The Minnesota Gophers will play a football game tomorrow, after a month-long break since their last match on November 24 against Wisconsin. They are set to compete in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Friday at 6 PM CST, facing off against the Virginia Tech Hokies.
Most of the Gophers’ healthy players will be on the field, including quarterback Max Brosmer, who will be playing his final collegiate game. Sophomore running back Darius Taylor is also expected to play and has the opportunity to surpass 1,000 rushing yards for the season if he rushes for 130 yards in the game.
Minnesota Gophers will be missing lots of talent at Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Here’s the good news: some key Gophers players will be participating. The bad news, however, is that several others, especially those eyeing the 2025 NFL Draft, will not. According to Ryan Burns (247Sports), many of the Gophers expected to hear their names called in the draft will be sitting out.
These players include (LT) Aireontae Ersery, (LB) Cody Lindenberg, (WR) Daniel Jackson, (RB) Marcus Major, (C) Tyler Cooper, and (OL) Phillip Daniels. This leaves a noticeable gap on an offensive line that struggled throughout much of the 2024 season.
Randy Johnson of the Star Tribune added that the Gophers could also be missing (DL) Jah Joyner and (CB) Justin Walley. As a result, Minnesota will not be at full strength in Charlotte.
Despite these absences, the Gophers remain -9 favorites. Why? PJ Fleck is 5-0 in bowl games as Minnesota’s head coach, and the Gophers are likely a stronger team than the Hokies, even with these missing players. However, Virginia Tech is facing even bigger challenges.
As Burns points out, the Hokies will be without two First-Team All-ACC defensive linemen, most of their secondary, and two starting linebackers. It will be tough for them to stop Max Brosmer and Darius Taylor under those circumstances.
What are Gophers missing without Jackson, Ersery, Lindenberg, others?
Nonetheless, Minnesota’s absences will undoubtedly have an impact. Aireontae Ersery is projected to be a first-round draft pick in April. Daniel Jackson, the Gophers’ most productive pass catcher, recorded 75 receptions for 863 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was also widely considered the most notable All-Conference snub of the 2024 class.
Screw fox, that's a Gophers TD and I'm posting it pic.twitter.com/dQOnD9o9Fz
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) September 28, 2024
On defense, Minnesota will be without Cody Lindenberg, who leads the team by a wide margin with 94 tackles. The next closest tacklers, Kerry Brown and Maverick Baranowski, are tied with 59 each. Replacing that level of production won’t be easy.
Fortunately for the Gophers, Virginia Tech will also be missing their top defensive linemen. However, with most of Minnesota’s offensive line sitting out, the game will still present challenges. This will be a valuable opportunity for PJ Fleck and his coaching staff to evaluate some of the linemen who haven’t played much this season. It will also allow them to adjust their transfer portal plans for the upcoming post-bowl period as needed.
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