Just a few weeks after PJ Fleck’s fifth-straight bowl game victory, the Golden Gophers have added 15 players out of the transfer portal. In the six weeks between their final regular season game vs Wisconsin and their Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech, Minnesota signed over 20 high schoolers for their 2025 recruiting class.

Then today, the Minnesota Gophers hired a new coach for their defensive staff, former Purdue and SMU defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. That wasn’t the only Gopher-related coaching news reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel tonight, though.

Mohamed Ibrahim hired by Kent State

According to PJ Fleck’s favorite insider, all-time great Gophers running back Mohamed Ibrahim is expected to be hired as the running backs coach at Kent State, where former Minnesota running backs coach Kenni Burns is going on his second season as head coach.

Mohamed Ibrahim, whose playing career in the NFL was very short-lived, spent one season as an assistant running backs coach at the University of Minnesota, before this opportunity to coach his own position group.

Sources: Former Minnesota star tailback Mohamed Ibrahim is expected to become the running backs coach at Kent State. The move will re-unite him with his college position coach, Kenni Burns, who recruited him to Minnesota and coached him there. pic.twitter.com/j27hpR0C05

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 23, 2025

Mo Ibrahim’s illustrious Minnesota Gophers career

When I say that Mo Ibrahim is an all-time great, what I really mean is that he is THE all-time great running back, in a long history of prolific ball carriers. During parts of five seasons as the lead back in Dinkytown, Ibrahim ran for 4,668 yards and 53 touchdowns, both school records.

As a senior in 2022, Mo went off for 1,665 yards and an absolutely absurd 20 touchdowns, the former of which led the Big Ten and the latter of which led the entire nation. In his iconic Minnesota Gophers career, Mohamed Ibrahim played a total of 41 games, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 113.9 yards per game.

24 DAYS UNTIL GOPHER KICKOFF

Mohamed Ibrahim
– 867 ATT (#2 in School History)
– 4668 YDS (#1 in School History)
– 53 TD (#1 in School History)

Best Gopher ever? pic.twitter.com/Esd6J9JNh4

— RTB GOPHERS (@RTBGophers10) August 5, 2024

Before turning to coaching, Mohamed Ibrahim went undrafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, before signing with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. He was injured that preseason, but returned and was activated for an October 22 regular season game vs the Baltimore Ravens.

Related: Minnesota Gophers Receive Commitment from Louisiana Mr. Football

In the 3rd quarter of that contest, Ibrahim was injured while taking a kick return, and carted off the field. That was the only NFL game he ever played in. The Minnesota Vikings signed Mo to the active roster for their final preseason game of 2024. He carried the football four times for a total of 16 yards. He was cut shortly after.

Minnesota Vikings make initial cuts to their 2024 final roster

To soften the blow and workload, the Vikings moved on from 14 players Monday morning. None of the names are surprising, but they do include some familiar names, like Mohamed Ibrahim, who was signed just prior to the final preseason game this weekend. Chuck Filiaga is another former Gopher who was waived, per Adam Schefter (ESPN).

• (QB) Matt Corral
• (RB) DeWayne McBride
• (TE) Sammis Reyes
• (RB) Mo Ibrahim
• (CB) Jaylin Williams
• (TE) Neal Johnson
• (WR) Justin Hall
• (OLB) Owen Porter
• (OL) Chuck Filiaga
• (OL) Doug Nester
• (OL) Matt Cindric
• (OL) Spencer Rolland
• (DL) Tyler Manoa
• (CB) A.J. Green III (contract terminated)

After these moves, the Minnesota Vikings still have to cut 24 names before tomorrow’s 3 PM deadline. DeWayne McBride is one of the more disappointing cuts made today. Yes, the RB room is much improved from what it was in 2023. Still, McBride was drafted in the 7th round last year (2023), as a high-talent big upside running back.

Related: Vikings Up Against it Trying to Trade Lewis Cine

He was almost immediately tagged as a guy who could earn a future lead role in the league. Unlike other NFL position groups, 3rd day draft picks quite frequently rise through RB depth charts, quite quickly.

Unfortunately, that never happened. McBride finished the 2024 preseason with 68 yards on 20 carries and wound up being usurped by Myles Gaskin, in his fight to make the roster. Now, it seems he isn’t even a candidate for the practice squad.

