Football: Gophers’ menacing edge rushers should be a strength this fall

Q: Who are the key defensive ends for the Gophers in the 2026 season?

The key defensive ends for the Gophers are Anthony Smith, TJ Bush, Karter Menz, and Jaxon Howard.

Q: What are Anthony Smith's career stats in terms of pressures and sacks?

Anthony Smith has recorded 92 total pressures and 19 1/2 sacks over three seasons.

Q: How did TJ Bush perform in his previous seasons before joining the Gophers?

TJ Bush accumulated 91 pressures and 13 sacks during his three years prior to joining the Gophers, including one year at California.

Q: What challenges does Jaxon Howard face heading into the 2026 season?

Jaxon Howard needs to continue his development after missing time early in spring practices to solidify his role in the defensive line.

The Gophers might have a fearsome foursome of defensive ends going into the 2026 season.

The group is headlined by Anthony Smith, an all-Big Ten recipient who returns to Minnesota for his fifth season, followed by one of the U’s best additions in the January transfer portal, senior edge rusher TJ Bush from California.

That pair is proven. Smith has accounted for 92 total pressures and 19 1/2 sacks over three seasons, while Bush has amassed 91 pressures and 13 sacks in his three years (one at Cal, two at Liberty).

Next up is Karter Menz, who had 25 pressures and 6 1/2 sacks in his first significant playing time in 2025. He was one of the last important players from the 2025 roster to sign with Minnesota for 2026, and the Gophers were thrilled to keep the North Dakota native in Dinkytown.

The fourth is redshirt junior Jaxon Howard, who has only 15 pressures across three seasons (two at the U, one at Louisiana State), but contributed four sacks last year. After missing time early in spring practices, the Robbinsdale Cooper alum will need to continue to take another developmental step to round out the group.

During Tuesday’s practice at Athletes Village, Howard was credited with two sacks, and both received shoutouts from head coach P.J. Fleck.

“Good sack!” Fleck said into his mic after the first one. On the next one, he added: “Tremendous job!”

If those three or four can produce at a high level, it will give Big Ten quarterbacks nightmares on Saturdays next fall. One experiment the U is undergoing this spring is finding ways to get more of them on the field at the same time.

Gophers defensive coordinator Danny Collins addressed the trend of “sub packages,” which are more exotic personnel groups to enhance a certain aspect of the unit. For example, more pass rush specialists on the field at this same time to better harass an opposing quarterback.

Collins compared the craze about sub packages to Chick-fil-A; the fast-food chain has a smaller menu, but continues to grow.

“Why? Because of the quality, because of the service, the hospitality that they bring,” Collins said. “They put a premium on that stuff.”

Then the second-year DC brought it back to college defenses.

“Some places want to add, add, add and now you are just competing with things you already have,” Collins said. “And the quality is not as great. It’s a fine balance and you need to understand what personnel you have first. Then from there, now, how do we get the best out of the people we put out there?”

A pass-rush package with Smith, Bush, Menz — and perhaps Howard mixing in — appears to be something worth keeping on the Gophers’ menu for next season.

Jersey boy

Sophomore cornerback Naiim Parrish had an interception return for a touchdown on Tuesday as the Freehold, N.J., native continues to put pressure on Michigan State transfer Aidan West for the starting CB spot opposite John Nestor. Mike Gerald remains in the mix, too.

After Parrish’s pick-six, Fleck said, “Atta boy, Jersey!”

Backup quarterback Max Shikenjanski threw the pick, while starting QB Drake Lindsey had a much-improved practice. Lindsey, a redshirt sophomore, bounced back from an off practice when media members last watched on April 7.

Full-circle moment

True freshman receiver Hayden Moore from has been an early surprise challenger for first-team reps in spring ball, but the Gainesville, Fla., native, who just left high school, was chewed out and then subbed off for messing up early in Tuesday’s practice.

Later, in regards to another player, Fleck said into the mic: “You got to earn the right to be developed.”

To finish practice, Moore got more high-level reps and caught a deeper ball from Lindsey. It was one of the QB’s best completions of the day.

Briefly

Besides those four defensive ends, Adam Kissayi, a redshirst sophomore and second-year transfer from Clemson, has added 30-plus pounds to his 6-foot-8 frame to get above 260 and has been getting more reps in practice. … The Gophers top two tight ends were out Tuesday: Pierce Walsh (hand) and Jacob Simpson (leg). That meant more reps for Oklahoma transfer Kaden Heims; he ran a crossing route and caught a nice pass from Lindsey. … Running back TJ Thomas, a transfer from Elon, chalked up an explosive play Tuesday. At 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, he’s got a similarly stout build to his new position coach, Mo Ibrahim, the U’s all-time leading rusher (4,668 yards from 2018-22). … True freshman defensive back Trason Richardson, who also had an INT on Tuesday, stayed after practice to ask Fleck for permission to attend high school prom. The Houston native looked nervous, but Fleck said he should bring the ball he picked off.