Minnesota is being viewed as a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten team heading into the 2025 season, at least by the conference’s reporters.
In the 16th annual Cleveland.com poll, the Gophers were slotted 10th in the 18-team league. Minnesota collected 268 points in the voting, landing behind Illinois and ahead of Nebraska. Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana were the top three picks.
That projection comes after the Gophers finished 8-5 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play in 2025, good for a tie for seventh place in the conference. But this year’s outlook is shaped in part by what Minnesota brings back.
ESPN ranked the Gophers seventh among all 138 FBS programs in returning production back in March, with 68% of their production returning. The offense is set to retain 71%, which ranks 10th nationally, while the defense returns 65%, 12th most in the country.
P.J. Fleck enters his 10th season with a familiar core around him. Minnesota brings back starting offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh, defensive coordinator Danny Collins and quarterback Drake Lindsey, who is heading into his redshirt sophomore year.
“The expectation that we put on our players on the field and off the field is astronomical,” Fleck said last week. “It’s really, really high.
They perform at a high level. I couldn’t ask money of them.
They gave us everything they had from January through right now and one more week to go before we start training camp.”
Here’s the full results of the poll (first-place votes):
- Ohio State (15), 540
- Oregon (11), 527
- Indiana (5), 509
- USC, 446
- Michigan, 430
- Penn State, 380
- Washington, 366
- Iowa, 361
- Illinois, 304
- Gophers, 268
- Nebraska, 246
- Wisconsin, 207
- UCLA, 199
- Northwestern, 140
- Maryland, 137
- Michigan State, 99
- Rutgers, 97
- Purdue, 45
In Other News...
Which Gophers Player Faces The Most Pressure Under Niko Medved
Kyan Evans arrives with the clearest burden of the three, because the new staff did not bring him in to blend in. He was chosen to start at point guard over Chansey Willis Jr., and with that decision came the keys to the offense. Minnesota needs him to organize possessions, settle the pace and make the whole operation work, which is a different kind of pressure than simply being another transfer trying to find a role.
Isaac Asuma and Bobby Durkin are in the spotlight for different reasons, but Asuma may feel the most familiar kind of scrutiny because he is the home-state player fans will watch closely every night. His all-around game gives him a strong case to be a central piece for Niko Medved, yet the conversation around him has already narrowed to whether he can answer the questions that followed him into the offseason. Durkin also enters with expectations attached, which only adds to the sense that this roster will be judged quickly once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Gophers Still Chasing A Big Ten Revenue Move Fans Saw Coming
The Gophers are moving closer to a revenue stream that has already become familiar around the Big Ten, with Minnesotas athletic department actively exploring jersey patch sponsorships as college sports keeps leaning harder into commercial opportunities. Deputy athletics director Mike Wierzbicki said the department is in ongoing discussions and is optimistic about having something in place for the 2026-27 athletic calendar, a sign the school is treating the idea as more than a passing possibility.
Other league schools have already announced patch deals, and the NCAAs recent approval of additional commercial patches on uniforms has only widened the lane for programs looking to capitalize. Minnesota is talking with current sponsors and other targeted companies, but the specifics remain under wraps for now, including how the Gophers might structure the arrangement or what kind of value they expect to land. [Read more 🡒]
One New Gophers Addition Could Define Niko Medveds First Roster
Isaiah Santos gives Minnesota a different kind of frontcourt piece as Niko Medved begins shaping his first roster. The four-star forward has already drawn attention for the way he blends strength and agility, and the Gophers clearly see a player whose game can travel well in Medveds system because he moves without the ball, passes with purpose and plays with an edge.
What makes Santos especially intriguing is how his style could open up lineup options right away. His aggressive approach and versatility give Minnesota a forward who can be used in more than one spot, and his off-ball instincts fit the kind of offense that rewards cutting, extra passes and movement shooting. For a staff trying to build a new identity quickly, that sort of fit can matter as much as raw talent. [Read more 🡒]