5 biggest position battles for Gophers at fall camp

The Gophers began fall camp for the 2025 season on Monday. Drake Lindsey essentially won the starting quarterback competition in the spring, but there are still a lot of position battles worth monitoring this August. Let's look at the top five.

1. CB2

It's fair to presume redshirt sophomore Za'Quan Bryan will be Minnesota's top outside cornerback in 2025, but the No. 2 spot seems to be wide open. Jai'Onte McMillan is the second leading returner in terms of playing time, but 70.7% of his 228 defensive snaps came in the slot last season.

The Gophers added Iowa transfer John Nestor and NC Central transfer Jaylen Bowden this offseason, both of whom played predominantly outside corner last season. Nestor played only 109 snaps, and Bowden is making a huge jump in competition from the MEAC to the Big Ten.

Returning Gophers like Rhyland Kelly and Mike Gerald are also worth mentioning in this conversation, but this ultimately seems like a competition between Bowden and Nestor for the No. 2 role alongside Bryan.

2. Left tackle

The interior of Minnesota's offensive line for 2025 could be set with Greg Johnson at left guard, Ashton Beers at center and UCF transfer Marcellus Marshall at right guard, but that can still change. If that's the case, likely four players are competing for the two starting tackle spots.

Redshirt freshman Nathan Roy and Washington transfer Kahlee Tafai could be the Gophers' top two options at left tackle. Tafai missed a large part of spring ball due to injury, so Roy likely has a leg up in this competition.

3. Right tackle

Kentucky transfer Dylan Ray was getting a large portion of the reps at right tackle this spring, but Minnesota went out and added Purdue transfer Jaden Ball, who chose the Gophers over Ohio State. Ball has four years of eligibility left and a higher ceiling, but Ray's experience could help him earn the role earlier in the season.

4. Second defensive end

Anthony Smith returns to Minnesota as a potential all-conference defensive end and potential top 100 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but who is the team's second-best pass rusher on the outside? On paper, this is a great opportunity for former four-star recruit and LSU transfer Jaxon Howard to step up and showcase his potential.

Howard might have the edge, but he'll likely have to compete with returning veteran Lucas Finnessy and Illinois State transfer Steven Curtis for playing time all season. Finnesy out-snapped Howard 160 to 125 last season, and Curtis was heavily pursued in the transfer portal. This could be a consistent three-man rotation throughout the season.

5. WR4

The Gophers' top three wide receivers will likely be Miami (OH) transfer Javon Tracy, UCLA transfer Logan Loya and returning veteran Le'Meke Brockington, but who will be WR4? This will likely be a minor role in an offense like Minnesota's, as last year's WR4 — Cristian Driver — had only seven receptions, but it's still fun to speculate.

What makes this battle even more interesting is the involvement of Koi Perich in the offensive game plan. Brockington ranked third at the receiver position with 18 catches last season. Does Perich have more than that? That wouldn't leave many opportunities for Driver, Nebraska transfer Malachi Coleman, and returning underclassmen Kenric Lanier II and Nuke Hayes. Minnesota has a surplus of talent at the position, but there are only so many targets to go around.