9 players with the most to gain in Minnesota's bowl game against New Mexico

In last year's Duke's Mayo Bowl victory of Virginia Tech, players like Matt Kingsbury, Za'Quan Bryan, Nathan Roy and Kenric Lanier II carried expanded snap shares into much bigger roles in the 2025 regular season.

P.J. Fleck often refers to the Gophers' bowl game as the first game for the next season, so here are nine players who could see more playing time in next week's Rate Bowl against New Mexico and carry that into expanded roles in 2026.

Tony Nelson, OL

Nelson played a season-high 54 snaps in last year's bowl game, and it took him until the Wisconsin game to surpass that number this season. He still has one season of eligibility remaining, so if he starts again against New Mexico, it will be another chance for him to show he deserves to be a starter in 2026.

Donielle 'Nuke' Hayes, WR

With transfer portal announcements from Malachi Coleman and Kenric Lanier II, I am very curious to see Minnesota's rotation in the wide receiver room against the Lobos. Le'Meke Brockington, Javon Tracy and Jalen Smith are still the top three options, but Coleman played at least 18 snaps in five of the last six regular-season games.

Hayes played 14 snaps in last year's bowl game, and he had two catches for 22 yards. He logged only five offensive snaps in this regular season. It might behoove Minnesota to see what it has with Hayes instead of looking towards a player like Logan Loya.

Jaylin Hicks, DT

Minnesota's interior defensive line is its biggest question mark heading into 2026. Hicks is the most experienced potential returner on the roster, with only 80 defensive snaps in the regular season. It wouldn't be surprising if Deven Eastern either opts out or doesn't play much in preparation for the NFL Draft, and Hicks could be a player who sees an expanded role.

Riley Sunram, DT

For the same reason as Hicks, Sunram could have an opportunity to showcase his skills against the Lobos. He was a consensus four-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, and the Rate Bowl could set him up for a huge 2026.

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Mike Gerald, CB

Gerald is a player that Minnesota really likes at cornerback, but he struggled with injuries in the regular season, which held him to only 120 defensive snaps. He had a very up-and-down season, and Dec. 26 could be a chance for him to show some consistency heading into 2026.

Pierce Walsh, TE

Minnesota is losing veteran tight ends Jameson Geers and Drew Biber this offseason. Walsh could be the most experienced returner with 205 career offensive snaps. With highly-touted true freshman Roman Voss coming into the program, the bowl game is an opportunity for Walsh to show he's still the top option heading into 2026.

Naiim Parrish, CB

For the same reason as Gerald, Parrish has an opportunity to prove that he deserves to be in Minnesota's cornerback rotation in 2026. After playing 21 snaps against Northwestern State, he played only two more defensive snaps all season. If his number gets called, he could take advantage.

Zack Harden, S

Harden quietly saw significant snaps at the end of the regular season with 14 total plays in the secondary. Minnesota is obviously loaded at safety with Koi Perich, Kerry Brown and Aidan Gousby, but Harden has a chance to continue proving that he's their future at the position.

Grant Washington, RB

With Fame Ijeboi revealing his intentions to enter the transfer portal, veteran Cam Davis is an obvious choice to replace his role behind Darius Taylor, but I'll be curious to see if they give any work to Washington. He had over 100 yards in the Northwestern State game, and he's only one of four players at the position who could return next season.