5 players with the most to gain at Gophers' fall camp

The Gophers hold their first camp practice that is open to the public this Saturday. Fans watching immediately gravitate towards the star players — rightfully so — but here are five players who I believe have the most to gain by their performance at camp before the start of the 2025 season.

1. Nathan Roy: redshirt sophomore, OL

With Aireontae Ersery currently at training camp with the Houston Texans, Minnesota is looking for its next stalwart at left tackle. Roy only played 20 total snaps as a true freshman, but he's the seventh-highest-ranked high school recruit to sign with the Gophers in the internet era. His top competition likely includes Washington transfer Kahlee Tafai and Purdue's Jaden Ball, but with a good performance at training camp, Roy could be Minnesota's starting left tackle in Week 1.

2. John Nestor: junior, CB

With Justin Walley and Ethan Robinson off to the NFL, the Gophers will need to replace more than 1,200 snaps at cornerback. Redshirt sophomore Za'Quan Bryan seems like a shoo-in for one of the cornerback spots, but the second outside role is wide open.

Nestor transferred to Minnesota from Iowa this spring, and he has the potential to grab onto the role. He played only 109 snaps at outside corner last season with the Hawkeyes, but he's still one of the most experienced options on the team.

Related: Top-ranked Minnesota high school baseball player commits to Gophers

3. Jaylen Bowden, junior, CB

Bowden is likely the top competition to compete with Nestory for the second outside cornerback role this season. He came to Minnesota as a transfer from NC Central in the early window of the offseason. The jump from FCS to Big Ten might look intimidating, but Minnesota has gotten that from Tre'Von Jones (Elon) and Robinson (Bucknell) in back-to-back seasons.

4. Jaxon Howard, redshirt sophomore, DE

Howard was one of the most heralded high school recruits to come out of Minnesota in recent memory before he signed with LSU. He transferred back home to the Gophers before the 2024 season, but he played only 124 snaps last year.

With Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow now in the NFL, Minnesota needs to replace more than 1,000 snaps at the edge position. Anthony Smith will likely see an uptick in usage, but he needs a running mate. Howard will rotate with Illinois State transfer Steven Curtis and returning veteran Lucas Finnessey for snaps, but he could make a statement and separate himself at camp this summer.

5. Malachi Coleman, redshirt sophomore, WR

Coleman was one of Minnesota's biggest additions from the transfer portal this offseason. He was the 63rd-ranked player in the 2023 high school recruiting class before playing two years at Nebraska. At 6-foot-5, he has all the tools to be a freakish pass-catching option. His biggest obstacle to a consistent role might be the players in front of him. Minnesota is surprisingly deep at wide receiver with Javon Tracy, Logan Loya, Le'Meke Brockington, Cristian Driver and now potentially Koi Perich. With an impressive camp, Coleman could prove to be too dynamic to leave off the field.