Zach Pyron vs. Drake Lindsey: Who will be Minnesota's QB1 in 2025?

How does the addition of Pyron impact the Gophers' quarterback outlook?

Sep 14, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Zach Pyron (5) celebrates after a touchdown run against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech transfer quarterback Zach Pyron committed to the Gophers on Wednesday, giving them their first addition from the portal this offseason and a veteran arm for their QB room. Will he compete for the starting role? How does this impact Drake Lindsey? Who is Pyron, anyways? Let's break it all down.

Hailing from Pinson, Alabama, Pyron earned numerous accolades as a high school prospect. He led Fyffe High School to a pair of 2A state titles as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to a bigger program, Pinson Valley, where he led the team to a 6A championship appearance and a quarterfinal run.

Pyron was a consensus four-star prospect in the class of 2022, according to most recruiting sites. 247Sports ranked him as the 414th-best player in the country and 24th-best quarterback. He was also a finalist in the well-known Elite 11 quarterback camp, alongside other top talents like Quinn Ewers, Cade Klubnik and Drew Allar.

After verbally committing to Baylor, Pyron flipped to Georgia Tech before signing day. He made a mark as a true freshman with the Yellow Jackets, making two starts and playing in three games in 2022. A coaching change and injuries down the stretch prompted him to play late in the season, and he completed 59.8 percent of his passes for 565 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions. He added 35 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

Georgia Tech opted to bring in Texas A&M transfer Haynes King as a more veteran option at the position in 2023, so Pyron redshirted as a reserve, attempting only eight passes on the season. King returned in 2024, and the emergence of true freshman Aaron Philo eventually pushed Pyron down to being the third-string option.

Pyron started two games this past season against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech with King injured, completing 51.7 percent of his passes for 345 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. After struggling against the Hokies, Pyron was benched in favor of Philo, who seems like Georgia Tech's likely starter in 2025. Pyron chose to hit the transfer portal in search of a change of scenery.

Who will start for the Gophers in 2025? Pyron or Drake Lindsey?

The top conversation between now and the Gophers' 2025 Week 1 game against Buffalo will be who will start at quarterback between Pyron and Lindsey, who is an impressive rising sophomore. I think it will be a true competition between now and then. Pyron has made five starts against power conference opponents, while Lindsey has attempted a total of four passes against Rhode Island.

For all intents and purposes, Minnesota has loved what it has seen from Lindsey in about 12 months with the program. But adding Pyron, who has two years of eligibility remaining, means they don't have to put all of their eggs in the Lindsey basket in 2025.

It would be unfair to have a real answer in December, but the fact that the Gophers open 2025 against Buffalo and Northwestern State might give them an opportunity to have both guys play early in the season. It's obviously possible one guy runs away with the job, but I also think there's a scenario where we see both of them start games in 2025 and maybe don't get a definitive answer until midseason.

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