Scoggins: Gophers season dependent on training camp ‘speed dating’

The Gophers hosted their football season kickoff media day on Wednesday, an event that carries the same vibe as the first day of school.

Can everybody please stand up, introduce yourself and tell us a fun fact.

The Gophers are like many, if not most, teams in major college football. Lots of new faces. Lots of unknowns. Lots to be revealed.

The Gophers have a new quarterback. New receiving corps. New offensive line. New cornerback group. New kicker. New defensive coordinator.

The plug-and-play nature of the transfer portal era brings a heightened sense of newness to seasons. New doesn’t mean anything negative. Just different. Rosters in today’s climate usually change somewhere between significantly and dramatically year to year.

“Just the landscape of the team is a lot different,” said star running back Darius Taylor, a familiar face to fans. “The way that we talk to each other, the way that we do things on the field. Everything is pretty different.”

Developing chemistry and continuity becomes more like speed dating. Position groups don’t often have the luxury of being intact for three or four seasons as players mature together. Teams welcoming transfers from other schools must get on the same page on the fly.

On paper, the Gophers look talented and their schedule favorable, but the unknowns still must be answered. Like clockwork, one prominent Vegas oddsmaker put their projected win total right in the middle: 6.5.

That number rarely moves much for the Gophers in preseason predictions. No matter the circumstances, outside prognostications typically fall between five and seven wins. So it goes again this season.

The largest unknown, of course, falls on the most important position. Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey slides into the starting role as the successor to Max Brosmer, the one-year wonder who made P.J. Fleck reveal his wild side.

“I had to change,” Fleck said moments after his team defeated Wisconsin last November.

Fleck trusted his quarterback and his passing game. In turn, the offense evolved into something Fleck hadn’t shown in his Dinkytown tenure.

The Gophers became a pass-first operation, finishing 57th nationally in pass attempts per game (31.7). That might not seem all that radical to anyone unfamiliar with Gophers football, but it represented Fleck’s version of Air Raid.

Does that continue with Lindsey?

Physically, the young quarterback passes the eye test. Coaches and players rave about his talent as a passer and his makeup as a leader. They describe him as a “connector” and “extrovert.”

Now he needs game experience to show how he handles success, adversity, hostile road environments, Big Ten speed, all-out blitzes, third-and-longs, exotic schemes and the pressure of being the face of a major college football program.

“I feel like I’m a very good football player,” he said. “I’m in the spot I am for a reason.”

He had an ideal mentor. Brosmer excelled at deciphering defenses and being able to process situations quickly. As a graduate student with plenty of time available, he spent every waking hour preparing for Saturday. Lindsey acted as his shadow.

He listened and observed and learned. The two roomed together on road games and would talk shop all the way up until lights out. Lindsey is ready to take the baton.

“He’s very, very impressive to do this as a redshirt freshman,” tight end Jameson Geers said. “His preparation for everything is top notch. Everyone on offense has so much trust in him.”

He will need help from players around him who fall under the unknown category, as well. The top two receivers from last season (Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer) are gone. All five offensive line spots will feature a new starter, including at least two transfers.

Again, new doesn’t mean worse, but we haven’t seen what the puzzle looks like yet.

Fleck and his staff have a track record of developing talent. The list of players who began their career at one point and ended in a considerably higher spot is expanding, as evident by 11 NFL draft picks in the past four years. Minnesota is one of only nine programs nationally that has produced a first- or second-round draft pick in each of the past six years.

The 2025 team features star power with Taylor, safety Koi Perich and defensive lineman Anthony Smith as headliners. Finding out about the rest brings intrigue to the start of every season, now more than ever.