No. 25 Nebraska Football vs. Minnesota: Breakdown, Preview

Minnesota Scout

Head Coach

Head Coach PJ Fleck | 9th season at Minnesota; 13th as HC | 62-41 (.602) at Minnesota; 92-63 (.594) Career record as HC | 1x B1G West title, 1x MAC Title | 1x B1G Coach OTY, 2x MAC Coach OTY | Previous HC at Western Michigan | Previous assistant for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Rutgers, Northern Illinois and Ohio State.

2024 Finish

• W, 24-10 vs. Virginia Tech at the Duke's Mayo Bowl.

2024 Record & Awards

8-5 (5-4 B1G, T-7th)  | All-Big Ten: 2x Second Team, 4x Honorable Mentions.  

All-Time Series

• Minnesota leads 37-25-2 (Aug. 31, 2023 last matchup; 13-10 Minnesota).  

Key Departures

• Aireontae Ersery | OL | NFL Draft | 2024 AP Third Team All-American and All-B1G First Team selection that was drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round.
• Justin Walley | CB | NFL Draft | All-Big Ten Second Team Pick with two picks as a senior before getting drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round.
• Cody Lindenberg | LB | NFL Draft | Seventh round pick of the Las Vegas Raiders; led Minnesota with 94 tackles with one sack, and one interception in 2024.
• Max Brosmer | QB | Graduated | Minnesota's starting quarterback in 2024, who threw for over 2,800 yards and 18 touchdowns after moving up from FCS.
• Daniel Jackson | WR | Graduated | Departed the program as Minnesota's leading receiver in 2024 with 863 yards and four touchdowns on 75 catches.
• Elijah Spencer | WR | Graduated | Hauled in a team-leading six touchdowns with 684 yards in his final season of college football.

Top Returners

• Drake Lindsey | QB | R-Fr. | Top recruit that's racked up 1,284 yards and nine touchdowns in his first season as the Golden Gophers' starting signal caller.
• Darius Taylor | RB | Jr. | Two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention who's looking to gain momentum after recovering from a hamstring injury suffered in September.
• Fame Ijeboi | RB | R-Fr. | Stepped in to run for 225 yards and one touchdown across five games as the replacement for the injured Taylor.
• Le'Meke Brockington | WR | R-Sr. | Leading the Golden Gophers with 253 receiving yards and two touchdowns halfway through the 2025 season.
• Jameson Geers | TE | R-Sr. | Starting tight end for Minnesota, that's a big red zone threat with a team-high three touchdown catches.
• Maverick Baranowski | LB | R-Jr. | Second on the team in tackles (42) after being named All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2024, after he recorded 65 tackles.
• Anthony Smith | DL | R-Jr. | Led the Golden Gophers in TFLs and sacks last season and is pacing Minnesota in those two categories again in 2025 with 6.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks.
• Devon Williams | LB | R-Sr. | Another returning linebacker that is leading Minnesota with 50 tackles while adding 4.5 TFLs.
• Koi Perich | S | Soph. | Do-it-all defensive back that was a Freshman All-American and First Team All-Big Ten pick in 2024; has improved to play both defense and offense in 2025.
• Kerry Brown | DB | R-Soph. | Finished third on the team with 63 tackles and two interceptions as a true freshman in 2024.
• Greg Johnson | OL | Jr. | Started at center in all of 2024 before being moved around between guard and tackle this season.
• Ashton Beers | C | R-Jr. | Has a massive 6-foot-6 frame that took the place of Johnson at center for the 2025 season.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

• Javon Tracy | WR | R-Jr. | Spent three previous seasons at Miami (OH) and is tied for the team lead with 253 yards and two touchdown grabs.
• John Nestor | DB | Jr. | Iowa transfer who leads the Minnesota defense with three interceptions and five pass breakups through six games.
• Marcellus Marshall | OL | 6th | Transfer from UCF that started at right guard for the first four games before switching to the left side in the last two contests; 2022 First Team All-MAC pick while at Kent State.
• Dylan Ray | OL | 5th | Two-time transfer from Kentucky and West Virginia, that's flipped between right tackle and right guard.
• Tom Weston | P | R-Soph. | Australian punter who spent the previous two seasons at Ouachita Baptist University, averaging nearly 46 yards per punt in 2025.
• Brady Denaburg | K | Sr. | Was at Syracuse for the last three seasons before coming to Minnesota, where he's 8-for-11 with a long of 46 yards in his final season of college football.

Key Storylines

How much of an impact does the Matt Rhule, Penn State speculation as well as the short week have on the Huskers? 

For as much as Dylan Raiola is confident in his head coach staying in Lincoln, rumor and speculation will now be a constant neighbor to the Nebraska football season — or until Penn State fills its head coach vacancy, which doesn't look to be in a hurry. The coaching carousel is part of college football, but that doesn't mean it won't have an impact on a team's performance. The mental fortitude that the Huskers have gained under Rhule and his staff will be tested in the national spotlight once again as it takes on a Minnesota team that's been a boogeyman for NU in the last five matchups.

Plus, Nebraska enters Friday on a short week where they've gone 1-3 under Rhule. Fortunately, there's been zero unexpected injuries on the Huskers' side despite nickel Malcolm Hartzog being ruled out for another game. Starting left tackle Elijah Pritchard battled an ankle late in the buildup to Maryland, but he's fully healthy, according to Rhule. My guess is that once the whistle blows, exterior factors will cease to exist, but it's worth pondering as NU tries to avoid its sixth-straight loss to the Golden Gophers.

Can Emmett Johnson shine in his first career game back in his hometown? 

A native of Minneapolis, Johnson will have a chance to continue his stellar 2025 campaign, where he's on pace to surpass 1,200 yards and a dozen touchdowns. On the surface, Minnesota's run defense looks to be okay, if not average. However, courtesy of college football graph's Parker Fleming, the Golden Gophers rank 83rd in EPA/Rush, while the Huskers have a much better rank at 44th EPA/Rush.

That gap expands when you look at EPA/Dropback with Minnesota 69th and Nebraska 8th. Big Ten opponents are averaging 30 points, but Raiola and company will need to tread lightly against 2024 Freshman All-American defensive back Koi Perich, who's taken up roles on both defense and offense this year.

How will first-year starter and redshirt freshman Drake Lindsay navigate John Butler's pass defense? 

The former Buffalo Bills secondary coach and Nebraska defense coordinator, John Butler, has been in his element, scheming up a veteran-laden unit that's No. 1 in the country in pass yards allowed per game at 118.0. The Huskers surrendered less than 70 yards in each of their first three games with opponents only completing 55.8% of their passes, which ranks 15th nationally.

The Blackshirts will face another young freshman who's having success in his first year starting in the Big Ten. 6-foot-5 Drake Lindsay sat behind Max Brosmer in 2024 as part of a redshirt season. His graduation ushered in the former top recruit from Fayetteville, Arkansas. With 1,284 yards and nine touchdowns compared to just three picks, it's been a productive season despite the 60.11 completion percentage. Lindsay was terrific in the shootout win over Rutgers with 324 yards and three touchdowns, but struggles against Ohio State (who hasn't), and an okay performance versus Purdue (232 yards, two touchdowns, 46.7%) highlights the freshman's ups and downs.

With standout running back Darius Taylor finally getting healthy, expect the Golden Gophers to use more of the ground game and be less reliant on Lindsay's arm, which has thrown more than 40 passes in two of the last three games.