MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Gophers' special teams have been a thorn in their side for years, and the need for improvement is undeniable. Head coach P.J.
Fleck decided not to renew the contract of special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky after the 2025 season, hoping for a fresh start. The return game has struggled since before the pandemic, with only one punt return exceeding 30 yards in the last six seasons and no return touchdowns since Demetrius Douglas' 2018 highlight against Wisconsin.
But let's hone in on their most pressing issue over the past two seasons: field goal kicking.
Last fall, Minnesota ranked second-to-last in the Big Ten for field goal percentage, hitting just 66.7% of their attempts. They went 14 for 21, but the real concern was their performance from beyond 40 yards.
The Gophers managed just two successful kicks out of seven attempts (28.5%), including crucial misses in their loss to Northwestern at Wrigley Field. In 2024, Dragan Kesich, who had been the Big Ten Kicker of the Year in 2023, tied for the most missed field goals in the conference with eight.
In an era where field goal efficiency is at an all-time high, the Gophers' decline is a significant setback.
Enter Daniel Da Prato, the new special teams coordinator for 2026. Fleck witnessed Da Prato's impact firsthand during the Rate Bowl, where New Mexico's special teams nearly turned the game with a fourth-quarter kick-return touchdown.
Da Prato's track record speaks for itself: under his guidance, the Lobos' kicker, Luke Drzewiecki, missed just one kick all season and nailed all three field goals against the Gophers in Arizona. Before that, at Texas State, Da Prato's units led the nation in total kick return yards and ranked fifth in return average.
The Bobcats also tied with Auburn for the best field goal percentage in the country, hitting a perfect 100%.
Following a recent practice, Fleck addressed Minnesota's kicking woes. They've decided to move forward in 2026 with two untested kickers: Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland and redshirt freshman Daniel Jackson, neither of whom has attempted a collegiate field goal.
The question remains: why is Fleck confident that this season will be different, even with such inexperience at the position?