Gophers could be thin on receiving options for Rate Bowl against New Mexico

On Dec. 11, quarterback Drake Lindsey announced he’s returning to the Gophers in 2026 and that he’s looking forward to leading the team in the Rate Bowl on Dec. 26 in Phoenix. However, who Lindsey will be throwing the football to against New Mexico remains a moving target.

Senior wide receiver Le’Meke Brockington, the team’s leading pass-catcher with 46 receptions for 484 yards and four touchdowns, posted on Instagram that he has declared for the 2026 NFL draft while also thanking his teammates and coaches. Brockington does not have collegiate eligibility remaining after the 2025 season, so his message could be an indication he’s opting out of playing in the Rate Bowl to avoid potential injury or focus on draft preparation.

Coach P.J. Fleck on Wednesday would not say if Brockington will play in the Rate Bowl.

“We have a lot of players that are practicing with us and are around with us. Some are not,” Fleck said during a news conference. “Some will play. Some won’t play.”

If Brockington doesn’t play, it would further deplete a receiving corps that has had five players indicate they’ll enter their name into the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2. Two of those players — Malachi Coleman and Kenric Lanier II — combined to catch eight passes for 162 yards, while the other three — Cristian Driver, Legend Lyons and Quentin Redding — did not catch a pass in 2025.

Junior Javon Tracy and freshman Jalen Smith figure to receive most of the attention if Brockington doesn’t play. Tracy is the team’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 439 yards and a team-high six touchdowns, while Smith ranks third with 22 catches for 355 yards and two touchdowns.

In addition, the Gophers have a solid receiving threat in running back Darius Taylor, who led Big Ten backs in receptions with 54 in 2024 and has 30 receptions for 222 yards this season. Tight end Jameson Geers also has 26 catches for 206 yards and four touchdowns. A wild-card option is safety Koi Perich, who has three receptions for 55 yards this season.

“We’re gonna highlight the guys who are out there and their strengths,” Harbaugh said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how different players play. And the bowl prep has been good because we had this opportunity where we have younger players at every position, whether it’s offensive line all the way to the wideout room, where you can put different guys in different spots and challenge them to see different things.”

The departures leave the Gophers with holes to fill in their receiving room heading into the 2026 season. They signed five incoming freshman wideouts during the early signing period, and look for Fleck and receivers coach Matt Simon to seek productive receivers in the transfer portal.

Defensive end Anthony Smith, a fourth-year junior who ranked third in the Big Ten with 10½ sacks and tied for fourth with 13½ tackles for loss, has not indicated to Fleck if he’ll return for his senior season in 2026 or declare for the NFL draft by the Jan. 14 deadline. His status for the bowl game remains uncertain.

“Everybody’s on their own time frame,” Fleck said. “… You listen to what your players are saying, listen to what their agents are saying. You’re giving them the time to make these really big decisions."

The Gophers will have their top two tacklers — linebackers Maverick Baranowski and Devon Williams — in the lineup for the Rate Bowl. Baranowski, a junior who has 86 tackles this season, also announced he’s returning for his senior season in 2026.

Williams, who has 82 tackles this season, is savoring one last game with the Gophers.