P.J. Fleck on Drake Lindsey's first Gophers start: 'He's a cool customer'

Lindsey showed a lot of promise in his first career start as a college quarterback.

Aug 28, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) celebrates wide receiver Jalen Smith's (8) touchdown against the Buffalo Bulls during the second half of the game at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Gophers redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey made his first college start on Thursday night. It was an expected up-and-down performance, but the Fayetteville, Arkansas native showed plenty of promise in his first game as Minnesota's QB1.

Lindsey was eased into the game, but he faced his first adversity when a pass intended for Jameson Geers ricocheted off his foot and landed in the hands of a Buffalo defender. He showed serious poise and proceeded to finish the game strong, completing 19 of 35 passes for 290 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

"It didn't surprise me at all. His composure is the exact same that I saw in a state championship football game, when it's a nail-biter, and it's going back-and-forth, back-and-forth, back-and-forth," Fleck said after the game. "He is a cool customer. He wants the ball — understands situational football. He learned a lot of things you can and cannot do today. You cannot take a sack in the green zone there; you have to throw the ball away."

Fleck is referencing the Arkansas 7A State Championship Lindsey won as a senior in high school. He looked like an experienced player on Thursday night, but a pair of plays at the end of the first half were two mistakes that he needs to clean up. An incomplete pass into double coverage and a sack deep in Buffalo territory nearly cost Minnesota some points.

"He's so coachable. Our best players are the most coachable people," Fleck continued. "When we talk about developing talent, great people become really great players. That's what this program [is about]. We're going to create great people, and hope they become better players. Drake Lindsey is a great example of that. His composure and his poise — not only that, his processing [of] information is at a high level. He made some really good throws today, and then he made a throw or two, where you were like 'Ehh, you're not going to be able to throw that again.'"

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Lindsey just recently turned 20 years old earlier this month, so it was expected to see a few bumps along the way, but he looked confident on Thursday night. The moment was not too big for him, and he looked like a player who was ready to be a Big Ten starting quarterback.

"One of the things that God blessed me with from high school, it always felt very natural for me to go out there and play easy. That's a blessing from my parents and my family, but also God," Lindsey said after the game. "There's not many things you can teach [someone] to just be relaxed. I got to watch Max [Brosmer] last year do that, and it's a blessing to just be able to have that."

Unless your name is Johnny Manziel or Jameis Winston, there aren't many college quarterbacks who light the world on fire as a redshirt freshman. In the same vein, there are more young quarterbacks who struggle to find their footing. There were ultimately more positives than negatives from Lindsey's first start on Thursday night, and there is plenty of reason for Gophers fans to be excited about the future.