Latest buzz surrounding the Gophers in the transfer portal

The college football offseason chaos is in full swing.

Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers players take the field before the game against the Buffalo Bulls at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The transfer portal for college officially opened on Friday, January 2, and it will close two weeks later on January 16. This is your tracker for all things Gophers.

Incoming transfer portal players

Player	Position	Former school	Years of eligibility
Michael Merdinger	QB	North Carolina/Liberty	3
Jaron Thomas	RB	Purdue	4
Bennett Warren	OT	Tennessee	3
Andrew Marshall	LB	Eastern Michigan	2
Naquan Crowder	DT	Marshall	2
Perry Thompson	WR	Auburn	2
Parker Knutson	S	Southwest Minnesota State (D2)	2
Aydan West	CB	Michigan State	3
Elisha West	S	Michigan State	3
Beckham Sunderland	K	Michigan	2
Mekhai Smith	S	Lehigh	2
Zachary Robbins	K/P	Utah State	3
TJ Bush Jr.	DE/OLB	California	1
Kaden Helms	TE	Oklahoma	1
Noah Jennings	WR	Cincinnati	1
Zion Steptoe	WR	Tulsa	1
Xion Chapman	DT	FIU	2
T.J. Thomas Jr.	RB/KR/PR	Elon	2
Sid Kaba	DT	Marshall	2

Departing Minnesota players

Name	Position	Snaps w/ UMN	Eligibility remaining	New school
Reese Tripp	OL	4	2 years	Middle Tennessee State
Tre Berry	RB	0	4 years	Tennessee State
Johann Cardenas	RB	0	3 years
Caleb McGrath	P	0	2 years	North Dakota State
Quentin Redding	KR/PR/WR	144	1 year
Kenric Lanier II	WR	152	2 years	Missouri
Jackson Kollock	QB	0	4 years
Harrison Brun	DB	15	3 years	South Dakota
Ethan Carrier	DB	0	2 years	South Dakota
Legend Lyons	WR	0	4 years	Monatana
Cristian Driver	WR	115	1 year
Fame Ijeboi	RB	220	3 years	Purdue
David Kemp	K	0	1 year
Malachi Coleman	WR	174	2 years	Wisconsin
Brody Richter	P	0	1 year
Drew Wilson	LB	0	3 years
Za'Quan Bryan	CB	514	2 years	USF
Kahlee Tafai	OT	39	2 years	California
Koi Perich	S	1,596	2 years	Oregon
Steven Curtis	DE	0	2 years	North Texas
Jaylen Bowden	CB	23	2 years	East Carolina

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Confirmed Targets

Player	Position	School	Eligibility remaining	Status
Javin Gordon	RB	Tulane	3 years	Visited
Kyri Shoels	WR	San Jose State	1 year	Interest
Jeremiah Sandiford	DT	Tennessee Tech	2 years	Visit scheduled
Jayden Madkins	DL	Louisiana Tech	2 years	Visit scheduled

Other notable entries

Flipping the page… Thank you UND🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/kq6n301YBa

— Bj Fleming (@BrianFlemingJr) December 10, 2025