Looking at the Gophers' potential 2025 offensive line after portal shakeup

The Gophers will be tasked with replacing four starters from its 2024 offensive line. Aireontae Ersery is off the NFL, Quinn Carroll and Tyler Cooper are out of eligibility, and Phillip Daniels has transferred to Ohio State. Who could Minnesota look at to fill their spots in 2025?

Minnesota made a big step in crafting its 2025 offensive line on Wednesday, landing a commitment from UCF transfer Marcellus Marshall. He will join Greg Johnson and Ashton Beers as three players who will likely start Week 1 against Buffalo, but who else could join them and where will they fit in?

Potential 2025 offensive line:

LT: Marcellus Marshall
LG: Ashton Beers
C: Greg Johnson
RG: Tony Nelson/Nathan Roy
RT: Martes Lewis

Left tackle: Marcellus Marshall

After stops at Kent State and UCF, Marshall is currently the only player on the Gophers roster who has started an FBS game at left tackle. In his final season with the Golden Flashes in 2022, he played 869 snaps at the position. His overall experience makes me believe that he is the favorite to protect the quarterback's blindside in 2025.

Left guard: Ashton Beers

Beers broke through in 2024 as a redshirt sophomore. He started eight games, two at left guard and six at right guard. He earned a 63.9 overall Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, playing 626 total snaps. It's a foregone conclusion that he will be starting at either guard position.

Center: Greg Johnson

Johnson is the only returning offensive lineman who started all 12 regular season games in 2024. He played 397 snaps at left guard as a true freshman in 2023, so he does have the versatility to move positions. A third position change in as many years could impact his development, so let's say that he will remain at center for Minnesota in 2025.

Right guard: Tony Nelson/Nathan Roy

There will be at least two starting offensive line positions up for grabs for the Gophers next season. The most likely scenario is that it will be one of the guard positions and right tackle. Redshirt sophomore Tony Nelson is a player that the staff contiues to say good things about. He played 48 snaps at right guard in 2024 and he could play himself into the equation in 2025.

One wild card in this situation is true freshman Nathan Roy. He was a four-star, top-250 high school recruit in the 2024 class and he was the sixth-highest-ranked prospect to ever sign with the Gophers. Daniels in 2024 and Johnson in 2023 have set a precedent that Minnesota is willing to play a freshman with zero starting experience, and Roy has the talent to work his way into the rotation in 2025.

Right tackle: Martes Lewis

Lewis is one of the most interesting returning players on Minnesota's roster. He played 617 snaps at right guard in 2023 and started all 13 games. He started the Gophers' 2024 season opener at right tackle, but he moved back into right guard the following week until being benched in favor of Beers.

Minnesota could certainly add another player through the transfer portal with experience like Marshall, but Lewis has played nearly 800 snaps in a Gophers uniform and we might be able to read into the fact that he's returning to the Gophers rather than entering the portal.

Offensive line coach Brian Callahan has shown a precedent for rotating players and playing more than just the five starters. Given their current depth chart, I would expect him to do that in 2025.

Aluma Nkele and Brett Carroll are two players who could work their way into the mix, but I am pretty confident that these six will be Minnesota's preferred options next season, barring another transfer portal addition.

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