Gophers football: Nine colorful quotes from spring practices

Edge rusher Anthony Smith led the Big Ten with 12 1/2 sacks last season. So, if Minnesota’s offensive line can block him, they can block anybody, according to Fleck.

Fleck often enjoys quoting movies and spun a new version of a famous pep talk from Patches O’Houlihan in the 2004 comedy “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.”

“If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a … ball. If you can block Anthony Smith, then you can block anybody,” Fleck joked. “Some people have no idea what that means. You (reporters) all do. My players are looking at me like, ‘What’s it got to do with dodging a wrench?’”

Safety sticks around

Koi Perich’s transfer to Oregon drew a lot of attention in the offseason, but fellow u safety Kerry Brown of Naples, Fla., turned down interest from other big schools closer to his home to come back to Dinkytown for his final year.

“I just love to be here,” said Brown, who was fourth on the team with 56 total tackles and two interceptions in 2025. “This is where I wanted to be at. I have a bond with my team and my coaches.”

Put a ring on it

Before becoming the U’s new special teams coordinator, Daniel Da Prato was leading New Mexico’s kickoff return unit that had a 100-yard return for a touchdown against the Gophers in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix in December. The U eventually won 20-17 in overtime.

“That was a tough one,” De Prato said in mid-April. “I’m going to be honest. I’m going to take a half-day off here when they get their rings here some point.”

A few days later, the players were gifted studded rings with Goldy’s head as the centerpiece. It was the U’s ninth straight bowl win since 2014.

The Dark Side of the Menz

Karter Menz was quiet as a mouse when he arrived at the U from Horace, N.D. in the 2023 recruiting class. But his play has grown louder.

He had two sacks in the spring scrimmage last Saturday after posting 5 1/2 sacks in the final seven games of the 2025 season.

“Coach (Danny Collins) talks about that a lot; it’s like flipping the switch from the (person) you are off the field and (the player) on the field: turn the dark side on once you get on the field,” Menz said.

Best of luck?

After spring practice No. 3, Fleck was asked by a local photojournalist an out-of-left-field question about North Dakota State joining the FBS ranks in the Mountain West Conference starting this fall.

“I got 99 issues, problems, things and that’s not one of them,” Fleck said. “But I wish them all the best, I guess. But my focus is on the University of Minnesota.”

Since coming to the U in 2017, Fleck showed no desire to schedule the Bison when they were winning FCS national championships, and he won’t be sending a gift basket to Fargo now.

Lindsey leads

The Gophers return their starting quarterback for the first time since Tanner Morgan came back in 2022, and Drake Lindsey has a strong foundation to build on for this fall.

As a redshirt freshman, Lindsey completed 63% of his passes for 2,382 yards, while taking care of the football (18 touchdowns to only six interceptions).

Going into his second year as starter, Lindsey will be asked to take the next step. He led the U on two scoring drives in the spring game, including a 74-yard bomb to Cincinnati transfer receiver Noah Jennings to set up the opening touchdown.

“I think Drake has really improved in the command of the offense, the mastery of the offense, making other people around him better,” Fleck said. “He’s got to continue to improve though. You can never be accurate enough.”

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