Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey’s success will be based on support from running game, offensive line

When the Gophers open the 2025 football season on Thursday night against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium, it’s safe to say that quarterback Drake Lindsey will command the lion’s share of the attention — or at least the part that isn’t going to do-it-all safety Koi Perich.

After all, the redshirt freshman is taking over for Max Brosmer, the one-year wonder who made the passing game fun again for the Gophers and now has spread Brosmania to the Vikings. Lindsey spent last season seemingly attached to Brosmer’s hip to learn his trade through hard work and osmosis, and now it’s his time to take the reins.

Neither coach P.J. Fleck nor offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. has tamped down expectations for Lindsey, the former Fayetteville, Ark., star who stayed true to the Gophers despite a late recruiting push from his hometown Arkansas Razorbacks. Fleck considers Lindsey the most advanced freshman quarterback he has coached, while Harbaugh adds “nothing really rattles him.”

An offense, though, isn’t built on a quarterback alone, and Harbaugh aims to make sure there’s steak behind the sizzle.

“I know with a young quarterback — and this goes without saying — the run game has to be his friend," Harbaugh said.

To that end, Lindsey has a very good friend in junior running back Darius Taylor, who amassed 1,336 all-purpose yards last year while also catching 54 passes, the most by any Big Ten running back. Taylor burst on the scene as a freshman in 2023 by posting three games of 200 or more all-purpose yards while being limited to six games because of injuries.

Should Taylor take the next step in his progression — he finished 14 yards shy of a 1,000-yard rushing season last year — the Gophers could have the offensive balance that will make the play-action game all that more effective.

“I feel very comfortable with any of the four of those guys out there,” Harbaugh said.

They’ll operate behind an offensive line that has new starters at all five positions. The line will need time to jell, but it has the size — average weight: 320 pounds — to become a mauling type of unit.

Lindsey’s top targets figure to be wide receivers Le’Meke Brockington, Javon Tracy (Miami of Ohio transfer), Logan Loya (UCLA transfer) and redshirt freshman Jalen Smith, along with Taylor and tight end Jameson Geers.

The wild card is the speedy and explosive Perich, who’ll be used on offense, and not just as a decoy.

How much success the Gophers have will in large part hinge on Lindsey. Expecting him to match Brosmer’s completion rate of 66.5% (second best in program history) might be a stretch, but if he approaches 60% and limits interceptions, it’s a win for the Gophers.

“Throughout training camp, I challenged him, day in and day out, to be able to handle protections, handle things in the passing game,” Harbaugh said. “I just want us to be an offense that doesn’t put the ball in harm’s way. It’s physical and attacks people. And if we can do that, I’ll be very happy with the identity of our offense.”

While Lindsey’s name isn’t listed among the Big Ten’s quarterback elite in preseason rankings, Atlanta-based quarterbacks tutor Quincy Avery, who works with both Lindsey and Brosmer, believes it’s only a matter of time before people will become aware of the 6-5, 230-pounder.

“Drake Lindsey is so much better than anyone understands,” Avery tweeted over the weekend. “I truly and honestly believe he’s gonna be a Rd1 pick when it’s all said and done.” Avery has worked with NFL quarterbacks Jalen Hurts, Trey Lance, Jordan Love and DeShaun Watson.

Of course, not everything will go perfectly for Lindsey in his first season as a collegiate starter. He will face adversity, and Harbaugh believes Lindsey’s response will be defining. He pointed to Lindsey leading Fayetteville to a fourth-quarter rally to beat Bentonville for the 2023 state championship.

“There will be a time where I think he’ll throw a pick, will turn the ball over, something negative will happen,” Harbaugh said. “That’s when it’s going to really show his true leadership and the poise that he plays with. That’s what I’m excited about.”