Three more Gophers starters confirm return for 2026 season

Minnesota officially retained three of its starters on Saturday morning.

Nov 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Javon Tracy (11) celebrates his touchdown with teammates against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Gophers got positive retention news on Saturday morning when the team's official NIL collective, Dinkytown Athletes, confirmed that starting wide receiver Javon Tracy and starting offensive lineman Tony Nelson and starting edge defender Jaxon Howard will return to the program in 2026.

Javon Tracy, WR

Starting off 2026 Smooth...

🏈 〽️ @javon_tracy Will Be Back in 2026 〽️🏈@cubfoods is a proud sponsor of Gopher Athletics pic.twitter.com/BJb5psPzqJ

— DinkytownAthletes (@DTAthletes) January 3, 2026

Tracy came to Minnesota by way of the transfer portal last offseason after two years at Miami (OH). He ran the most routes on the entire Gophers roster, and he finished second on the team with 37 catches for 454 yards and six touchdowns. With Le'Meke Brockington out of eligibility, he will now be the top returning receiver on the roster for his final year of college football.

The Gophers' wide receiver room next season is now expected to include Tracy, Jalen Smith, Donielle 'Nuke' Hayes, Bradley Martino and five incoming freshmen. They will likely add a few more options in this month's transfer portal window.

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Tony Nelson, OL

It all starts up font 🧱

🏈 〽️ @TonyNelsonTMB Will Be Back in 2026 〽️🏈@cubfoods is a proud sponsor of Gopher Athletics pic.twitter.com/QrijzWn81W

— DinkytownAthletes (@DTAthletes) January 3, 2026

Hailing from Tracy, Minnesota, Nelson finally cracked the starting lineup in the final two games of 2025. He replaced UCF transfer Marcellus Marshall at left guard against Wisconsin and New Mexico. He played 197 total snaps, and earned a 67.0 grade, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). With Greg Johnson, Nathan Roy and Ashton Beers all expected to return as well, Minnesota will have an experienced offensive line in 2026.

Jaxon Howard, DE

🔒 👇 Defense 🔒👇

🏈 〽️ @11JaxonHoward Will Be Back in 2026 〽️🏈@cubfoods is a proud sponsor of Gopher Athletics pic.twitter.com/A1Z6O5db7C

— DinkytownAthletes (@DTAthletes) January 3, 2026

Howard transferred back home to Minnesota before the 2024 season after one year at LSU. He was a highly-touted four-star recruit in the 2023 high school class, and he played up to his potential in 2025 with the Gophers. He operated as the team's second edge defender with 423 defensive snaps. He finished with a career-high 29 total tackles and four sacks.

Howard now joins Anthony Smith and Karter Menz as returning defensive linemen for the Gophers in 2026. Their edge position will be absolutely loaded with talent, but they will have to attack the interior hard in the transfer portal.