Gophers have some big questions as transfer portal for college football opens Friday

On Dec. 3, the start of college football’s three-day early signing period, the Gophers announced the signing of a 31-member 2026 recruiting class — the first of two big opportunities to build the roster for the upcoming season.

Beginning Friday, Jan. 2, the second roster-building opportunity begins with the opening of the only transfer portal window for FBS teams in 2026. Many players throughout the country have indicated that they’ll enter their names into the portal, and official visits and signings can begin Jan. 2 and run through Jan. 16. Teams in the College Football Playoff championship game get an extended window through Jan. 20-24.

The one-window portal is a change from 2025 when there was a second window in the spring.

Since the regular season ended Nov. 29, the Gophers have had 15 players announce that they’re entering the transfer portal. Most have been reserves looking for a place where they’ll receive more playing time. The most prominent player to indicate he’s leaving is redshirt freshman running back Fame Ijeboi, the team’s second-leading rusher in 2025 with 441 yards. Also suffering notable losses was the team’s wide receiver group, which saw depth pieces Malachi Coleman and Kenric Lanier II leave.

“We feel great about the retention — the re-signing of the majority of our players, especially the majority of our starters, which is really, really critical for the 2026 season," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said Dec. 24 during Rate Bowl media day.

As of Dec. 31, two of the Gophers’ best players hadn’t announced if they’re returning for the 2026 season. They are:

Defensive line

Two stalwarts at defensive tackle, three-year starter Deven Eastern and four-year starter Jalen Logan-Redding, have exhausted their eligibility and will leave big holes to fill. The Gophers are hopeful that redshirt freshmen Riley Sunram and Jaylin Hicks can mature quickly but will need to mine the portal for immediate help. That’s a challenge because demand is high and supply is low at defensive tackle.

Offensive line

The Gophers have had some transfer portal success stories in recent seasons with players such as Quinn Carroll and Chuck Filiaga making positive impacts. That wasn’t the case in 2025 when transfers Dylan Ray at right tackle and Marcellus Marshall at right guard won starting jobs but struggled. Ray earned a 61.8 rating from Pro Football Focus, with the average mark being 60.0, while Marshall had a 49.7 that included a 36.5 pass-blocking grade. Line issues contributed to the Gophers averaging only 293.2 yards per game, which ranked 129th nationally and 17th in the Big Ten.

Minnesota returns offensive line starters in Greg Johnson, Ashton Beers and Tony Nelson but likely will need to jump into the portal again for at least one starter.

“Learning from our past to have a better future,” is how Fleck described portal evaluations. “What worked, what didn’t work, what process worked, what type of player worked, what didn’t?”

With Taylor’s status uncertain and A.J. Turner returning from season-ending knee surgery, the Gophers have big questions in the backfield. Freshmen Grant Washington and Xavier Ford are the only other returnees on the roster, while incoming freshman Ryan Estrada of El Paso, Texas, has the potential to make an immediate impact.

The return of Taylor would solve a lot of problems and give the Gophers a dual-threat back who can catch the ball, too. Taylor’s durability has been an issue, so expect the coaching staff to seek a proven running back in the portal.

Wide receiver

Jalen Smith’s outstanding performance in the Rate Bowl signaled that the Gophers have a potential future star, while the return of Javon Tracy adds another solid weapon. They’ll need depth from the portal to go with incoming freshmen.

Cornerback

Kicker

Brady Denaburg has used up his eligibility, and while he was largely effective on kickoffs, his 14-for-21 field-goal showing — including 2-for-7 from 40 yards or longer — must be improved upon. Redshirt freshman Daniel Jackson could win the starting job, but expect the Gophers to add a kicker from the portal.

Quarterback