Gophers offer football scholarship to Donovan McNabb Jr.

You wanna feel old? Donovan McNabb has one child in college and another one of his kids is now being targeted by the Gophers.
Brophy Prep wide receiver Donovan Mcnabb Jr. (85) during a practice at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix on Sept. 4, 2024.
Brophy Prep wide receiver Donovan Mcnabb Jr. (85) during a practice at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix on Sept. 4, 2024. / Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Donovan McNabb played for the Minnesota Vikings in 2011, he was in the final season of his illustrious career. Back then, McNabb and his wife were still parenting a little toddler named Donovan Jr.

Fast forward to the present day and Donovan McNabb Jr. has received a football scholarship offer from the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

"After a great conversation with the staff at [Gophers football] I am blessed to say [I] have received and offer from the University of Minnesota!" McNabb Jr. announced Tuesday.

McNabb Jr. is a 16-year-old wide receiver prospect who attends Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. He's unrated by 247Sports, but that could change as the class of 2027 recruit racks up stats and college offers.

He received his first Division I offer from Northern Arizona last summer. Since then, Arizona, Temple and Minnesota have joined the short list of programs to offer him a scholarship. Temple offered in September, and the offer from the Gophers came just four days after Arizona offered.

Brophy Prep is a hub for former NFL stars' children. The two leading wide receivers from the 2024 season at Brophy were Daylen Sharper and Devin Fitzgerald, who are the sons of former NFL stars Darren Sharper and Larry Fitzgerald, respectively.

The starting quarterback and one of the star linebackers at Brophy are the twin sons of ex-NFL linebacker Kyle Vanden bosch.

Donovan Jr. is a twin with his sister Sariah. They celebrated their 16th birthday together on Dec. 2.

McNabb's oldest child, Lexi McNabb, is a junior guard at Syracuse. McNabb starred at Syracuse before the Philadelphia Eagles drafted him No. 2 overall in 1999.


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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.