Freshman running back Darius Taylor commits to Gophers for 2024

The Minnesota Golden Gophers received a major boost on Saturday when freshman running back Darius Taylor committed to the team for 2024.

In a week that has seen numerous players – including starting QB Athan Kaliakmanis and Taylor's fellow running back Zach Evans – signal their intentions to enter the transfer portal, Taylor has committed to P.J. Fleck's program for his sophomore year.

In his first season with the Gophers, Taylor racked up 591 yards on 103 carries including four touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry in what was an injury-affected year.

On Twitter, Taylor announced that he would be returning for another year at Dinkytown Athletes, the University of Minnesota Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) organization.

"Thank you Gopher fans for supporting me during my time in Minnesota," he wrote. "Thank you to my TEAM who has made this a world class experience. After talking with my family and taking time to think I have decided to come back for another year with Dinkytown Athletes. Who's going to join me?"