Darius Taylor's Instagram post fuels speculation about his playing status

Minnesota faces Oregon on Friday night, and Taylor's status hasn't been revealed — at least not officially.

Oct 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs for a touchdown against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Oregon is a 25-point favorite against Minnesota Friday night, but the Gophers might have a slightly better shot at shocking the world if star running back Darius Taylor is able to play.

A hamstring injury suffered in Week 2 has limited Taylor to just 47 carries across four games since he returned to action Oct. 4 at Ohio State. Taylor had eight rushing attempts in that blowout loss before toting the rock 14 times in a win over Purdue the next week, followed by 24 carries in a victory over Nebraska.

In Minnesota's 41-3 loss at Iowa on Oct. 25, Taylor had just one carry before he was removed from the game for good. Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck doesn't discuss player injuries, only saying everyone will find out Taylor's status two hours before kickoff.

That means we won't know Taylor's status for Friday night's game at Oregon until 6 p.m. CT, though his Instagram post earlier in the day might be an indication that he's planning on playing.

Taylor's Instagram post before Minnesota's game at Oregon. | Darius Taylor via Instagram

Taylor posted a photo of himself running the football with the song "I Run" by Haven playing over the top. It's one of the most popular songs in the world at the moment, and it's message about running could be an early reveal from Taylor that he plans on giving it a go Friday night.

Oregon owns the nation's third-ranked defense, allowing just 239.1 yards per game. That includes the country's No. 1 pass defense, having allowed just 126.1 yards per game, and the 28th-ranked rush defense at 113.2 yards per game.

Conversely, the Gophers average 203 pass yards per game, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten. The Gophers are dead last in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (109.8).