Related: Jaren Hall Still Has His 53-Man Doubters

Last week, six former Gophers participated in the three recognized NFL prospect bowls. On Wednesday, it was announced that four of those U of M football standouts — (C) John Michael Schmitz, (CB) Terell Smith, (S) Jordan Howden and (RB) Mohamed Ibrahim — received invites to the upcoming draft combine (Feb. 28 – Mar. 6).

Note: Four #Gophers have been invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Feb. 28-March 6: center John Michael Schmitz, cornerback Terell Smith, safety Jordan Howden and tailback Mo Ibrahim.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) February 8, 2023

John Michael Schmitz and Mohamed Ibrahim vs NFL Combine

John Michael Schmitz can continue to separate himself from the rest of the center class with a good combine. It could be the difference between being a late-1st/early-2nd round pick or falling into the 3rd. But knowing what he did at the Senior Bowl, I wouldn’t expect a regression in Indianapolis.

It’ll be interesting to see where Mohamed Ibrahim ranks in many of the drills he’ll be run through, compared to other running back prospects. Everyone knows what he’s done as a Gopher and the film speaks for himself.

What draft experts believe will hold Mo back, come April, are (a) his age [almost 25] and (b) his athletic measurables. If Mo can change some minds by running faster, jumping higher and moving quicker than scouts expect, he could jump from a late-round/undrafted type prospect, up to an early day-3 guy.

Minnesota 2023 RB Mohamed Ibrahim has come back from an Achilles tear like few running backs in recent memory.

Ibrahim ranks 5th in FBS with 1,261 rushing yards, and 4th in fantasy points with an average of 27.2 FPPG in 2022.

Here are 12 of his best runs against Northwestern: pic.twitter.com/lgtRo41EIA

— Eric Froton (@CFFroton) November 16, 2022

Jordan Howden and Terell Smith vs NFL Combine

Jordan Howden and Terell Smith are currently projected as late-round/undrafted prospects. They too could see their stocks rise significantly with good showings at the combine. Terell Smith, who was one of the biggest standouts at the East/West Shrine Bowl, is an athletic specimen so he’s a guy to watch when the pads come off and underwear goes on.

Omitted from the roster in Indianapolis, out of those who received invites to one of either the NFLPA, Shrine or Senior Bowls last week, were (QB) Tanner Morgan and (EDGE) Thomas Rush. Both guys had their moments last week but couldn’t make the NFL Combine cut.

Tanner Morgan and Thomas Rush Miss Combine Cut

At the East/West Shrine Bowl, Morgan seemed to throw the ball well during the week but went just 3 of 7 for 33 yards and 1 interception on game day. Rush was the only Gopher representative at the NFLPA Bowl. He stood out at practice and grabbed two sacks in the game.

Missing out on the combine doesn’t mean Morgan and Rush won’t make an NFL roster, or practice squad, come fall. As mentioned before, their route just became a little more difficult.

That won’t be a problem for either guy, though. When you’re baptized and raised in PJ Fleck’s Row The Boat culture, you have your oar ready for all waters. It wouldn’t surprise me to see all six of these guys making money in The League next season.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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

Combine all of those internal positives with a weak 2022 Big Ten West and a Gophers schedule void of matchups vs Buckeyes or Wolverines; the optimism in Dinkytown was running amuck. But then, the game vs Purdue kicked off and everything changed.

Gophers hit Purdue wall

The Minnesota Gophers were punched in the face immediately. Purdue forced an opening drive 3-and-out, then charged down the field, themselves, and scored a touchdown. It took until the 3rd quarter, but the Gophers did eventually tie the game, 10-10. They’d never get the lead, though. Three Tanner Morgan interceptions and a flacid run game choked the life out of their offensive effort. Final: 20-10, Purdue wins.

Just like that, the population of PJ Fleck’s 2022 hype boat has declined rapidly over the past 20 hours. It’ll only get worse from here, too. They’re top-25 AP Poll ranking will disappear on Sunday afternoon. And media members will jump ship for the next two weeks, given the Gophers impending bye.

But is the current bandwagon exodus warranted? After the Purdue loss, how worried should fans be about Minnesota’s chances in the Big Ten West? The answer to these questions, of course, is “yes” and “no”. But, more “yes” than “no”.

