Minnesota stars Max Brosmer, Shawn Hammerbeck and 2 other players having Fights with Head Coach P. J. Fleck and other coaching staff over…..
Saturday offered Gophers football fans — those who are members of the Dinkytown Athletes name, image and likeness collective — a first look at the 2024 team during a spring practice session at the team’s indoor facility.
Most eyes, of course, were on the Gophers’ new quarterback, New Hampshire graduate transfer Max Brosmer, who was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award last year as the nation’s top player at the FCS level. Brosmer showed a live arm and accurate passing during seven-on-seven and individual drills, though he wasn’t perfect — he threw an interception — he is enjoying the process of learning the offense.
“The energy is all that I expected and more,” Brosmer said. “I got to be a part of the team for bowl prep, so I got a little feel for practice. … It’s fun, it’s exciting.”
Coach P.J. Fleck credited Brosmer for his leadership since joining the Gophers and noted that teammates have voted him captain. The coaching staff’s aim now is to keep giving his new quarterback challenges during each practice.
“It’s up to us to be able to close that gap as fast as we can and keep putting them in uncomfortable environments to make them better,” Fleck said of his quarterbacks. “[Brosmer] is a really good player, and the data is out there to support that. … We’ve got to continue to keep that arrow moving for him to be able to keep closing that gap. And I think we did that today a little bit.”
Brosmer played in a passing offense at New Hampshire, while the Gophers’ have relied more heavily on the run. He believes he’ll adapt well.
“This system is very pro-style,” he said. “I go from an FCS school where we’re throwing the ball 50 times a game and where we’re airing it out, to now more of a balanced attack. It’s super helpful for my game as I transition into this new world of the Big Ten and hopefully the NFL.”
indsey impresses
Early enrollee freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey worked with the second string on Saturday. His size (6-5 and 235 pounds) and arm were noticeable as he showed accuracy on a long pass.
“He’s incredibly poised for a true freshman,” Fleck said of the Fayetteville, Ark., native. “I mean, he’s got a long way to go, but, boy, is he fun to coach. … Pairing him with a guy like Max just accelerated his growth.”
Carroll at right guard
Quinn Carroll has started all 26 games at right tackle for the Gophers over the past two seasons. The coaching staff tried to move Carroll to right guard last year, but no one stepped up and won the right tackle job during training camp, so the former Edina standout played right tackle last year and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention.
Saturday, Carroll was back at right guard, and that’s where the Gophers coaches want to keep him.
“We need to see consistency,” Fleck said of the right tackle candidates. “And there’s got to be, ‘leave no doubt about it.’ Just because a job is open doesn’t mean the next guy is going to have the job because it’s open. You’ve got to earn it.”
Fleck pointed to junior Martes Lewis and redshirt freshman Phillip Daniels as right tackle candidates, saying Lewis has gotten a lot better and that Daniels “is an unbelievable athlete who’s got a lot of attitude and plays violently. He’s a great kid.”
Carroll is eager to help at either position. “It’s just trying to find what’s best for myself and what’s best for the team in both the run and pass game,” he said.
Georgia CB commits
The Gophers received their first verbal commitment of the 2025 recruiting class on Saturday when Zachry Harden from Newton High School in Covington, Ga., posted on the X platform that he has selected Minnesota.
Harden, 6-2 and 190 pounds, had offers from 18 other FBS programs, including Texas A&M, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Michigan State and Indiana. He is scheduled to make his Gophers official visit in June.
Following Minnesota’s open practice on Saturday, Minnesota Golden Gophers’ head football coach P.J. Fleck met with the media to discuss his team. Here’s a few of the major takeaways from his time with the media.
FLECK HAS NO HESITATION ON RUNNING BACK WORKLOADS BUT WOULD ‘LOVE TO SHARE IT’ IN A PERFECT WORLD
When asked if he was worried about giving his running backs a heavy workload after seeing Darius Taylor and others go down with injuries in 2023, P.J. Fleck had a quick and swift “No,” answer on Saturday.
“Not at all. I don’t have any hesitation about giving a running back 30 plus carries,” he added. “We’re looking for people who want to take as many carriers as they can. Now, is it perfect for the same guy to take 30 plus carries every single game? Not a perfect world. We have a guy who could do it.”
The Gophers leader believes the program has three to five guys they believe could carry the ball any given game and that in a perfect world, he’d love to split carries but “that’s not promised either,” he would add while noting a running back could get just a handful of injuries and still get hurt.
“But to hesitate on that? No way. In my opinion, that’s why running backs play running back. To touch the ball, to have the ball in their hand more than anyone on the team, as best as possible. I don’t have any hesitation in all that but in a perfect world you’d love to share it.”
Notably, last season after taking over the running back duties against Eastern Michigan, true freshman running back Darius Taylor had games of 33, 22, 31, 16, and 35 carries for the Gophers. In just six games, he totaled 138 carries for 799 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 11 receptions.
Fleck and the Gophers throughout his tenure have not ever shown hesitation of giving the ball to their “bell cow” running back with Mohamed Ibrahim notably recording games of 25+ carries in 16 of his 40 career games. Furthermore, in his final 20 games as a Gopher in the 2020, 2021,and 2022 seasons, Ibrahim had 18 games in which he recorded 20+ carries and 12 games of 25+ carries.
ON DEFENSIVE BACKS JAI’ONTE MCMILLAN AND ETHAN ROBINSON
“Jai and Ethan are joys to be around, they’re football guys,” Fleck said. While the Gophers are still working through practices without pads, the growth of both players from their prior schools has been evident.
“We knew both of those kids coming from where they were coming from, once they got into this program, were both going to accelerate,” he added about both players who saw progression off the field as well through winter workouts.
Both McMillan and Robinson both came into Minnesota with the mindset of wanting to get better and willing to work for it, Fleck would go on to say about the two cornerbacks and that through two practices.
McMillan and Robinson entered the Minnesota program this offseason after transferring away from TCU and Bucknell respectively. Robinson is expected to play a significant role on the Gophers’ defense this fall while McMillan projects as a potential starting safety for the program.
ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRESHMAN QB DRAKE LINDSEY
“A long way to go,” P.J. Fleck said about Lindsay, “but boy, is he fun to coach,” the Gophers head coach immediately said afterwards. “You can tell, the kid has won a state championship, he’s had all the pressure and expectations on him since he’s a little kid. Gatorade Player of the Year in his state. He’s got an unbelievable family, his work ethic is through the roof, but I think pairing him with a guy like Max is just accelerating his growth.’
This spring Lindsey is only one of two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster for the Golden Gophers behind New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer.
Fleck would go on to add that Lindsey has been impressive early on when it comes to understanding the Gophers’ offense, play installs, and execution on the field. “What he’s been able to handle in two practices and the install Max is given, he’s getting the same thing, and executing it at the same level Max is, I haven’t seen that before from a true freshman,” he added.“
“It’s going to come down to reps and experience and gaining that stuff as he keeps getting better,” Fleck said. “Drake is exactly what we thought he was.”
ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
After an up-and-down 2023 on the offensive line, the offensive line is going to be one position group under close scrutiny by P.J. Fleck and Brian Callahan this spring and fall. “We need to see consistency and there’s got to be ‘no leave doubt about it,’ ‘ he said. “Just because a job is open doesn’t mean the next guy is going to have a job, because it’s open, you have to earn and win the job. Nobody earns or wins the job? Then somebody is going to move over that earned a different job.”
Fleck highlighted redshirt senior Martes Lewis and redshirt freshman Phillip Daniels as two offensive lineman that have been standing out this offseason. Fleck called Daniels “an unbelievable athlete” who also “plays violently.” Additionally, he said that the Gophers have 9 or 10 offensive lineman that have been ready for their opportunity this spring.
Last season, the Golden Gophers offensive line allowed 21 stacks across 13 games. They also allowed redshirt senior Quinn Carroll especially struggled, allowing 22 pressures on 342 pass blocking opportunities. However, of those 22 pressures, he only allowed one sack as the Gophers’ right tackle. The Golden Gophers this offseason saw the departures of offensive linemen Nathan Boe, Karter Shaw, J.J. Guedet.
1. **Running Back Workloads:** Fleck expressed confidence in giving running backs a heavy workload, emphasizing that running backs play the position to touch the ball frequently. Despite the risk of injuries, he believes in utilizing players who can handle 30+ carries per game. However, he acknowledges the ideal scenario of sharing carries among multiple backs.
2. **Defensive Backs Jai’onte McMillan and Ethan Robinson:** Fleck praised the attitude and progress of defensive backs McMillan and Robinson, who transferred to Minnesota. He highlighted their work ethic and their potential roles within the team, indicating they could play significant roles in the upcoming season.
3. **Development of Freshman QB Drake Lindsey:** Fleck spoke positively about Lindsey’s potential despite acknowledging he has a long way to go. He commended Lindsey’s work ethic, family background, and ability to handle pressure, noting his rapid understanding of the team’s offense. Lindsey’s progress is being accelerated by pairing him with senior quarterback Max Brosmer.
4. **Offensive Line:** Fleck emphasized the need for consistency and competition within the offensive line. He highlighted specific players, such as redshirt senior Martes Lewis and redshirt freshman Phillip Daniels, who have stood out during offseason practices. The departure of several linemen from the previous season has opened up opportunities for others to compete for starting roles.
Overall, Fleck’s comments reflect a mix of optimism, emphasis on competition, and confidence in the team’s ability to develop and perform, especially in key positions like running back, defensive back, quarterback, and offensive line.
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