Nuke Hayes, Nathan Roy highlight young standouts in Gophers bowl game win

Minnesota fans were introducted to two potential breakout stars.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Donielle Hayes (18) celebrates his teams win after the game against the USC Trojans at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

P.J. Fleck has compiled a perfect 6-0 in bowl games as head coach of the Gophers. He hasn't only found success on the scoreboard, but he also has routinely used the games as an opportunity for young underclassmen to get valuable playing experience. There were two players in particular that stood out for Minnesota on Friday against Virginia Tech.

Koi Perich got all of the headlines last year as Minnesota's prized high school recruit, but offensive lineman Nathan Roy wasn't too far behind. Ranked as the 183rd-best recruit in the 2024 class, he was the sixth-highest-ranked high school recruit to ever sign with Minnesota in the internet era.

He played five snaps against Maryland in clean-up duty during the regular season, but his 15 snaps against Virginia Tech was the first meaningful playing time he had as a true freshman. He did allow Minnesota's only sack of the night, but he performed well outside of that with a 62.9 Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall grade.

"It's tremendous getting Nathan Roy experience. He's somebody that we're going to rely on in the future," Fleck said after the game when asked about underclassmen who stood out.

Minnesota had a handful of underclassmen make contributions, but arguably the most notable was redshirt freshman Donielle 'Nuke' Hayes. He also played some snaps in cleanup duty throughout the regular season, but he had the third-highest PFF grade on the Gophers' offense at 71.5 against Virginia Tech.

"You know who made some catches today? Nuke Hayes. That was probably the one that we really needed to come along and this was huge for his 2025 season," Fleck said. "We're going to need Nuke Hayes and it has taken him a few years to develop. Part of that is the nutrition plan, the weight program, not everybody is ready to play the minute they get there. Nuke has paid the price. Nuke has earned it."

He finished the night with the first two catches of his career for 22 receiving yards, which ranked third on the team. He also showed his versatility with a massive pancake block while run-blocking. He was the 633rd-ranked recruit in the class of 2023 but he showed that he's ready to contribute to a Big Ten roster.

Minnesota has added three wide receivers and three offensive linemen from the transfer portal, all of whom have more experience than Hayes and Roy. There is plenty of time before the Gophers kick off their 2025 season against Buffalo, but Hayes and Roy proved that they could make some noise next season.

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