Most Concerning: Running Back Depth

Mohamed Ibrahim dressed and worked out before the game but didn’t take the field for Minnesota’s first snap. Or for any thereafter. Instead, the Gopher running game was anchored by Trey Potts and Bryce Williams. And it didn’t go well.

Tanner Morgan handed the ball off just 20 times on Saturday (Williams: 11, Potts: 9). Probably because those handoffs totalled just 48 yards (2.4 YPC). With or without Mo, the Minnesota Gophers under PJ Fleck will always be a run-first team. They lost two elite backs to the transfer portal this offseason, so the depth issues aren’t surprising. Nonetheless, if the run game is reliant on Ibrahim’s health, that’s worrisome.

#Gophers first half rushing yards: 17#Gophers second half rushing yards: 17

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) October 1, 2022

Don’t Worry Defense

If Gopher fans need a happy place to go to, think about the defense. Yes, they struggled in the first drive, but from there, they fought ever single down and gave the Minnesota offense a multitude of opportunities to get back into it.

It has depth, it has speed and it has talent. It also has Joe Rossi. Every opponent on the schedule will struggle to score points against the Minnesota Gophers and that means they’ll be in every matchup. Yes, Kirk Ciarrocca & Co struggled on Saturday and RB depth is a concern. Still, this team is much better offensively than last season, when they finished 9-4.

The Key: Tanner Morgan

And that brings us to what matters most: Tanner Morgan. Given Minnesota’s depth issues in the backfield and the determination opponents have to stop the run, offensive productivity throughout the season will land on Tanner’s shoulders.

Michigan State challenged him and he made them pay. In return, the Gophers won easily. Purdue did the same thing, even with Ibrahim sidelined, and Morgan struggled. Thus, the Gophers failed to move the football consistently and lossed.

So, the jury is still out on Tanner Morgan. You know Illinois will force him to make plays in two weeks, when the Gophers resume their schedule after the bye week. How does Tanner respond?

More Optimism

Even with their struggles offensively, the Minnesota Gophers should have won yesterday. Mike Brown-Stephens dropped an easy TD that turned into an INT and Tanner Morgan was careless with the football. On top of that, the OL struggled throughout the day.

Great throw by Tanner. Michael Brown-Stephens has to catch that ball. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/NsutzCn3oy

— Noel Thompson (@N0ELTHOMPSON) October 1, 2022

These are the issues that are unlikely to be repeated. Morgan is never careless with the football, PJ Fleck’s wide receivers do not drop passes and the Gopher o-line is one of the best in the conference.

Most importantly, if we’re eyeing a Big Ten West championship, is the inadequecies plagueing the rest of the division. Wisconsin and Iowa both lost AGAIN yesterday and Minnesota’s biggest competion looks like Illinois, who they face in two weeks.

Yes, there’s reason for concern around Dinkytown. But overall, the Gophers are still in really great shape.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

I want to thank my coaches,teammates and the University Of Minnesota, I have entered the transfer portal – Bucky Irving TRUST….

— Mar’keise Irving (@BuckyIrving) April 8, 2022

Mo, Trey Return; Ky, Bucky Leave

I hate to say I saw this coming, but I did. Two years ago, when I was begging Mohamed Ibrahim to take his talents to the NFL, after one of the best seasons of any running back in Big Ten history. His stock was never going to be higher than it was after that historic seven-game 2020 season and the running back room was stacked with talent behind him. It’s the perfect scenario for a college football team.

Instead, Ibrahim wanted to run it back and get his degree in 2021. Good for Mo. But it may have cost him a shot in the NFL as a mid-round draft pick. He blew out his Achilles tendon in the first game of the year vs Ohio State and was lost for the season. That injury gave Irving and Thomas opportunities as Freshmen and they took advantage.

Ky Thomas got seven carries in the 4th quarter vs Colorado. Here are four of them. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/YiBvjzVkYK

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 19, 2021

Bucky Irving highlights vs Colorado. The true freshman is special. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/AIYbL9qD02

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 19, 2021

Now, Mo’s injury setback has pushed him to exercise one last year of eligibility in 2022. Trey Potts, who was also lost midway through the 2021 season with a scary injury, announced he would return too. In the transfer portal age of college athletics, that’s one crowded running back room.

