Gophers lose veteran guard to the transfer portal

The first domino has fallen in the outlook for Minnesota's 2025-26 roster.

Gophers guard Tyler Cochran / Gopher Athletics

Tyler Cochran's Gophers career is officially over, and he's entering the transfer portal after playing zero games in a Minnesota uniform. The 2023-24 Mid American Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year at Toledo did not see the court this season, as he was recovering from preseason foot surgery.

BREAKING: As expected, Gophers veteran guard Tyler Cochran (@captaintc23) is expected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal. @JamieShaw5 was first

2023-24 MAC DPOY at Toledo never played in a UMN uniform after recovering from a broken foot. He's now the first domino to fall.… pic.twitter.com/5BonBqGIoM

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) March 14, 2025

When it was announced that Cochran broke his foot in October, former Gophers head coach Ben Johnson said that the team expected to get him back in December. That never happened, and he remained sidelined for the entire season.

The 6-foot-3 guard would've provided a unique skillset for the Gophers, but after starting 0-6 in conference play, fitting him into the rotation would've been a tough ask. This was likely a situation that made more sense for both sides, having him sit out for the whole season to preserve a year of eligibility instead of awkwardly fitting him in late in the season.

This was relatively expected news given the coaching chance, and Cochran is now the first domino to fall in an offseason that could see more extreme turnover to the Gophers' roster. The focus now turns to five scholarship players who could opt to return and three incoming freshman who need to decide if they want to remain committed to Minnesota.

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