Gophers' WR room has a number of different pieces: 'We're a job-based offense'

Minnesota could rely on a lot of different options to catch the ball in 2025.

Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. | Picture via: University of Minnesota (YouTube)

Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer combined for 1,547 receiving yards last year with the Gophers, wich accounted for 54.7% of the team's production through the air. Minnesota completely revamped its wide receiver room this offseason, and 2025 could have a much different flavor.

The Gophers' top returners are redshirt senior Le'Meke Brockington and improving veteran Cristian Driver, but the pieces around them look a little bit different. Miami (OH) transfer Javon Tracy, UCLA's Logan Loya and former Nebraska standout Malachi Coleman all joined the program through the portal in the offseason. Koi Perich's potential two-way role and young players like Jalen Smith, Kenric Lanier II and Donielle 'Nuke' Hayes give Minnesota plenty of options at the position.

"It's unique this year, because we have a number of different pieces. I said it the other day, we're a job-based offense. We have a number of different players we can put in a lot of different spots. A number of different running backs, a number of different tight ends," offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. said after practice Tuesday. "The wideout group is no different."

Related: Gophers' coordinators on Koi Perich's two-way role: 'We have a plan'

Harbaugh has had a long coaching journey to Minnesota, and he compared this year's group to a few different situations that he has been a part of. In 2018, when he was the wide receivers coach at Chattanooga, Bryce Nunnelly had 78 catches, 1,231 yards and seven touchdowns en route to All-America honors. In 2020, as the wide receivers coach at Western Michigan, he coached future NFL players Dee Eskridge and Sky Moore in the same season. Lastly, he referred to the 2024 Gophers' strategy with Daniel Jackson as having a "focal point" of the offense.

Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Daniel Jackson (9) celebrates his touchdown against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

"Now it's a system where we can place these guys where they fit best, where they fit the scheme, how they operate. You saw a number of different guys catch balls today, whether it was a running back, a tight end, a wideout," Harbaugh continued. "Those things are going to be critical for how we're going to be explosive and be efficient as well."

Tracy, Loya and Brockington's roles seem well-established, but the addition of Perich to the offensive side of the ball and the standout performances from Smith at practice give Minnesota at least six legitimate options with Driver added to the mix as well.

The Gophers' running backs and tight ends even accounted for 31.8% of their aerial production last season, so there are only so many targets to go around. Ultimately, redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey will have plenty of options to throw the football.

"They have to be selfless. First unit meeting talk I gave this year was about being selfless. We have to understand that someone might come and get you out of the game, and they're in there for that particular reason, because they can execute that scheme, they can execute that route," Harbaugh said.

Minnesota had only three wide receivers with 10 or more catches last season. They will likely run the football more in 2025 than the did in 2024, but when they pass it, we could see a much more balanced target share spread among the pass catchers.