PJ Fleck’s Loyalty Problem

I wish these young athletes would realize that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But at the same time, PJ Fleck needs to be smarter about his loyalty to upperclassmen who have little left to contribute, compared to that of young budding superstars like Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving.

We have no idea what Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts will provide in 2022, coming off such serious injuries. Now, they’re all PJ Fleck has left in his backfield. How did he allow that to happen?

Remember, Tanner Morgan is returning too which caused multiple QB transfers already. Prized young quarterback, Athan Kaliakmanis, is still on the roster. But for how long?

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

About an hour later, insider Ryan Burns (GopherIllustrated.com), reported that Ky Thomas had officially submitted his portal application. That means, in all likelihood, he’ll put on another football jersey next season.

Too much talent…

We’ve seen PJ Fleck change minds before. But his standard operation is to disassociate with players who enter the transfer portal. This is a serious blow to the future of Minnesota’s backfield because Thomas looked like a future star.

Ky Thomas broke out as a redshirt freshman in 2021 after injuries to Mohamed Ibrahim, Trey Potts and Bryce Williams paved the way for the 2019 Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year to shine. Alongside true freshman running mate, Mar’Keise Irving, Thomas exploded onto the scene once given the opportunity, finishing with 824 yards (5.0 YPC) and 6 touchdowns in 9 total appearances, including his (144 YD, 1 TD) MVP Guaranteed Rate Bowl performance last week.

But with Mohamed Ibrahim and Trey Potts announcing their returns for 2022, the running back room in Minnesota seems to have gotten too crowded with talent for #8. While it’s disappointing, you can hardly blame these young athletes. There are a lot of opportunities out there right now. This post will be updated if Thomas does officially enter the portal.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Trey Potts was the bona fide RB2 behind Mohamed Ibrahim entering the season. So when Mo went down in week 1 vs Ohio State, the bell cow role was handed down to Trey. And he (pun intended) ran with it. In 5 total games, Potts ran for over 500 yards and 6 touchdowns on 122 attempts (4.9 YPC).

Suddenly, a backup who entered the season hoping for fill-in reps behind an All Big Ten running back was well on his way to claiming his own such honors. But that dream ended when he suffered a mysterious injury vs Purdue that landed him in an Indiana hospital for nearly a week before he was cleared to return to Minnesota.

Trey Potts Comeback Tour

On Tuesday, we got some good news from Trey Potts, himself. After months of mental and physical battles, he announced (via his social medias), that he’s feeling better and says he’ll “see you” in 2022. Potts will also be on the sidelines for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, AZ on December 28.

pic.twitter.com/VqYaPWULrK

— Trey Potts (@PottsTreyson) December 22, 2021

Everyone's excited about the #Gophers Freshman running backs. But Trey Potts is still The Dude. pic.twitter.com/g0YbF8KxE6

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) September 19, 2021

For Trey, this is amazing news. Many of us weren’t sure what his future held or whether he’d ever return to football. Hopefully Potts’ football career has a lot of days ahead. He’s a great kid who works hard and oozes talent.

Potts’ return means the Gophers might have the deepest and most proven running back group in the entire country. Obviously, it will all start with Mohamed Ibrahim. But Trey proved what he could do last season. So did freshmen Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas, both of whom ran for over 550 yards (4.5 YPC) themselves.

Holy Running Backs, Batman…

Neither Irving’s nor Thomas’ success was unexpected. “Bucky” was one of only four, 4-star recruits in Minnesota’s 2021 class. He had offers from just about every team in the Big Ten (including Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan and Michigan State). Ky Thomas was a 247Sports.com 4-star high school recruit too AND he won Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas in 2019.

Together, they were supposed to be “the future”. But that status quickly had to transition to “the now.” Those who follow recruiting closely knew the Minnesota Gophers’ running back room was one of the deepest on the team. Nobody, however, foresaw them using up all that depth during the 2021 season. Now, all four will return for 2022.

This wouldn’t be an honest blog without addressing the elephant in the running back room. How is PJ Fleck going to keep all of this talent boxed up in Dinkytown when a starting opportunity is just a transfer portal entry away for any of these guys? You can guarantee that both Ky Thomas and Mar’Keise Irving have already felt pressure to test the portal by any of friends, family and/or social media. That started back when Mo announced his return in November.

Transfer Portal Risks?

