Gophers' leading tackler confirms he will return next season

Minnesota is expected to retain one of its top defensive players.

Sep 27, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers linebacker Maverick Baranowski (6) celebrates his sack against Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Gophers leading tackler Maverick Baranowski revealed to local media on Wednesday that he intends to return to Minnesota next season.

News: #Gophers leading tackler Maverick Baranowski said Wednesday he will return for his senior season in 2026.

Context: During his redshirt junior year in 2025, he led Minnesota with 86 tackles as well as six tackles for lost yards and two sacks.

— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 17, 2025

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The 2025 season was Baranowski's first as a full-time starter, and he led Minnesota with 86 total tackles. He played 610 defensive snaps and finished the season with a 76.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) defensive grade, which was second on the team, among players with at least 50 snaps. He also added two sacks and a forced fumble to an incredibly productive season.

Baranowski has been a great developmental story for the Gophers. He was an unheralded high school prospect in the class of 2022. Ranked as the 1,573rd-best player on the 247Sports Composite, which was the second-lowest ranked recruit in Minnesota's 18-player class that cycle.

He took a redshirt year in 2022 and sat and learned behind players like Mariano Sori-Marin and Cody Lindenberg. He played 372 snaps as a redshirt freshman in 2023, and then 383 snaps as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. Fast forward to 2025, and he was the top option to replace Lindenberg's production, and he's now being coached by Sori-Marin, who just finished his first season as the team's linebackers coach.

Some college football traditionalists aren't going to like how news like this is presented, as Baranowski essentially re-signed with the program. But his development is a throwback to how things used to be. His only FBS offers coming out of high school were the three service academies, Tulsa and Kent State. With another productive year in 2026, he has a chance to go down as one of Minnesota's best inside linebackers under P.J. Fleck.

Baranowski joins quarterback Drake Lindsey and wide receiver Jalen Smith as notable players to publicly announce their return to the team for next season.

With veteran Devon Williams set to graduate, Baranowski will likely have a different partner at the inside position in 2026. Focus now shifts to players like Emmanuel Karmo, Matt Kingsbury or Joey Gerlach as options to play alongside him next season.