″ vertical jump. That was the second highest effort of this testing cycle. Robinson had a good day overall and performed well in individual drills. He picked off three passes and had 29 tackles during his lone season with Minnesota.

PJ Fleck’s program also on full display

There was something else on display at Minnesota’s Pro Day. PJ Fleck’s program, itself. There’s a reason why Minnesota has more NFL talent to show off in 2025, than what it has historically. Everyone inside the program is bought into what the master motivator is selling.

As Fleck puts it, he isn’t just running a football program. He’s running a life program where his number one goal is raising boys into the best men they can possibly be. Yes, he wins more than other coaches have too, but his players leave the University of Minnesota Gophers football program with a better future than when they got there.

Related: Homegrown Gopher Legend Signing with Jets

Brosmer, Justin Walley, Daniel Jackson, and others all talked about their development as men and how much they have learned about what it means to be a man, in today’s world. They even take edicate classes get coached on how to handle NIL and how to budget money. In other words, he’s teaching these kids how to be responsible adults in the real world, something that is not always a focus elsewhere.

Overall, Fleck has to feel good about the way Wednesday went, and the direction in which his program is moving. The Minnesota Gophers are in line to have a player selected pick in the first or second round of the NFL Draft for the sixth-straight year. That doesn’t happen by mistake.

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