That doesn’t mean other organizations didn’t find a way to keep former Gophers, and one will wear the iconic Dallas Cowboys star.

From UDFA to Dallas Cowboys roster for former Minnesota Gophers tight end

And the list now includes Brevyn Spann-Ford, who made the Dallas Cowboys roster on Tuesday, after signing as an undrafted free agent. Spann-Ford spent six seasons with the Minnesota Gophers.

Brevyn Spann-Ford makes the Cowboys as a UDFA! https://t.co/oGLT7fWGJv

— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) August 27, 2024

Brevyn played 60 games during his long-tenure Gophers career. A big body out of St. Cloud, MN, he came to Dinkytown with big expectations that he never really met. Even with all those years and games under his belt, Spann-Ford totalled just 95 receptions in Minnesota, for a grand total of 1,061 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Nonetheless, his catching ability is there and he has the perfect body and skillset. Clearly, the Cowboys think they can bring his talent out of him in ways that PJ Fleck and his staff never could. We’ll see if that proves true.

Related: Sudden Change in Gophers vs Tar Heels Line Brings Questions… and Opportunity

With the Dallas Cowboys, this preseason, Brevyn Spann-Ford hauled in five of his seven targets, for 41 yards. His longest reception went for 17-yards. He’ll look to bring a multi-faceted approach to the next level.

#Gophers Brevyn Spann-Ford in the Cowboys final preseason game:

🤠29 snaps
🤠82.3 PFF grade (team-high)
🤠3 catches
🤠28 receiving yards

Big statement performance as he looks to make the roster.

pic.twitter.com/rQQMZdgpGK

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 26, 2024

Could Minnesota Gophers tight end start for the Dallas Cowboys?

The St. Cloud kid landed in a pretty great spot, with the Cowboys. Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and John Stephens Jr are the other tight ends on Dallas’ roster. Outside of Ferguson, that’s not exactly “stout” competition.

Ferguson was a fourth round pick in 2022 and worked as the starter last year. Dallas took Schoonmaker in the second round last year, but he logged just eight receptions as a rookie. Special teams could give Brevyn a chance to shine, as well.

Bo Nix excellent ball placement on this cross-body ball to Brevyn Spann-Ford. Knows his target and let’s Brevyn use his massive frame to haul it in. pic.twitter.com/AdC6o1Xr07

— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) February 3, 2024

Of course any UDFA will have an uphill battle ahead of them. With Brevyn Spann-Ford making the roster, he has already overcome a substantial hurdle. As he continues to settle in at professional speed, how he can differentiate himself from the group will be the next step.

Related: Gophers Projected to Play in Familiar Bowl Game to be Named Later

Related: Are Minnesota Gophers Assistant Football Coaches Underpaid? The Contracts Say…

Spann-Ford received his Senior Bowl invite, despite a rather pedestrian final season at the University of Minnesota, a year in which he caught just 25 passes for 239 yards and 2 touchdowns.

As a junior, he caught 42 passes for 497 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Gopher offense was far from resembling an air-raid offense but Brevyn struggled to haul in the targets he did get, throughout the season.

Minnesota Gophers tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford grabbing attention at Senior Bowl

In other words, impressing at the Senior Bowl this week is crucial to deciding whether or not Brevyn Spann-Ford hears his name called during April’s draft. And so far, so good, according to some early reports coming out of Mobile.

First practice period of the day is over at the Senior Bowl. Here's who popped to me

RB Dylan Laube, UNH
WR Brenden Rice, USC
WR Roman Wilson, Mich
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minn
OT Roger Rosengarten, Wash
DE Austin Booker, Kansas
CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo
CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame…

— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 31, 2024

On day 1, Spann-Ford ran the 2nd fastest of any tight end on the National roster at 16.32 MPH and he’s shown an ability to battle through contact and make contested catches throughout the week. Not only that, but teams see him as a tight end who can help with pass and run blocking, immediately upon entering the NFL, something not all of them can say.

As one of the better blocking tight ends in the 2024 NFL Draft, Brevyn Spann-Ford can help himself in Mobile by showing a bit more versatility as a pass-catcher, and he’s done that so far.

Throughout his career, Spann-Ford has been relied upon to help open rushing lanes for an offense that loves to hand the football off – but so far, through two days, he’s also shown promise as a receiver.

