Gophers QB Drake Lindsey makes major announcement about his future

Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey isn't going anywhere. He'll remain with the University of Minnesota for the 2026 season, he confirmed on The Go Gopher Podcast with Mike Grimm this week.

There was a time in college athletics where that would've just been the logical assumption, but this is a different era. With NIL and the transfer portal looming over everything in college football, there's always a question about whether or not key players will return to their program in the offseason.

Lindsey told Grimm, the radio voice of the Gophers, that there was never a doubt in his mind about returning. He got his NIL situation worked out after the regular season ended, and he'll be back as Minnesota's quarterback for his redshirt sophomore season.

"I got my stuff done right after the Axe game, so I decided I was gonna obviously come back, and there wasn't any other thought to my mind," Lindsey said. "I love this coaching staff and I really feel like I'm developing into an NFL quarterback here with the offense we run, how good coach (Greg) Harbaugh and Keegan (O'Hara) are, Eric Koehler and coach (Matt) Simon, how good they are at developing. And obviously coach Fleck, as a man and also as a quarterback and situationally."

Lindsey alluded to being satisfied with the NIL element of things, but also said that wasn't his main priority or focus.

"They took care of me. Really, it's not even about that, it's just about being in the right system, and I really feel I'm getting developed here," he said. "And I think that's the main thing, because the ultimate goal is to take this place to new heights and then play in the NFL. So obviously I'm focused on now and the bowl game, and then we'll get ready for '26 and attempt to take the Gophers somewhere they haven't been."

Lindsey signed with the Gophers as a three-star recruit from Fayetteville, AR in the class of 2024. He redshirted behind Max Brosmer as a true freshman and appeared in three games, including the Duke's Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech. This year, with Brosmer off to the NFL, Lindsey took over as Minnesota's starting quarterback.

It was an up-and-down season for both Lindsey and the 7-5 Gophers. He had great early-season games against Buffalo (290 yards, 2 TDs) and Rutgers (324 yards, 3 TDs), which built plenty of buzz. But from the start of October through the middle of November, Lindsey had just 4 passing touchdowns and 4 interceptions in a six-game stretch where he was held under 200 passing yards five times. He especially struggled, as did the entire roster, in blowout road losses to Ohio State (94 yards on 26 attempts) and Iowa (109 yards and 3 INTs on 28 attempts).

ABSOLUTE DOT FROM DRAKE TO JALEN! @jalen3smith

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Lindsey regained some momentum with his first career 4-touchdown game in a narrow loss to Northwestern, then helped the Gophers close the regular season on a high note with a win over rival Wisconsin. With a bowl game against New Mexico still to come, Lindsey has completed 63 percent of his passes this season for 2,235 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 6 INTs. He also has four rushing scores.

At 6'5" and 230 pounds, Lindsey has NFL-caliber size and has shown flashes of major arm talent. He'll look to continue to improve going forward, and because he's not a particularly mobile quarterback, it'll be important for the Gophers to continue to build up their offensive line.

"I really feel like I took a huge step this year," Lindsey said. "When I look back from freshman year to now, I see huge increases in every part of my life, not even football. So I think having another year or two or three under these coaches and this place, I really think I can grow and be a really, really good quarterback and a really good person. So yeah, there was no doubt in my mind and I'm really excited to come back for another year here."

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