Max Shikenjanski impresses as Gophers' backup QB: 'He deserves it'

Shikenjanski joined Minnesota as a walk-on; now he's the team's No. 2 QB.

Sep 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Max Shikenjanski (6) runs for a touchdown against the Northwestern State Demons during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

After the Gophers jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter against Northwestern State, the starters were quickly replaced. Midway through the second quarter, we got our first confirmation that redshirt sophomore Max Shikenjanski has won Minnesota's backup QB battle.

"He won the No. 2 job in training camp. You talk about a walk-on, to a scholarship player, to now a backup quarterback. I thought he managed the team really, really well," Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck said after the game. "I thought he handled himself really well."

The Stillwater, Minn. native played 25 snaps on Saturday, and he earned a 77.1 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade. He finished 4 of 5 for 80 yards and one touchdown through the air to go along with two carries for zero yards and one touchdown on the ground.

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Shikenjanski's name might sound familiar because he is the son of former Gophers basketball player Jim Shikenjanski, who played for head coach Clem Haskins in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Max originally committed to The Citadel on a basketball scholarship, but he opted to change his mind and walk on to Minnesota in the 2023 high school recruiting class.

He was a standout signal caller at Stillwater High School, but he only had one football scholarship offer from Division II St. Thomas in Miami, Florida. Drew Viotto was Minnesota's scholarship quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, who is now at his fourth school in four years.

Shikenjanski stuck around, earned himself a scholarship on Minnesota's football team, and he beat out Old Dominion transfer Emmett Morehead, former Virginia Tech transfer Dylan Wittke and four-star true freshman Jackson Kollock for the backup role this season.

"Before he went out I told him, have fun, be yourself. He has grown a lot, and he deserves it," Drake Lindsey said after the game. "He has been through some stuff, so I am really happy and blessed he got to go out there and play, and it was awesome to see him throw his first touchdown."

Shikenjanski has faced serious off-the-field adversity in the last 12 months, as his mother, Rebecca, passed away from ALS-Frontal Temporal Dementia on Nov. 30, 2024.

Walk-on success stories have become increasingly rare in the transfer portal, NIL-era of college sports, but Shikenjanski's willingness to earn his role as Minnesota's backup quarterback deserves some recognition after his Week 2 performance.