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.

Cal transfer OLB TJ Bush Jr. has signed with Minnesota, ESPN has learned.

The former Liberty transfer and Freshman All-American produced 10.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks this season. pic.twitter.com/xRJIiwbhHy

— Max Olson (@max_olson) January 7, 2026

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.