Gophers’ Darius Taylor, Anthony Smith to play in Rate Bowl against New Mexico

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Pierre Noujaim, sports reporter and anchor for KMSP-TV (Ch. 9), took the straightforward approach with Gophers football coach P.J. Fleck on Dec. 24 during media day for the Rate Bowl.

“Is there anybody who’s not playing — who’s in and who’s out?" Noujaim asked Fleck, who chuckled and trotted out his standard line: “The availability report will come out two hours before kickoff. … We’ve had a great week of practice with the guys who are going to play, and that’s going to be our focus."

Fleck kept things close to the vest for the Dec. 26 Rate Bowl, which matches the Gophers (7-5) against New Mexico (9-3) at Chase Field in Phoenix. Indications, though, suggest the Gophers won’t be decimated by players opting out of the game.

Defensive end Anthony Smith and running back Darius Taylor were among the five players who accompanied Fleck to Rate Bowl media day, and both practiced Dec. 24 and will play in the game. After that, though, neither would tip his hand about the future.

“I’m just focused on this. I really haven’t thought about it at all,” said Smith, a redshirt junior who could opt to enter the NFL draft, enter the transfer portal and receive a lucrative name, image and likeness deal, or return for one final season with the Gophers. Smith added: “I just want to send the seniors out on a good note.”

Taylor, a junior and the Gophers’ leading rusher, said he hasn’t decided on his future.

“I haven’t really thought about stuff,” said Taylor of his 2026 options.

Leading wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington, who previously announced he’s declaring for the NFL draft, was not with the Gophers.

As more players around the country announce on social media their intentions to either return to their current program or enter the transfer portal, Fleck has been impressed with the number of players who are staying with the Gophers.

“Our retention rate has been incredible,” Fleck said. “… We feel great about re-signing the majority of our players, especially the majority of our starters, which is really, really critical for the 2026 season."

Quarterback Drake Lindsey decided to return to the Gophers even before their regular-season finale against Wisconsin on Nov. 29, and he believes that can help for next year.

“Just knowing I wanted to come back, win or lose that game, was big,” Lindsey said. “That was the biggest stepping stone — letting guys know that I was coming back for the 2026 season."

“Hueber would tell stories about the lore of the [Minnesota-Wisconsin] game and the history, and we definitely saw that as our biggest rival, playing the Gophers,” Eck said.

Eck spent two years as an assistant coach under Tom Sawyer at Winona State, and that staff included another current FBS coach in Fresno State’s Matt Entz. Eck also was an assistant at Minnesota State Mankato, which had current Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert as its defensive coordinator.

During his two stints in Minnesota, Eck enjoyed what the state had to offer.