Latest Gophers transfer portal QB rumblings

Who will Minnesota add as its fifth quarterback?

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron (5) is hit while throwing by Notre Dame Fighting Irish defensive end Joshua Burnham (40) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The transfer portal officially opened on Monday, but the Gophers have not yet been linked to any quarterback. P.J. Fleck has commented twice on what Minnesota plans to do at the position this offseason and I think their current strategy is showing us what type of signal caller they could add.

On Dec. 4, Fleck said emphatically that the Gophers will "absolutely" add a quarterback from the transfer portal. He changed his tune a little bit over the weekend, complimenting the current QB room, saying, "a lot of things go into it."

In both instances, Fleck reiterated that Minnesota fully intends to add a fifth quarterback to the room through the transfer portal. There's no reason to think otherwise, but the lack of connection to any names currently in the portal makes me think they will take a much different approach than last season with Max Brosmer.

Multiple people on the coaching staff and people who are around the team continue to praise returning freshman Drake Lindsey. If everything goes right, I think the Gophers want him to be their starting quarterback next season, but I also believe they learned their lesson in 2023 when there was not much depth behind Athan Kaliakmanis and they don't want to put all of their eggs in the Lindsey basket just yet.

UAB's Jacob Zeno and Auburn's Hank Brown were two options that I thought could make sense, but they seem to be off the board heading elsewhere. There are still plenty of options for Minnesota to look at.

Potential options

Zach Pyron, Georgia Tech

Pyron made two starts and appeared in three games as a true freshman for the Yellow Jackets in 2022. He completed 59.8% of his passes for 565 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He was jumped by Haynes King and later Aaron Philo on the depth chart, but he made one start this season against Notre Dame and he completed 20-of-36 passes for 269 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

JJ Kohl, Iowa State

Kohl is a much different option than Pyron, as he played only 27 snaps at Iowa State. Minnesota offered Kohl as a high school recruit in the 2023 cycle. He was a talented, top-150, four-star recruit and he could be another arm in the Gophers' QB room.