When the transfer portal is as easily accessible and readily available as it is in 2021, you can never rule it out. And, if the Minnesota Gopher backfield is blessed with better health in the upcoming season, playing time will be much harder to come by. That’s before you get into the NIL aspect of everything, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin compares college football "recruiting" to be more like "free agency" in today's world.

He says the new transfer portal has a lot to do with it. pic.twitter.com/D6kRsVvFwm

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 14, 2021

But as mentioned earlier, both Bucky and Ky got way more run (another pun, I’m sorry) than they expected last season. All four guys are on the radar of NFL scouts, even they younger ones. As long as they’re patient, they’ll all get their shot at being the workhorse for a Big Ten West team, one of the only conferences that remains stubborn about using running back weapons as such.

And for every Jack Gibbens, there’s 100 transfer portal entrants who find that grass is not greener on the other side. There’s absolutely no guarantee they enter the portal and ever find a situation that can showcase their talents like PJ Fleck’s offense will. We just have to hope they realize that too. This running back room seems like one of the closest on the team. That should help.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

News: #Gophers are not anticipating any player opt-outs for the Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs. West Virginia, head coach PJ Fleck said Monday. There are at least three candidates — Daniel Faalele, Boye Mafe and Esezi Otomewo — who are headed to the Senior Bowl.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 13, 2021

(OT) Daniel Faalele, (DE) Boye Mafe and (DE) Esezi Otomewo all have college eligibility left after this season but are instead opting for the NFL draft. All three were chosen and have accepted their invite to compete in the Reese’s Senior Bowl on February 2, the premiere All-Star game for college football players and a week that gives pro scouts a great look at some of the best talent in the upcoming draft.

Out of Eligibility or Off to NFL

The Senior Bowl attendees were probably the biggest early flight risks. The offensive and defensive lines should benefit greatly vs the Mountaineers with Faalele, Mafe and Otomewo in uniform. For those NFL hopefuls and many other Gophers, that Guaranteed Rate Bowl game on December 28 will be the last time they put the shoulder pads on under a Minnesota uniform. Here is the full list of 2021 regulars who are NOT returning (with their 2021 snap count via PFF).

• Conner Olson (OL) | 817 Snaps
• Sam Schlueter (OL) | 817 Snaps
• Daniel Faalele (OT) – Senior Bowl | 771 Snaps
• Coney Durr (CB) | 662 Snaps
• Jack Gibbens (LB) | 643 Snaps
• Ko Kieft (TE) | 539 Snaps
• Esezi Otomewo (DE) – Senior Bowl | 478 Snaps
• Boye Mafe (DE) – Senior Bowl | 435 Snaps
• Nyles Pinckney (DT) | 433 Snaps
• Micah Dew-Treadway (DT) | 335 Snaps
• Justus Harris (CB) | 390 Snaps
• Phillip Howard (CB) | 154 Snaps
• Val Martin (DT) | 152 Snaps

Ciarrocca Band Back Together

While the list of departures may seem long, there are still plenty of returnees fans can get excited about.

First, it was (RB) Mohamed Ibrahim who announced his return for 2022. His decision made sense because, beyond an urge to take the field with a Gopher uniform again, Mo needs to prove he can still be an effective running back for scouts at the next level after spending 2021 on the sideline with a leg injury.

Then, it was (QB) Tanner Morgan who announced he would run it back for one last season too. in hopes of regaining a shadow of his former 2019 form. A return to his old self became a lot more possible when it was announced that Morgan’s 2019 offensive coordinator, Kirk Ciarrocca, was coming back to Dinkytown as the Gophers 2022 OC.

(WR) Chris Autman-Bell was next. After a disappointing season in 2021 that could be mostly blamed on injuries and offensive game plans that too often hated throwing the football, CRAB too announced his return. The hope has to be that Morgan and the passing game will have more life and feature him in a way Ciarrocca once did Rashod Bateman and Tyler Johnson.

pic.twitter.com/9wnQ9zA2zM

— ً (@chrisautmanbell) December 10, 2021

Others Returning

Before the 2021 season kicked off, it was unlikely that any of the three major offensive figures above would still be on the Minnesota Gophers football roster come 2022. But because of injuries and a disappointing pass game, all three will be back in maroon and gold next year. And they aren’t the only important players who have chosen to return.

