New Gophers QB Max Brosmer: 'The [transfer] portal is insane'

"It's such a stressful time because it feels like this decision will last you the rest of your life."

When new Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer entered the transfer portal in late November he wasn't prepared for just how crazy his life was about to become.

"The portal is insane," Brosmer told Justin Gaard on the latest Golden Gophers Podcast. "It's such a stressful time because it feels like this decision will last you the rest of your life. And you have to make that decision in a matter of one-to-two weeks. I was freaking out about it. It's a lot."

The Roswell, Georgia native admitted he couldn't respond to everybody who had reached out when entered the portal.

In early December Brosmer committed to playing his final year of college ball for PJ Fleck and the Gophers admitting "it was a bit surreal" to be talking to Fleck.

Brosmer is coming off a season at the University of New Hampshire in which he lead the FCS with 3,459 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and only six interceptions this season. The 6-foot-2 QB finished four years at New Hampshire passing for 8,701 yards, 70 touchdowns and 25 interceptions in 36 games.

"I'm having a really good time with the team," said Brosmer who spent a week with the Gophers while they prepared for the Quick Lane Bowl in late December. "I think the bowl week was a really good way to get with the team for a few days. Kind of be immersed in the culture for as few days as I was there with the team."

Max Brosmer in action / Credit: University of New Hampshire

Brosmer admitted the portal didn't become a "reality" to him until around Thanksgiving. "I was talking to my family and some people that I trust very dearly. It was more of an opportunity thing."

Brosmer said he consulted family, friends, teammates and his coaches saying he "wanted a full, well-rounded decision" before deciding to leave New Hampshire. It wasn't an easy decision saying he felt "like I'm leaving a team behind" but that "finding a team that may need someone to lead them" helped make the transition a bit easier, while providing a new challenge for him. 

"I found a lot excitement in that. When I got to visit Minnesota and see there was a spot this team needed, and wants and craves. I'm excited to compete and be that guy for the team and earn that every single day."

The new Gophers QB admits the attention he received while in the portal was different. "I was a very low recruited player out of high school, I only had a handful of offers. . . Coming into the portal I was a higher rated recruit, I hadn't been there before." On3 ranked Brosmer as their ninth-best QB in the portal earlier this winter.

"Minnesota was an early school for me. They reached out pretty early in the recruiting process and they moved quickly," said Brosmer of his recruitment process after entering the portal. "I talked with Coach Harbaugh and Coach Fleck on the phone. Before I made a decision to come on an official visit I wanted to make sure these were the people I wanted to be around. I ultimately came here and found what I was looking for."

Stylistically the offenses the Gophers and New Hampshire run are incredibly different. During his final year with the Wildcats, Brosmer averaged 41.6 pass attempts per game. Minnesota ranked 124th in the nation in 2023 with 24.0 pass attempts per game.

"Football wise, I think it all takes care of itself," Brosmer responded when asked if there were concerns about coming to a run-heavy offense. He pointed out Michigan's J.J. McCarthy as an example of a college QB who didn't throw a lot but is still considered an early-round quarterback prospect.

"I think efficiency is the biggest thing as a quarterback," Brosmer said. "There's an element at UNH we just chucked it around because we had the guys to do it. At Minnesota there's a lot more evenness in the conference now. . . When you get to the nitty-gritty of it who can run the ball the most efficient, that team is probably going to go farther along in the playoff race."

"That's Big Ten Football," continued Brosmer. "The Big Ten and SEC have become the powerhouses of the conferences. To have the opportunity to do that and potentially be the starter for Minnesota is crazy to me. I'm proud of how far I've come and I'm excited to do a lot more."