6 Key Takeaways From Minnesota's 2026 Maroon-Gold Spring Game

The Gophers hosted their first traditional outdoor spring game since 2017 on Saturday, and it was a quick day of football at Huntington Bank Stadium. Team Gold dominated Team Maroon 31-7. Here are five key takeaways from the game.

Owen Lansu shines

The spring game is a great opportunity for underclassmen to stand out on a bigger stage than practice, and Lansu did just that. One of Minnesota's two true freshman quarterbacks finished the day 5 of 7 for 110 yards and one touchdown. A 50-yard touchdown pass to fellow true freshman Hayden Moore was one of the highlights of the afternoon.

True freshman QB Owen Lansu is putting together an MVP case for today’s Spring game.

5/7, 110 yards, 1 TD

Really impressive stuff. pic.twitter.com/7bJVnoV8qn
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) April 25, 2026

Clean performance from Drake Lindsey

It was a quick day for Minnesota's QB1. Lindsey led Team Gold on a pair of scoring drives and 10 points before he was replaced by Lansu. He completed four of his five pass attempts for 89 yards, and he added one carry for eight more.

Drake Lindsey 👉 Noah Jennings for the 74-yard gain 💥 @GopherFootball

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/jYmDsPMQvn
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) April 25, 2026

Notable players out

There were a handful of potential starters who did not dress for Saturday's game. Veteran offensive lineman Greg Johnson led the list, followed by highly-touted FIU transfer defensive tackle Xion Chapman. Running back A.J. Turner remains out, as he recovers from last year's season-ending injury. Other players missing from action included defensive backs Aidan Gousby and Mekhai Smith, who transferred to the program from Lehigh in the offseason. Darius Taylor did not play, but that appeared to be more of a precautionary measure.

Noah Jennings looks like a weapon

Jennings opened the game with a 73-yard reception on Lindsey's first pass attempt of the game, and it's clear that he's going to be a weapon in Minnesota's offense this season. The Cincinnati transfer wide receiver even completed a pass for 21 yards, to go along with a game-high 84 receiving yards.

Xavier Ford shows promise in RB room

Without Turner or Taylor playing on Saturday, it was a great opportunity for some of Minnesota's other running backs to make their mark. Ford is entering his redshirt freshman season, and he had a great first half with four carries for 13 yards and two catches for 15 more. Highly touted true freshman Ryan Estrada will not arrive until the summer, but Ford is proving that he could make some noise in the running back room. He finished with a game-high 6 carries for 18 yards, and 3 receptions for 22 receiving yards.

Daniel Jackson makes kicking battle statement

Minnesota will have a new field goal kicker for the third straight season after Dragan Kesich and Brady Denaburg are off to greener pastures. The Gophers need more consistency from the position, and it will be a battle between Jackson and Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland for the starting duties. Jackson is just a redshirt freshman, but he made a big statement during Saturday's spring game with a 51-yard field goal. Sunderland attempted and made just one extra point, but it's clear that it should be a competition.

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