Takeaways from Gophers spring football game

TL;DR

The Gophers football team won the spring game 31-7, with quarterback Drake Lindsey throwing for 89 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Noah Jennings had a standout performance with two catches for 84 yards.

Key points

Gophers won the spring game 31-7 against Maroon team
Drake Lindsey threw for 89 yards and one touchdown
Noah Jennings had two catches for 84 yards
Grant Washington scored a 1-yard touchdown
Perry Thompson and Zion Steptoe caught touchdown passes

GophersDrake LindseyNoah JenningsGrant Washington

The Gophers offense started slow in every game during the 2025 season and they worked to break out of that funk to start 2026 during the spring game Saturday at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Quarterback Drake Lindsey uncorked a 74-yard completion to Cincinnati transfer receiver Noah Jennings to get into the red zone, and running back Grant Washington capped the drive with a 1-yard run for the Gold team.

The Gold team rode that fast start to a 31-7 win over Maroon to capture the newly created Prince Lombardi trophy.

Jennings, who has had a strong spring overall, had two catches for 84 yards. Fellow transfers Perry Thompson (Auburn) and Zion Steptoe (Tulsa) each caught touchdown passes.

Lindsey was done after the opening drive, going 4 for 5 for 89 yards.

Good sign

Redshirt freshman kicker Daniel Jackson drilled a 51-yard field goal in the first half, which was encouraging after Minnesota was 2 for 7 from 40-plus yards last season.

Jackson is locked in a competition with Michigan transfer Beckham Sunderland for the U’s starting job next fall.

Linebacker depth

Sophomore Nate Cleveland had a nice read to shoot the A gap and make a tackle for lost yards. It was one of the first defensive splash plays of the opening half.

Redshirt junior Matt Kingsbury was later credited with a sack to end a drive, and sophomore linebacker Emmanuel Karmo jumped an out route for an interception in the second half.

Those three are part of a half-dozen linebackers capable of playing in the Big Ten come September.

Interceptions galore

Four interceptions highlighted the second half. Besides Karmo’s pick, safety Parker Knutson’s takeaway led to a 57-yard return.

The transfer from Southwest Minnesota State had eight interceptions during his 25-game career at the Division II school in Marshall, Minn.

Young defensive backs Jordan Lampkins and Naiim Parrish had the other two INTs.

Briefly

The 2026 regular season starts against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 3, followed by Mississippi State on Sept. 12 and Akron on Sept. 19. All three nonconference games are at Huntington Bank Stadium. … The Gophers didn’t give much action to a handful of key players Saturday, including running back Darius Taylor, defensive end Anthony Smith, linebacker Maverick Baranowski and safety Kerry Brown.

Q&A

What were the key highlights from the Gophers spring football game?

Key highlights include a 74-yard completion by quarterback Drake Lindsey to Noah Jennings and a strong performance by the Gold team, winning 31-7.

Who scored touchdowns for the Gophers during the spring game?

Touchdowns were scored by running back Grant Washington and transfers Perry Thompson and Zion Steptoe.

How did quarterback Drake Lindsey perform in the spring game?

Drake Lindsey completed 4 of 5 passes for 89 yards before exiting after the opening drive.