Gophers football players Coleman Bryson and Martin Owusu enter the transfer portal

Coleman Bryson, a safety, was MVP of the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl for Minnesota, while defensive back Martin Owusu played in one game over two years.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 8, 2025 at 5:47PM
Minnesota defensive back Coleman Bryson (16) celebrates with teammates after the team defeated Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Gophers safety Coleman Bryson (16) celebrates with teammates after the 28-20 victory over Syracuse in the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl. (Adam Hunger/The Associated Press)

A former bowl game MVP and a reserve defensive lineman for the Gophers have entered their names into the transfer portal.

Safety Coleman Bryson, who played in 31 games over three seasons, and defensive tackle Martin Owusu, who played in one game over two seasons, are leaving the program, becoming the 11th and 12th players to enter the portal since the 2024 season started.

Bryson, a third-year sophomore from Waynesville, N.C., was the MVP of the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl after returning an interception 70 yards for a touchdown, making seven tackles and breaking up one pass in the Gophers’ 28-20 victory over Syracuse at Yankee Stadium.

He played all 13 games in 2023, making 25 tackles, and all 13 games in 2024, collecting 20 tackles and three pass breakups. Bryson has two years of eligibility remaining.

Owusu, a 6-2, 300-pounder from Prior Lake, redshirted during the 2023 season and played in one game in 2024, making one tackle. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

The Gophers have added 14 players through the transfer portal. As of Wednesday morning, they had the No. 20-ranked transfer portal class and the No. 6 transfer class in the Big Ten, according to recruiting-focused website 247Sports.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Minnesota Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

See More

More from Gophers

card image

Minnesota’s record climbed to 16-1, and Amaya Battle had 21 points, six rebounds and five assists when two standout first-year players — Minnesota’s Tori McKinney and Rutgers' Kiyomi McMiller — weren’t available to play.

Minnesota defensive back Coleman Bryson (16) celebrates with teammates after the team defeated Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl.