5 Gophers who could be breakout players in 2023
The Minnesota Gophers are coming off a solid season but they'll need to replace some veterans if they want to repeat that success in 2023.
With the graduation of Tanner Morgan, Mohamed Ibrahim and Jordan Howden, the Gophers have to fill some big shoes and it creates opportunity for some of the younger players to step up.
While we're about two months from the start of the season, it's never too early to look at which players could break out and become key contributors in 2023.
Sean Tyler
One of the biggest questions for the Gophers this season will be how they replace Ibrahim in the backfield. Ibrahim left Minnesota as the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,468 yards, but they'll have plenty of options to succeed him including Western Michigan transfer Sean Tyler.
Tyler was a big-play threat for the Broncos, collecting over 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons. While his yards per carry dipped from 6.5 in 2021 to 4.9 in 2022, he scored 16 touchdowns and could see a jump in production behind the Gophers' offensive line.
While other players such as Zach Evans, whose freshman season was derailed by an injury last September, or incoming freshman Darius Taylor could battle for carries, Tyler has the most explosiveness and could kick the Gophers' rushing attack into another gear this season.
Daniel Jackson
Only the service academies ran more than the Gophers did last season and a big reason was their lack of depth at receiver after Chris Autman-Bell went down with a torn ACL and meniscus last September.
The result was an overhaul in the Gophers receiving room as Dylan Wright (TCU) and Michael Brown-Stephens (South Florida) both hit the transfer portal, which in turn opened the door for Daniel Jackson.
A former 4-star recruit, Jackson hasn't put it all together but showed signs of progress including a 110-yard performance against Purdue and a five-catch, 86-yard outing with a touchdown against Wisconsin.
Jackson will be joined by Autman-Bell, who is returning for his seventh season with the Gophers, and another Western Michigan transfer in Corey Crooms. But Jackson is the player that could take over on the outside and provide a top target for the Minnesota offense.
Cody Lindenberg
Lindenberg already made an impact for the Gophers with 71 tackles and four tackles for loss last season, but after earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention, there's a great chance he could take a leap this season.
Lindenberg got better as the season went along. He posted seven or more tackles in four of his final five games and was especially big in the Gophers' victory over Syracuse with 11 tackles in the Pinstripe Bowl.
With Mariano Sori-Marin graduating, Donald Willis transferring to Western Michigan and Braelen Oliver leaving for Georgia Tech, there will be plenty of opportunity at linebacker. Lindenberg is the player that stands to gain the most and it could lead the Anoka native to become one of the top linebackers in the Big Ten.
Deven Eastern
The one area where the Gophers need to improve is pass rush and with Trill Carter transferring to Texas, Minnesota will need someone to step up at three technique.
The starter in the middle could come down to a training camp battle between Darnell Jefferies and Deven Eastern. Eastern is the more intriguing of the two as a former 4-star recruit with the physical tools to become a dominant player.
Eastern played in six games last season, notching four tackles including one for loss. He'll be relied upon in a bigger role this season. If he can figure things out, he could provide an upgrade on the interior which could help the Gophers pressure opposing passers and help Minnesota's defense get stay on track.
Athan Kaliakmanis
If there's one Gopher that could have a breakout season, it's the player that Gopher fans have been calling "The Greek Rifle."
Kaliakmanis made his debut during his redshirt freshman season and even took over the starting job as Morgan dealt with injuries in the second half of last season. While his overall stats (946 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT, 54.1 completion percentage) weren't pretty, there were flashes of brilliance including his game against Wisconsin (319 yards, 2 TD) and his performance in the Pinstripe Bowl (7-9, 80 yards) before going down with an injury.
With the added ability to run the ball and an upgrade of weapons at receiver, Kaliakmanis could be the Gophers' first true dual-threat quarterback in a long time. If he lives up to his potential, Minnesota could be in for a big season and could contend for the first Big Ten West title in program history.
