Gophers' Darius Taylor out again vs. Rutgers, backup RB out for season

Minnesota will be without star tailback Darius Taylor against the Scarlet Knights today. Backup A.J. Turner is out for the season.

Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Darius Taylor (1) runs the ball against the Buffalo Bulls during the first half of the game at Huntington Bank Stadium. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers' bye week wasn't enough time for star running back Darius Taylor's leg injury to heal. Taylor will miss today's game against Rutgers (11 a.m. CT, BTN), the program announced Saturday morning. It'll be his second consecutive absence.

Also announced is that No. 2 running back A.J. Turner is out for the remainder of the season. The Marshall transfer, who ran for 864 yards on over eight yards per carry last season, got hurt in the first half of the Cal game. He'll now focus on getting healthy and being available in 2026.

Today’s availability report 〽️ pic.twitter.com/FdA9DrQofp

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) September 27, 2025

Taylor missed the loss at Cal two weeks ago due to an injury he suffered early in Minnesota's romp over Northwestern State. The standout junior racked up 177 yards from scrimmage on 34 touches in the season-opening win over Buffalo.

After Turner got hurt in the Cal game, the Gophers' backfield was led by redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi (17 touches, 84 yards) and seventh-year Washington grad transfer Cam Davis (18 touches, 52 yards, 1 TD). Those two figure to again be the 1-2 punch for Minnesota and offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. against the Scarlet Knights.

Ijeboi was the more efficient of the two against Cal, so it'll be interesting to see if that performance results in him seeing more than a 50/50 split of the touches. The Pennsylvania native was a three-star recruit in the class of 2024 who has excited the Gophers' coaching staff with his practice performances since joining the program. Ijeboi is listed at 6-foot and 210 pounds.

Davis is using his final year of eligibility with Minnesota after spending six seasons at Washington. He redshirted in 2019, got the bonus COVID year, and also missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, which is how he wound up with a seventh season. Davis had his most productive campaign for the Huskies in 2022, when he had 659 scrimmage yards and scored 13 touchdowns. The California native is listed at 6'1", 215.

It's not fully clear who would be next in line for carries behind the Ijeboi-Davis duo. The other running backs on the roster are true freshman Xavier Ford, Tre Berry, and Grant Washington.

Not having one of their best players in Taylor certainly isn't ideal for the Gophers as they look to open conference play with a win over Rutgers. But Ijeboi and Davis bring a strong blend of talent and experience to the table as a duo. The Gophers will still look to run the ball and have a balanced attack on offense, led by quarterback Drake Lindsey.

Sep 13, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers running back Fame Ijeboi (7) jukes California Golden Bears defensive back Isaiah Crosby (23) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

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