P.J. Fleck, Gophers land 7 commitments in busy transfer portal weekend
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - P.J. Fleck was a busy man over the weekend as the University of Minnesota football team landed seven commitments out of the NCAA transfer portal for the 2025 season.
Fleck said at his National Signing Day news conference he would be looking to add between 10-15 transfers for next season, depending on how many players from the 2024 team with eligibility remaining left the program. Fleck and the Gophers added three running backs, a wide receiver, a defensive lineman, a defensive back and a kicker.
Who are the players?
The Gophers added Cole Cabana, A.J. Turner and Cameron Davis to the running back room. Cabana will have three years of eligibility left after playing in one game for Michigan last season. He was a four-star recruit out of high school with 79 touchdowns and more than 5,700 all-purpose yards. Turner was a Second Team All-MAC pick this season after rushing for 864 yards and six touchdowns at Marshall. Davis is a seventh-year player who ran for 1.093 yards and 15 touchdowns at Washington.
Minnesota also added Miami (Oho) receiver Javon Tracy, who had 79 catches for 1,166 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons. The Gophers also added Syracuse kicker Brady Denabug, Illinois State defensive lineman Steven Curtis and North Carolina Central defensive back Jaylen Bowden.
Gophers add Georgia Tech transfer QB Zach Pyron
Fleck said on Signing Day they would be adding a quarterback out of the portal. It’s Zach Pyron out of Georgia Tech, who has thrown for 999 yards and five touchdowns in 19 career games. He also has 70 rushes for 335 yards and six scores. He’s a dual threat quarterback who will compete for the starting job.
Who’s coming back?
In an era of NIL and transferring without penalty, Fleck has managed to keep his core group of talent for the 2025 season. That includes star running back Darius Taylor, safety Koi Perich, defensive back Kerry Brown, quarterback Drake Lindsey and defensive linemen Anthony Smith and Jalen Logan-Redding. Wide receiver Christian Driver, and defensive back Aidan Gousby are also coming back.
They all made their announcements through NIL collectives.
What’s next
The Gophers face Virginia Tech in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 3. The Gophers are 5-0 in bowl games under Fleck, and are seeking their eighth straight bowl win.