How does House vs. NCAA settlement impact Gophers amid spring portal?

Will things be quiet in the transfer portal for Minnesota this spring?

Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck looks on during the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

College football's spring transfer portal window officially 'opened' on Wednesday and it will close on Friday, April 25. When it comes to roster building, the ongoing House vs. NCAA settlement seems to be creating more questions than answers, and Minnesota is right in the thick of it. Let's dive in...

105 -player roster limit

The original proposal on the House vs. NCAA revenue sharing settlement included a 105-player cap on Division I football teams. This is a big change from the previous 85-player scholarship limit, with the freedom to have unlimited walk-ons, as most teams held up to 120 players. The 105 number includes everyone on the roster. According to The Athletic, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken suggested at last week's hearing to change settlement language to gradually enforce the roster limits and “grandfather in” players currently on rosters to avoid being cut, pending the settlement’s approval.

With the addition of some incoming freshmen this fall, Minnesota has more than 105 players slotted to be on its 2025-26 roster. I currently count 108. Based on the language from last week's hearing, it sounds like the rule might not be enforced next season, but instead it could be pushed into the future.

Positional needs

Defensive tackle: The Gophers have publicly contacted a pair of defensive tackles, but they're likely doing much more work behind the scenes. They have a veteran trio of Deven Eastern, Jalen Logan-Redding and Stony Brook transfer Rushawn Lawrence along the interior, but their next most experienced player is Nathan Becker, who has played only 44 career snaps. It would make sense for them to add another veteran body.

Cornerback: If there's a glaring need on Minnesota's roster this spring, it's cornerback. They added NC Central transfer Jaylen Bowden this winter and redshirt sophomore Za'Quan Bryan could be in line for a huge 2025-26 season, but there are a lot of questions elsewhere. Jai'Onte McMillan will be the likely starter in the slot, returning with 227 snaps played last season. Rhyland Kelly is the team's next most experienced player at the position with 26 career snaps. With redshirt freshmen Mike Gerald and Samuel Madu alongside true freshman Naiim Parrish, Minnesota has the talent, but an injury could be catastrophic to its depth.

Will anyone leave?

Between the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of the transfer portal and NIL, along with conference realignment, there have been a lot of changes to college football in the last five years. It seems like this could be the most stable Minnesota's football program has been in terms of finances and use of the portal. It just takes one Phillip Daniels-Ohio State situation for a big-time starter to potentially enter, but it seems like it could be rather quiet for the Gophers. So far, they've lost two former walk-ons, Obe Eyafe and Chris Flowers, and redshirt freshman linebacker David Amaliri.

The 105-player roster limit could change Minnesota's aggressiveness to add a player, and it could force some tough decisions in terms of getting under that number. The Gophers saw running back Bucky Irving leave in the spring of 2022, and they added Jaxon Howard in last year's spring window. I would lean towards things being a little quieter this time around.