The Gophers’ final open practice of fall camp had the feel of a checkpoint. Two weeks before the season opener, Minnesota took the field Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium with fans getting one last look before the real games begin Sept. 3 against Eastern Illinois.
P.J. Fleck said the plan was simple: get one more simulated look at game conditions, then turn the page to game-planning.
“Two weeks from game time, so kind of simulated that tonight,” Fleck said. “We just want to play football.”
That next phase is coming after nearly three full weeks of camp, which Fleck said has gone well. Now the Gophers are moving toward Week 1 with a better sense of who they are and where the depth sits across the roster.
One of the biggest developments Thursday came in the backfield. A.J.
Turner went through contact for the first time in about 10 months, his first such practice since ACL surgery. Turner played three games last season before the knee injury, and Fleck came away encouraged by what he saw.
“He hit his catapult number and trainers pulled him out, which was great,” Fleck said. “But we saw him lower his pads, have some violent run on contact.
There was nothing holding him back. Sometimes your first time you go in contact, you want to see how you really push off that knee when the contact's there.
I thought he looked great.”
Turner gives Minnesota another option behind Darius Taylor, though it remains unclear whether he’ll be cleared for the Sept. 3 opener.
At quarterback, Drake Lindsey is entering his second season as the starter and continues to draw praise from Fleck for the way he has handled camp. Lindsey threw for 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in his first full year running the offense, and Fleck said the growth has shown up in the details - maturity, confidence and how he handles the pocket.
“He is a sponge. He's a student in the game.
He's always in the building,” Fleck said. “You watch the evolution of his game from the maturity and the confidence.
And I think he's building with that every single day.”
There’s even preseason buzz that Lindsey could put himself in position to become a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft if he hits his ceiling this season.
On the defensive side, Fleck pointed to John Nestor as one of the players who has made a noticeable jump. Nestor, now a starting defensive back and a leader in the secondary, transferred in from Iowa and needed time to settle in. Fleck said that adjustment has given way to real confidence.
“When he first got here, you know, I think he questioned himself here and there, and now he's one of the most confident guys on the team,” Fleck said. “John Nestor has been one of those guys that truly has used it and risen his game though his confidence in every area of his life. And, you know, he's a very, very productive player as well, but he's leaps and bounds from where he was last year.”
Fleck also addressed the linebacker room, where the competition is still very much alive. Asked whether Matt Kingsbury had separated himself next to Maverick Baranowski, Fleck said the battle is ongoing and stressed the depth Minnesota has built there.
“Joey Gerlach's playing at a high level. Kingsbury's playing at a high level.
Mavericks, Maverick. You look at Nate Cleveland, he's raising his game.
(Emanuel) Karmo. I mean, look at all these guys,” said Fleck.
“I feel really good about where we are at linebacker. Not just Kingsbury, but he has had a very good camp and he's way better than he was last year.”