Brandon Olsen – Giants Country (SI)

What Spann-Ford lacks in collegiate production, he easily makes up for in size, raw athleticism and premiere tight end tools. When he arrived at the Senior Bowl, Brevyn measured at 6 ft, 6.5 inches, 267 pounds. His hands came in at 10 inches and his wingspan 6 ft, 7 inches.

Brevyn Spann-Ford looked good in individual and team drills as a pass catcher. In a reversal of fortune, Minnesota looked better than Michigan and Penn State, strictly at the tight end position. On the National Team roster, there are three tight ends, one from each of the three previously mentioned Big 10 schools.

Right away just seeing the three of them, Brevyn Spann-Ford’s size immediately stands out. Spann-Ford is built like a truck. He has NFL size big time and the thought of NFL strength and conditioning coaches getting at him to possibly help him get even more physically imposing is a really interesting prospect for a team looking for a tight end in this year’s draft.

Tyler Schickert – With The First Pick (Fansided)

Related: ’24 Gophers Commit Koi Perich Jumps Into Consensus Top-75 Nationally

He’s everything an NFL scout is looking for, if he can prove an ability to catch the ball, block and get open. And this week may be the best opportunity he has during the pre-draft process to prove he will be able to do those things at the next level.

Minnesota Gophers Players Invited to Reese’s Senior Bowl

Congrats @T_Nubin27 & @brevyn_ for being invited to the @seniorbowl❕#RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/i9TZP09B94

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) November 30, 2023

It’s the 5th-straight year that a Gopher has been invited to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl and the 49th to receive an invite, in it’s 73-year history (1950).

Related: Minnesota Gophers Football Transfer Portal Tracker 2023

Tyler Nubin – 1st Team All-Big Ten

Tyler Nubin is a 2023 1st-Team All-Big Ten selection and could go in the first round of April’s draft. He finished the season with 53 tackles, five interceptions and four pass breakups.

He’s played 55 career games in his Gopher career and we do not yet know if he will make it 56, by participating in whichever bowl Minnesota ends up playing in. In total, Nubin collected 207 tackles and 13 interceptions (UofM record).

Related: Minnesota Gophers Bowl Projections 2023

Brevyn Spann-Ford – All-Big Ten Honorable Mention

Brevyn Spann-Ford had a very slow start to the season and nearly fell off many NFL radars so being named an All-Big Ten honorable mention and receiving a senior bowl invite is a big deal for his future.

Spann-Ford made 25 catches this season, for 239 yards and two touchdowns. In his career (60 games so far), he collected 95 receptions for 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns.

After an incredible 2021 season, the 6-4, 340 lb entered 2022 with the highest NFL expectations of any player on the Gophers’ roster. And John Michael exceeded all of them, cementing himself as the best center in college football, all but guaranteeing him an early selection in April’s NFL Draft. On Wednesday, he was honored by Pro Football Focus (PFF), who named him a 1st Team All-American.

PFF’s All-Amercia Team: Offensive edition⭐️ pic.twitter.com/2zk6I51RtJ

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 30, 2022

PFF Loves John Michael Schmitz

Schmitz’ 92.4 offensive grade at PFF is the best of any center in the country but it’s not even his most impressive metric on the site. In 2,945 career snaps, Schmitz has allowed just 2 sacks, 15 hurries and 21 pressures, committing only 10 penalties in the process. His 98.8 efficiency score is nearly impossible.

This is the first of many accolades John Michael will receive over the next couple of months, as the college football season comes to a conclusion.

Mohamed Ibrahim, Brevyn Spann-Ford honored too

Two other Minnesota Gophers found their way into the hearts of Pro Football Focus this season. (RB) Mohamed Ibrahim was named a 3rd Team PFF All American and Brevyn Spann-Ford was listed as an Honorable Mention.

Ibrahim’s 89.1 overall grade was good for 9th among NCAA running backs. Spann-Ford graded out at 90.5, which landed him 5th among qualied tight ends. According to Darren Wolfson (SKOR North), NFL agents are recommending that Brevyn declare for the draft a year early.

It doesn’t seem like Spann-Ford is in a hurry to leave Dinkytown, however, and reportedly loves being a Gopher. So, he’s up in the air. His decision could be one of the most important roster moves of the offseason.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan