Darius Taylor News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/darius-taylor/ Minnesota sports, but different Fri, 02 Jan 2026 23:20:55 +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 Darius Taylor News - MinnesotaSportsFan https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/tag/darius-taylor/ 32 32 MN Gophers Star Running Back Returning to Dinkytown https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-returning-senior-season-2026/ Fri, 02 Jan 2026 22:00:30 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=77503 On Friday the transfer portal opened for college football, and just like most schools across the country, the Minnesota Gophers roster has already been impacted in a major way.

While many top talents, including Anthony Smith and Karter Menz, among others, have signed to return, would others including superstar junior Koi Perich plan to leave.

There are still other significant names on the Gophers roster, and among them is Darius Taylor. While injuries have robbed us of seeing him at his best, he has now unveiled that we’ll still see him in the maroon and gold next season.

Darius Taylor back for another year with the MN Gophers

Minnesota finished 8-5 following a Rate Bowl win over New Mexico. Darius Taylor was active for that contest and turned in one of his strongest performance of the season, running for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Related: Multiple Blue Bloods Want Outgoing MN Gophers Superstar

On the season, Taylor played in 10 games for the MN Gophers, totaling 670 yards on 4.7 yards per carry, adding four rushing touchdowns while he missed multiple games with a nagging hamstring injury he suffered early in the year. The junior also grabbed 245 receiving yards on 34 receptions.

Keeping Taylor around became that much more important when young running back Fame Ijeboi announced he would be entering the transfer portal a few weeks ago.

AJ Turner is expected to return from injury next season and youngster Grant Washington is oozing with talent for a freshman. Still, the Minnesota Gophers will undoubtedly be looking for more RB talent in the portal, to help stack some guys in that room.

]]> Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:20:55 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football How Minnesota Won the Rate Bowl https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/rate-bowl-win-takeaways-lindsey-taylor-smith/ Sat, 27 Dec 2025 01:18:18 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=76667 The Minnesota Gophers capped off their 2025 season on Friday with a 20-17 Rate Bowl victory on Friday afternoon against New Mexico, allowing P.J. Fleck to improve his undefeated postseason record to 7-0, as Golden Gophers head football coach.

Like most things in this town, though, getting to today’s winner’s circle wasn’t easy.

Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey came into the 2025 Rate Bowl expected to be the best player on the field. If the talented Arkansas native develops as he should over the next couple of years, Lindsey will become the first Gopher QB drafted since 1972.

MN Gophers offense struggles in Rate Bowl

But for whatever reason, Fleck put the training wheels back on his young QB against the Lobos, leading to a lethargic Minnesota offense that struggled to maintain drives.

That was especially true in the first half, where Lindsey threw the ball 12 times (completing six) for a whopping 56 yards. To be fair, when Drake did get opportunities today, his accuracy was way too inconsistent.

There were a couple of throws from Lindsey, however, where you saw the incredible arm talent this 20-year-old kid has. Like his first touchdown of the day to true freshman WR out of Mankato, Jalen Smith.

Fleck is supposedly keeping plenty of his current roster intact for next season, and his 2026 recruiting class is the best in modern Gopher history.

Lindsey + Jalen Smith connection has special potential

But Drake Lindsey’s connection today with Jalen Smith is notable because the kid WR has more talent bursting out of his pinky finger than just about any WR who’s come on campus since Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson.

If this is the start of something special between the two exciting youngsters, then the future is bright for MN Gopher football. Lindsey finished Friday 18/28 for 147 yards and two touchdowns, the last of which ended the game in overtime.

And guess who caught it.

MN Gophers love a healthy Darius Taylor

Injuries have unfortunately become synonymous with Darius Taylor’s collegiate career. He played in just six games as a freshman, then pushed himself through multiple ailments to play 12 games in 2024, before putting pads on for 10 of Minnesota’s 14 games this season.

Next year, it will presumably be Taylor’s show again. He won’t be cheap, either, so the Gophers will need him on the field, especially after his more than formidable backup, Fame Ijeboi, entered the transfer portal earlier this offseason.

On Friday, though, Darius Taylor was Minnesota’s best player on offense, even though his carries were limited. When the dust settled in Arizona, Taylor rushed 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown, including this beautiful spin move and 38-yard scamper.

Tack today’s performance onto his regular season total, and Darius finished the 2025 season with 670 rush yards and four touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 23 more yards.

Anthony Smith is an absolute Gophers menace

New Mexico used a pair of quarterbacks, neither of which found much success against Danny Collins’ defense. Edge rusher Anthony Smith was a big reason for their struggles, too.

The junior came in with a 10.5 sacks this season, the most of any Gopher since 2008. Friday, he added two more and single-handedly had the Lobos’ QBs seeing ghosts.

Smith’s emergence this year on the edge has been something to behold. And after the game, he announced his his plans to return to Dinkytown next season, for another year wearing Minnesota Gophers maroon and gold.

]]> Fri, 26 Dec 2025 20:51:48 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football PJ Fleck Expects Most Gophers Starters to Stay; His Players Seem Less Sure https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/pj-fleck-minnesota-football-players-talk-2026-plans/ Fri, 26 Dec 2025 03:30:56 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=76584 On Friday afternoon down in Phoenix, AZ, PJ Fleck will attempt to protect his undefeated postseason record (6-0) as Minnesota Gophers head football coach, in the 2025 Rate Bowl against the New Mexico Lobos.

Unlike other teams around the country, it appears the Golden Gophers will have most of their starters available tomorrow afternoon. That’s no surprise, given how serious Fleck takes each bowl game Minnesota plays in.

It also helps when players are receiving NIL money to do so, like some Gophers are — just the latest way PJ and those inside his program have progressively used somewhat limited NIL funds to make the football team better.

PJ Fleck confident the MN Gophers will retain most starters

Looking beyond the Rate Bowl, to the 2026 season, and the Minnesota Gophers head football coach remains confident that, yet again, he and his staff will be able to keep most of their top talent in Dinkytown and out of the transfer portal.

“Our retention rate has been incredible. We feel great about re-signing the majority of our players, especially the majority of our starters, which is really, really critical for the 2026 season.”

PJ Fleck via the Star Tribune

We already know the most important player on roster — redshirt freshman starting quarterback Drake Lindsey — is returning for the 2026 season. He was the most essential domino that needed to fall.

Besides him, other key pieces to both sides of Minnesota’s puzzle are sticking around — including John Nestor, Kerry Brown, Nathan Roy and Greg Johnson.

All four players will be paid as part of the aforementioned Dinkytown Athletes + Cub Foods NIL promotion.

Drake Lindsey is the key

Greg Johnson is from Prior Lake, MN and says he has not thought about leaving. Other Gophers who will stay, according to the starting guard, will do so because of Drake Lindsey.

“Being from Minnesota, I personally didn’t have any thoughts of going elsewhere. I think Drake really set the tone for the team. This is Drake’s team. He’s our leader and it’s easy to come back and want to play for a guy like that.”

Greg Johnson – via Pioneer Press

Of course, the decision isn’t that easy for everyone. Some of the Gophers’ best players — all of which are down in Arizona and expected to play on Friday — have not made their future plans public.

We are yet to hear from the likes of S Koi Perich (SO), DL Anthony Smith (JR) or RB Darius Taylor (JR). Smith leads the Minnesota Gophers in sacks by a WIDE margin, with 10.5 (32 tackles).

Darius Taylor has again dealt with injuries throughout the season, but he finished as Minnesota’s leading rusher with 554 yards and 3 touchdowns on 119 carries (4.7 YPC).

Some Minnesota Gophers unsure of their future

Both upperclassmen — who are paid more than just about anyone else on the team — spoke with reporters this week in Arizona, at MN Gophers practice, where they were not on the same page as their head coach, choosing instead to plead the fifth on their future plans.

Smith: “I’m just focused on this. I really haven’t thought about it at all…I just want to send the seniors out on a good note.”

Anthony Smith on his future with Gophers (Star Tribune)

Taylor: “I really haven’t thought about that stuff… I’m just worried about the game. I will figure all that out after the game.”

Darius Taylor on his future with Gophers (Pioneer Press)

It’s difficult to believe that these kids aren’t actually thinking about their futures, especially given how much is riding on their decisions.

Of course, it’s always possible both Taylor and Smith do have a better handle on their futures than what they are letting on. want to do, and they just aren’t telling reporters about it.

Either way, we’ll find out soon enough because we are talking about the most expensive players on the Minnesota Gopher football roster. Fleck will want to quickly reallocate those dollars, if guys like Smith and Taylor are leaving.

]]> Thu, 25 Dec 2025 21:31:24 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gopher Football’s Top NIL Earners Revealed https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/top-nil-deals-minnesota-gophers-football/ Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=74639 2025 was a disappoint season for the Minnesota Gophers. P.J. Fleck was starting a redshirt freshman quarterback, but heading into the season there was legitimate hope this team could win nine or ten games.

Not only did they win just seven, but Fleck got embarrassed by Iowa in his ninth season on the job, and they didn’t perform well against Northwestern, either. Minnesota is headed to the Rate Bowl against New Mexico in Phoenix, but the page needs to be flipped to 2026.

If the Gophers are going to be better next year, it will be because Drake Lindsey, Koi Perich, and Darius Taylor contribute in a big way. They aren’t going to be cheap to keep around, either, as the transfer portal will soon heat up.

MN Gophers spending big on key roster talent

The college sports landscape has changed amidst the introduction of NIL spending. Roster creating, especially in revenue generating sports, is not simply a byproduct of recruiting anymore. Dollars are attached to expectations, and Charley Walters revealed the substantial amount Minnesota will need to pay their stars.

It is expected to cost the Gophers at least $1 million to retain redshirt QB Drake Lindsey for his sophomore season next year. That would make him and 2016 junior defensive back Koi Perich at least a $2 million duo. Add Darius Taylor and the cost could exceed $3 million for trio.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

Drake Lindsey hardly set the world on fire this season. He completed 63.2% of his passes, with 16 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. At times, he looked every bit of a redshirt freshman. However, he also showed off his special arm talent, and there’s clearly a path for development.

Needing to pay a guy like Lindsey seven figures to retain his services is indicative of what college football has become, way too expensive… Minnesota will likely pony up for the Arkansas native who has always had a soft spot in his heart for the home state Razorbacks. It’s also probably helpful that his mentor, Vikings QB Max Brosmer is still in town.

Perich earned a hefty jump in NIL funds after leading the Big Ten in interceptions as a true freshman. The Minnesota native was nowhere near as noticeable this year, but he did record his first pick six. It seems logical he’ll be back, but the number will only increase.

Of the trio, Darius Taylor would seem to be the most expendable. An extremely talented running back, but rarely can be counted upon to remain on the field. Taylor played in just nine games for the Gophers while nursing a hamstring injury, and someone else paying for him to be injured on their sideline wouldn’t be the worst outcome.

Attendance still an issue for Minnesota Gophers

P.J. Fleck has the best recruiting class in history for the Minnesota Gophers for 2026. He held onto that talent despite the 7-5 record, but he’ll need to do much better in order to generate additional interest in the program. Walters added this about attendance for the Gophers:

Meanwhile, Gophers football attendance has decreased for a second straight season, averaging 46,519 for its seven games this year in 50,085-capacity Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers’ highest attendance average in history was 62,954 in 1957 at Memorial Stadium. The Metrodome years topped out at 60,985 in 1985; and the Huntington Bank Stadium high is 52,355 in 2015. During Fleck’s nine seasons at Minnesota, home attendance — excluding the abbreviated COVID 2020 season — has averaged 45,257.

Pioneer Press

When things are good at Huntington Bank Stadium, they can be really good. The problem is that Fleck has largely failed to sustain consistency. It might have seemed odd to storm the field after beating Nebraska, but it could have held more weight if the season trended in a positive direction.

At some point Fleck needs to reach a new level. He is 6-0 in bowl games at Minnesota, but has won less than nine games each of the past three seasons. An outlier 11-2 season with Tanner Morgan in 2019 is the high-water mark, and he’s shown zero semblance of returning to those heights since.

]]> Mon, 08 Dec 2025 14:09:05 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Take Axe Lead in Snow https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-john-nestor-wisconsin-badgers-win-paul-bunyan-axe/ Sun, 30 Nov 2025 00:28:04 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=73642 The Minnesota Gophers entered this season believing nine or even ten wins were on the table. Instead they found themselves fighting just to reach six…or seven (IYKYK).

P.J. Fleck stumbled in several key moments, and a loss to Northwestern nearly sent the season off a cliff. But with The Axe on the line, and both Minnesota and Wisconsin tied in the all-time series, everything came down to a snowy showdown.

Fleck and company delivered a potentially season-saving win, and the Gophers head into bowl season with a 7-5 record.

Credit: Kayden Kircher

Darius Taylor Handles Snow Game for Minnesota Gophers

With snow falling in droves at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Minnesota’s passing attack was never going to carry the day. Drake Lindsey completed 18 of 24 but for just 90 yards and a touchdown. Instead, it was running back Darius Taylor who powered the offense.

Taylor finished with exactly 100 yards on 19 carries, his third 100-yard performance of the season, and first since the tilt against Nebraska on October 17.

Keeping Taylor healthy has been a recurring challenge. A nagging hamstring injury limited him to 9 of Minnesota’s 12 games this season.

Taylor, now a junior, can return for another season under P.J. Fleck. If he does, a backfield tandem with transfer A.J. Turner could give Minnesota a dynamic one-two punch–if both can stay on the field.

Lockdown Defense Returns with John Nestor Healthy

For the last two seasons, John Nestor lived the defensive grind of playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes. After transferring to Minnesota this year, he has been the clear standout in Fleck’s secondary, and he showed it again Saturday.

Despite appearing in 20 games for Iowa, Nestor never recorded an interception. This season with Minnesota he has five, and two of them came on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Quarterback play has doomed Wisconsin all year, and it did again in Minneapolis. Entering the day, Minnesota and Wisonson each had 63 wins in the rivalry, along with eight ties. With Nestor anchoring the defense, the Gophers claimed win No. 64, keeping The Axe in Dinkytown for another year.

The victory was significant for another reason: Fleck completed the program’s first perfect home season since 1967. Road matchups delivered Minnesota its losses, but Huntington Bank Stadium remained a true advantage.

It remains unclear whether Fleck will factor into the coaching carousel this offseason. UCLA made a serious push, and Arkansas could attempt to lure both Fleck and Drake Lindsey. For now though, it’s bowl season, and Fleck will aim to move to 7-0 in postseason contests with the Gophers.

]]> Sat, 29 Nov 2025 18:58:21 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Star RB Out for Real This Time https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injured-out-michigan-state/ Sat, 01 Nov 2025 17:55:29 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70720 Last week the Minnesota Gophers went into Kinnick Stadium with a chance to emerge with a victory and likely top 25 ranking. Instead, P.J. Fleck failed to have his team ready and they were embarrassed in a 41-3 laugher.

Notably, Darius Taylor went unmentioned on the Minnesota availability report. He played just three snaps, took one carry, and then spent the rest of the day on the sideline. In the NFL, that sort of injury report manipulation earns you a hefty fine.

At least this week Fleck will be a bit more forthright about his star running back.

Darius Taylor out yet again for Minnesota Gophers

There are two very real truths about Minnesota Gophers star running back Darius Taylor. He is very good. He is also very injured. Taylor has made a habit of standing on the sideline, and his body consistently doesn’t agree with his desire to play. On Saturday against Michigan State, he will be unavailable once again.

Earlier this season, playing against a severely overmatched Northwestern State team, Taylor pulled his hamstring. He then missed games against Cal and Rutgers before returning against Ohio State. As has been the case throughout his career though, he hasn’t returned to a clean bill of healthy.

Last season Minnesota played 13 games, of which Taylor missed one. As a freshman, the Gophers also played 13, but Taylor factored into just six of them. Now playing their ninth game of the 2025 season, Taylor will have missed three.

Across six games, Taylor has turned 80 carries into 354 yards and a touchdown. His veteran presence in the backfield would certainly help redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey, but he has been consistently unreliable.

Minnesota is 4.5 point favorites against the Spartans, and a win would make them bowl eligible for the seventh straight full season. They can’t reach the heights possible before the season, but a solid showing is still on the table. It’s just unfortunate that Taylor continues to not be a part of it.

]]> Sat, 01 Nov 2025 12:55:33 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Hid Star RB Injury Against Key Rival https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/pj-fleck-hid-darius-taylor-injury-iowa-hawkeyes/ Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:06:53 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=70468 Over the weekend P.J. Fleck took what may have been the worst paddling of his adult life. A spank down in Iowa City at the hands of Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes was on display for all to see. After a big win against Nebraska, his Minnesota Gophers came out flat and continually got punched in the mouth.

It seemed curious that the Hawkeyes were favorites by more than a touchdown with the teams owning identical records and both riding high. There was no question who asserted dominance by the end, and Fleck willingly went into the game with his star running back, Darius Taylor, looking questionable.

Darius Taylor injury now raises serious eyebrows for MN Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers kicked off against the Iowa Hawkeyes at 2:30 pm on Saturday. Fleck and his traditional “two hours before the game” injury report was provided at 12:30 pm. Here is what that looked like.

Not only is starting running back Darius Taylor not listed as questionable, not a single Gophers player was. The star running back played three snaps, he carried the ball one time for a single yard, and then spent the rest of the game on the sideline.

At halftime, Fleck said directly about Taylor that, “he won’t be back.” It was a curt response from a coach getting his tail kicked, but it was one that seemingly had already been predetermined.

Banking on Taylor to play at this point in his career is fruitless. Despite being uber-talented, he misses games every season, and the list of maladies is a mile long. He suffered a hamstring injury earlier this year, and has already been sidelined during his junior season.

Still, what happened in Iowa for the Gophers is inexcusable given the ramifications in this sports landscape. Fleck already safeguards his injury report to the tune of a final 120 minutes. Taylor was never going to be worth a touchdown swing on the spread, but knowing something was up, reporting nothing, and immediately rendering him unavailable was a goofy plan of attack.

There’s gambling issues at the NBA level, and problems with health reported at the NFL level. Minnesota needs no part of welcoming themselves into that realm as well. Maybe Taylor will be back against Michigan State or maybe he won’t. Hopefully Fleck, and the injury report, will be forthcoming with all players availability regardless.

]]> Tue, 28 Oct 2025 18:06:58 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Down Multiple Running Backs vs Rutgers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-aj-turner-injured-out-rutgers/ Sat, 27 Sep 2025 13:30:26 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68926 Saturday morning the Minnesota Gophers take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It’s a big game for P.J. Fleck and company for multiple reasons. His squad dropped the contest last season in New Jersey, and it’s the return of quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis to Dinkytown.

Minnesota is coming off a game against Cal that they should have won. The offense couldn’t get things going and star defensive back Koi Perich put up his first clunker of his career.

The Gophers are slight 3.5 point home favorites, but they’ll need to win without their top two running backs.

Taylor and Turner out for Minnesota Gophers

It was expected that Minnesota could be without star running back Darius Taylor. He didn’t play against the Cal Golden Bears. Unfortunately his replacement, A.J. Turner, suffered an injury in that game and is out as well.

Against Cal, Fame Ijeboi (16) and Cam Davis (15) led the Gophers backfield. That should be expected to continue on Saturday against Rutgers. Ijeboi rushed for 85 yards while Davis turned in 44 but had a touchdown.

Earlier this week 247 Sports’ Ryan Burns talked about the running back situation on Gopher Gridiron Radio. Fleck wasn’t willing to disclose the status of his running backs at the time, but we now know both top options are out.

It has been 21 days since Taylor suffered a hamstring injury against Northwestern State. Last season he returned 25 days after he had a hamstring injury. Minnesota is going to error on the side of caution in order to make sure he returns at 100%.

Burns suggests that Taylor could even sit against Ohio State next week if it gives him a clean slate to finish the season. Although Fleck hasn’t said anything, Burns said he believes Turner’s injury could be a “season-long one.” The Gophers have since confirmed that Turner is done for the year.

Turner transferred to Minnesota after accumulating 864 yards on 8.3 yards per carry last season with Marshall. He was supposed to be a dynamic option along with Taylor, and at worst his insurance policy. Losing him for the rest of the year is a significant blow.

The lack of top running backs means it’s time for someone to step up. The Gophers have a seemingly-capable quarterback in Drake Lindsey, and the skill position players need to support him. Minnesota is just 2-7 without Darius Taylor in the lineup, and that’s again something they’ll need to overcome on Saturday.

Kickoff is set for 11 am at Huntington Bank Stadium.

]]> Sat, 27 Sep 2025 09:46:21 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Star Playmaker Out for MN Gophers https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injury-doubtfull-cal-golden-bears/ Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:40:34 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68334 The Minnesota Gophers are 2-0 so far this season and Drake Lindsey has looked like a difference maker. Saturday night against the Cal Golden Bears though, he’ll face his toughest test yet.

P.J. Fleck’s team enters the contest as slight favorites. They are fresh off an absolute rout of overmatched Northwestern State. The 66-0 drubbing didn’t prove much but ten different players carried the football.

The running back depth is something that Fleck has spoken on this season, and it’s something he’ll need for the road test. It appears as though Darius Taylor won’t be in uniform for Minnesota.

Darius Taylor not expected to play for Minnesota Gophers

After an early pick-six put Minnesota on the board last week, the Gophers drove the ball down the field for their first offensive touchdown. Darius Taylor got the corner and looked to have a rushing touchdown. Instead, he hit the sideline and went down in a heap. Fleck said postgame the expectation was that Taylor avoided a serious injury. That doesn’t mean he was going to be ready this week.

Taylor being unavailable on Saturday for the Gophers is definitely a blow. It’s a long season though, and prioritizing his health for future contests makes sense.

Minnesota will instead run A.J. Turner as their lead back. The Marshall transfer has ran for 49 yards on 12 carries through the first two games. He also scored his first touchdown in a Minnesota uniform.

Last week freshman Grant Washington had a coming out party. The freshman turned 20 carries into 126 yards with a long of 16. Fellow freshman Fame Ijeboi ripped off 53 yards on his seven carries. Washington transfer Cam Davis was also in the mix and scored a touchdown.

If there’s someone with familiarity against Cal, it’s definitely the transfer Davis. He has 107 carries for 522 yards and a whopping 13 touchdowns with the Huskies in 2022. Before playing in the National Championship later that year, Davis led the backfield against Cal with 13 carries for 46 yards and a touchdown. His quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., plays the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night.

Related: Gopher Football Paying Out How Much Money to Players?

Fleck also has a diverse group of pass catchers that can help to shoulder the load in Taylor’s absence. Freshman Jalen Smith was the standout in Week 1 against Buffalo. Passing wasn’t much of a necessity last week against the Demons, but Kenric Lanier II led the group with 59 yards receiving.

Kickoff is set for 9:30 pm on Saturday. If Minnesota wants to achieve the heights they are capable of reaching this season, then tough road tests like this one need to result in a victory.

]]> Sat, 13 Sep 2025 08:40:36 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football Gophers Star Avoids Serious Health Scare in Rout https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/gophers-football/darius-taylor-injury-update-pj-fleck/ Sun, 07 Sep 2025 01:49:58 +0000 https://www.minnesotasportsfan.com/?p=68036 P.J. Fleck’s Minnesota Gophers came into their Week 2 matchup against Northwestern State knowing it could be a cakewalk. Of course the head coach was always going to go the route of a nameless, faceless opponent. That didn’t stop them from coming out and immediately setting the tone.

John Nestor read the first play of the game correctly and housed a 29-yard pick sick. Once the Gophers got the ball on offense, it wasn’t long before Darius Taylor got his turn.

Unfortunately, on his third carry of the game, Taylor hit a massive hole on the left edge and scampered 17 yards. He came up just shy of the end zone though, and something was wrong.

P.J. Fleck provides update on Darius Taylor

Taylor had the corner and could have turned up into the end zone. Instead, he looked to avoid contact and grabbed the back of his right leg as he went down in a heap. Postgame, head coach P.J. Fleck shared how much he cares for Taylor and all of his players. He noted that they seem to have avoided something more serious too.

“I really love my players. You hurt for the kid, anybody that gets hurt. You don’t immediately go to like, what are we going to do as a team? We have really good tailbacks. You immediately feel for the person because of everything that young person has been through, and what they invest in themselves, and how hard they work, and the time they spend in the training room to prevent those things. It’s football, it happens. It happened in the NFL game Thursday night, it happens in college football today. Injuries are part of our sport. They always will be. The test of time, they will always be that way. You have to be able to respond to it. That was my whole conversation more was, ‘hey, now you gotta go lead those young guys for right now.’

It doesn’t seem too bad, which was really good. We got a really good, positive diagnosis on that. We’ll see how the week goes as he goes through it. We weren’t going to put him back in the game, that’s for sure.”

P.J. Fleck on Darius Taylor’s injury

Losing Taylor for a substantial period of time would be a serious blow. Leg injuries are now new for Taylor and that’s what makes this latest one so tough.

As a freshman in 2023, Taylor led the Big Ten in rushing through six games before suffering a hamstring injury that ultimately cost him the final seven games. Last season, after a hamstring injury in practice, an aggravation kept him out of the season-opening loss to North Carolina.

Although Taylor played 12 games last season for the Gophers, he was listed as limited following the Rhode Island contest. That forced more action onto the shoulders of Marcus Major and Jordan Nubin.

Related: New MN Gophers Freshman QB Looks Special

After Week 1 against Buffalo, Taylor led the Big Ten in attempts with 30. He piled up 141 yards and turned four catches into 36 yards receiving. Minnesota feasted on the Demons Saturday, and Taylor could have put up gaudy numbers in limited action.

Gophers got key contributions to lean on moving forward

The line for Saturday’s contest against Northwestern State closed at 42.5. That seemed like a lot of points for a typically-conservative Fleck to be giving. They covered that in the first half, and Minnesota sat down starters before the second quarter ended.

Even had Taylor not gotten hurt, he was never going to play the full game. Minnesota saw rushing attempts from 10 different players, and they reeled off yards at a 5.6 yards per carry clip. Freshman Grant Washington paced the group with 126 yards on 20 carries. A.J. Turner, the Marshall transfer, found pay dirt for the first time as a Gopher and had 33 yards on six carries.

Fame Ijeboi also showed plenty of burst out of the backfield. Another freshman, he had 51 yards on just seven carries and ripped off a 14-yard gain. Ijeboi scored his first career touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Stillwater walk-on sophomore quarterback Max Shikenjanski.

As Fleck noted, the Gophers have a boatload of tailback and they’ll likely need all of them to contribute in the short term. It seems unlikely that Taylor would be ready to go next weekend against Cal. Getting him back on September 27 against Athan Kaliakmanis and Rutgers at home would be a great outcome.

]]> Sat, 06 Sep 2025 20:50:00 +0000 Minnesota Gophers Football