Today, All Big Ten Center (2nd and 3rd teams) John Michael-Schmitz announced he was joining the coming-back party, a huge deal for the Gophers OL and fans hoping the offense can be more explosive next season. Here’s the full list of regularly contributing seniors and super seniors who have announced their return for 2022.

• John Michael-Schmitz (C) | 816 Snaps
• Tanner Morgan (QB) | 754 Snaps
• Chris Autman-Bell (WR) | 475 Snaps
• Brevyn Spann-Ford (TE) | 419 Snaps
• Thomas Rush (LB) | 385 Snaps
• Terell Smith (CB) | 280 Snaps
• Axel Ruschmeyer (G) | 213 Snaps
• Mohamed Ibrahim (RB) | 49 Snaps

Let’s run it back one more time???? @GopherFootball pic.twitter.com/iMTvvisRfd

— John Michael Schmitz (@jmschmitz1999) December 13, 2021

Undecided

There are some major contributors from 2021 that are yet to announce what their plans are for the upcoming 2022 football season. Blaise Andries is one of those who are undecided. He has been a fixture on the Minnesota Gophers offensive line for a handful of years.

Mariano Sori-Marin and Jordan Howden were two defenders thrust into spotlight roles after Thomas Barber and Antoine Winfield Jr went to the NFL following the 2019 season. But 2020 was shortened by COVID-19 and both Howden and Sori-Marin struggled, along with the entire Gopher defense. But after a bounce back 2021, neither player has decided if they will return for their final season of eligibility.

• Blaise Andries (OL) | 758 Snaps
• Jordan Howden (DB) | 601 Snaps
• Mariano Sori-Marin (LB) | 569 Snaps
• Matthew Trickett (K)

Transfer Portal Losses

Losing players to the transfer portal is part of doing business in college football these days. It’s become easy for unhappy players to jump in the portal and find a new location. The NCAA has needed a free agency for awhile and now they have one.

PJ Fleck and the Gophers are suffering losses to the transfer portal just like every other school across the country. So far, they’ve lost ten. Many of them hadn’t contributed yet in any meaningful way but were expected to eventually.

The biggest name, so far, has to be Zack Annexstad, who started as Minnesota’s QB before Tanner Morgan did. He wasn’t the only backup QB to announce his departure after #2 decided to return.

• Curtis Dunlap (G) | 218 Snaps
• MJ Anderson (DE) | 176 Snaps
• Brady Boyd (WR) – 170 Snaps
• Rashod Cheney (DT) | 40 Snaps
• James Gordon (LB) | 21 Snaps
• Cam Wiley (RB) | 17 Snaps
• Zack Annexstad (QB) | 7 Snaps
• Jacob Clark (QB)

Transfer Portal Gains

The Gophers have pulled one player out of the transfer portal so far for the 2022 season and he’s someone that’s expected to contribute right away. His name is Ryan Stapp and he’s a standout cornerback from FCS level Abilene Christian University. Read more about Stapp in the blog I wrote about him yesterday.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But on Wednesday morning, Ibrahim released a video to his social medias announcing his return in 2022. That’s right, Mo will be back taking handoffs for the Gophers next season.

pic.twitter.com/Ch8vVxNUaa

— Mohamed Ibrahim (@_MoIbrahim) November 24, 2021

Mohamed Ibrahim will be a 2022 5th year senior so his comeback isn’t unprecedented. Most of his current offensive line has been here that long, if not longer.

The Gophers will hope to see the same guy who carried the ball 30 times for 163 yards and 2 TD’s vs Ohio State this season and the same dude who blew up in 2020 for 1076 yards and 15 touchdowns in just 7 games. We don’t know that will be possible, given the significance of the injury he is recovering from, but hopefully it won’t matter.

In Ibrahim’s absence this season, PJ Fleck and Co have found reliable and talented running backs behind him. First, it was Trey Potts (who later suffered his own season-ending injury) and later Mar’Keise Irving and Ky Thomas. After taking the reins, those two have amassed 1,234 yards and 8 touchdowns in the 8+ weeks that they’ve taken the bulk of carries (since playing @ Purdue).

We do not yet know the status of Potts for 2022. But Mo, Ky and Bucky would make for one hell of a three-headed running back monster next season, just by themselves.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan