NCAA – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Plenty of Room on U Football Bandwagon Right Now

Posted on August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by David Shama

In regard to wins and losses in 2026, the Golden Gophers football team isn’t generating much buzz from the media. A middle of the pack finish in the 18-team Big Ten and middling bowl game is a common prognostication.

Athlon Sports magazine projects an 11^th place finish. Lindy’s Sports publications and Cleveland.com project 10^th in the standings.

Those are authoritative sources and so too is RJ Young from Foxsports.com who detailed all 138 FBS football teams last week and ranked Minnesota, 8-5 last season, at No. 59 in the nation. Mississippi State, who the Gophers play at home in their second game of the year, was 5-8 in 2025 but is ranked No. 52. Wisconsin, who Minnesota meets in the season finale, is No. 49 after finishing 4-8 last season.

Kyle Bonagura and Mark Schlabach, writing for ESPN.com recently, projected the college football playoff and bowl teams. Schlabach forecasts Minnesota playing Arizona State in the First Responder Bowl in Dallas. Bonagura didn’t include the Gophers among teams destined for postseason play.

Most authorities researched by this writer aren’t so pessimistic as Mr. Bonagura and project a bowl game for Minnesota. There are college football media that have the Gophers among the top 50 teams in the nation, and The Athletic’s Chris Vannini ranks Minnesota No. 39.

But it’s a ho-hum outlook across the board from media gurus. Why?

Well, the Gophers play in the Big Ten Conference that arguably is the best in college football. Minnesota figures to be an underdog in its games against Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Penn State and Washington. Toss ups in the 12-game regular season schedule look like Mississippi State, Northwestern, UCLA and Wisconsin. The most certain wins appear to be FCS Eastern Illinois and Akron in nonconference games, and Purdue in the Big Ten. And remember the Gophers play five of their conference games on the road.

Then, too, there is history. Coach P.J. Fleck, entering his 10^th season in Minneapolis, has a track record of winning about half his Big Ten games. The overall records for the last five seasons are: 9-4 twice, 8-5 twice and 6-7 once—or an average of 8 wins per year.

The sports books set Minnesota’s win total for 2026 at 6.5. Fleck said neither he nor his team pay attention to the sports books. …”Our kids are focused on being 1-0 every single day. Finding a way to get better. Today (Monday) was a great practice. This team’s been really fun to coach because whatever you put in front of them, they knock down. …”

When pressed for a Gopher season prediction last week by friends, this writer forecasted 7-6. Give me an asterisk on that. The view here is the Gophers could finish anywhere from 5-7 to 9-4 including a bowl win.

Injuries will be significant in determining the final record. If the Gophers are fortunate enough to have their starters (particularly a half dozen or so of the key players) stay out of the medical tent this team could roll to success. Then, too, key injuries to opponents could give the Gophers an edge against quality teams not foreseen right now.

Here’s something that doesn’t get valued enough and was sourced by ESPN. The Gophers retain about 68% of their overall returning production from the 2025 season, or the 7th-highest percentage in the FBS. Fleck brings back about 71% of his production on offense and 65% on defense.

A valued college football source told Sports Headliners this is Fleck’s most talented team, partially because of returning quarterback Drake Lindsey. He could take a big step in year two as the starter, ranking with the better passers in college football.

Gopher running back Darius Taylor — Darius Taylor photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

Darius Taylor, injury plagued in the past, is a big play threat running from scrimmage and catching a pass in space. The running back room looks intriguing with newcomers including Ryan Estrada who Fleck praised yesterday in front of reporters.

New receivers coach Isaac Fruechte is likely to get more production out of that group than in the past to help Lindsey. Targets of watch include Jalen Smith, who was the offensive MVP of the Rate Bowl last December, and Cincinnati transfer Noah Jennings who wears jersey No. 13 like 2019 All-American WR Rashod Bateman. Fleck has compared the two.

The Gophers probably have two future NFL players in left tackle Nathan Roy and left guard Greg Johnson. Veteran center Ashton Beers is a tough player and will be productive, too. Right guard and tackle are concerns but there’s probably more talent and depth than last year.

It will be a surprise if Anthony Smith, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season, isn’t an All-American. Fellow edge defenders Karter Menz, TJ Bush Jr. and Jaxon Howard figure to make things difficult for opposing quarterbacks when they try to pass.

Some combos of those players may at times play in the middle of the line. A big physical presence is needed in the middle to stop runners. Theorin Randle, Riley Sunram and Naquan Crowder are names to watch develop as regulars on the interior. Don’t be surprised if Forest Lake freshman Howie Johnson gets in the rotation.

More star power is at linebacker with Maverick Baranowski. Matt Kingsbury is the likely starter at the other linebacker spot, with Joey Gerlach and Emmanuel Karmo adding depth and talent to the LB roster.

Cornerback John Nestor is among the more highly regarded cornerbacks in the Big Ten. He makes timely plays and his six interceptions last season tied for best in the conference. The Gophers have another star in the secondary in strong safety Kerry Brown who probably contributed more at times last season than crowd favorite Koi Perich.

Aydan West, a hyped transfer from Michigan State, should give the Gophers a pair of exceptional cornerbacks. Mekhai Smith or Zack Harden show promise at the free safety position.

Special teams look pretty much like a blank slate. Other than returnee Tom Weston, a quality punter, the identity of kickoff and punt returnees, and field goals and extra points specialists is in limbo. The upside is new special team coach Daniel Da Prato has a glowing resume from other stops and could be the best of the Fleck era. Fleck said his new coach has “done a tremendous job.”

And then there is this for those who like to finish on a high note. Before the 2019 season sports books had Minnesota at 6.5 or 7 wins for the team that went 11-2 and finished No. 10 in the final Associated Press poll.

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U WR Jennings Grabs Attention of Big Ten Network

Posted on August 18, 2026August 18, 2026 by David Shama

The Big Ten Network makes preseason stops at the football training camps of all 18 teams and was in Minneapolis on Monday to watch the Golden Gophers. BTN’s show about Minnesota aired last night and the most interesting part was the praise for wide receiver Noah Jennings, a senior transfer from the University of Cincinnati.

“He was impressive,” said BTN’s Gerry DiNardo about the player who reportedly really popped at practice Monday.

Gopher head coach P.J. Fleck acknowledged to BTN he’s been impressed with the 6-foot, 190-pound receiver who started his college career at Charleston Southern. “I hate to even say this because this is July-August, and this is hype, right? But he wears No. 13. His body frame, his structure looks a lot like (Rashod) Bateman. And a lot of times I don’t know if it’s Bateman or him out there. And he makes a ton of plays for us.”

Bateman, who wore No. 13 for the Gophers, was a program record-breaker who in 2021 became the first receiver in school history to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft (27^th pick by the Ravens). The 6-2, 210-pound Georgia native was the 2019 Big Ten’s Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year.

Jennings looks like a developing talent who will start for the Gophers and perhaps show the ability to get open and make the tough catch Bateman did. At Cincinnati he had only three starts and totaled 323 yards in receptions but hinted at the explosiveness he may bring to Minnesota by averaging 14 yards per catch. In two years at Charleston Southern the South Carolina native totaled 885 yards.

Gopher football coach P.J. Fleck — P.J. Fleck

Fleck brought up Batemans’s name when talking about placing better receivers around quarterback Drake Lindsey this season. That will be important for Lindsey who was a first-year starter in 2025 as a redshirt freshman and impressed observers.

Lindsey threw 18 touchdown passes and six interceptions. His completion percentage was .632 and Fleck sees improved accuracy in fall camp.

Another improvement is pocket awareness with Fleck noting his young quarterback left a “clean pocket” at times last season. “May be it felt dirty but it wasn’t,” Fleck told BTN. “There was something that spooked him. …It’s trusting the protection.”

Worth Noting

Baseball historian and media guru Dave Mona has watched a lot of baseball over the years including his time as the Twins beat writer for the Minneapolis Tribune. On Facebook he posted this review of his experience last week in Dyersville, Iowa to watch the Twins and Phillies game:

“James Earl Jones said it so well. The Twins game at Field of Dreams on Thursday was special. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to take part in and/or observe dozens, maybe hundreds, of sports presentations.

“I tend to be stingy with my grades. The crew at Field of Dreams gets an A-Plus. The teams coming out of the field of corn. The presence of 26 Hall of Famers. The chance to run the bases and play catch on the field featured in the movie.

“Seemed like hundreds of helpful staff. Even free parking. ‘People will come,’ Jones said in the movie, and son, Erik, and I are so glad we did.”

Word is the Savannah Bananas’ three sold out games at Target Field earlier this month were a welcome cash infusion to concession sales. Instead of the small crowds who come to see the Twins, about 40,000 patrons each game watched the entertaining antics of Banana Ball, a traveling exhibition that’s been compared to the Harlem Globetrotters.

One source said Twins announced attendance has often been thousands higher than actual patrons in the ballpark. MLB policy is to announce attendance of tickets sold, not clicks through the gates.

The Twins are averaging 21,084 per game, ranking No. 26 among 30 MLB teams, per Espn.com.

The Twins, 61-65, are just 14-26 in interleague games and close out their series against the National League Braves tomorrow afternoon at Target Field. It will be an interesting pitching matchup with Minnesota’s Taj Bradley 9-5 going for his club leading 10^th win versus Braves ace Chris Sale, 12-8.

Media and fan frenzy will ramp up (if that’s possible) on Wednesday and Thursday when the Vikings hold joint practices with the Ravens at TCO Performance Center. Both practices start at noon.

Then the two teams meet on Saturday in an exhibition game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Reserves figure to dominant the field on Saturday but the joint practices will have more regulars participating and that’s intriguing because after the Rams, the Ravens are among the betting favorites for the 2027 Super Bowl.

Blake Cashman, the Vikings linebacker from Eden Prairie and former Golden Gopher, is drawing praise during training camp. Cashman, 30, is an unrestricted free agent after the coming season.

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Painful Loss, But So Much to Celebrate about John Anderson

Posted on August 9, 2026August 9, 2026 by David Shama

Minnesotans will offer their tributes tomorrow to University of Minnesota legendary baseball coach John Anderson. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis, with a celebration of life open to the public starting at 6 p.m. at Maturi Pavilion at the University.

The events can be viewed via the following links:

www.youtube.com/user/SaintOlafChurch/live

https://www.youtube.com/live/R_p5bjmcka4?si=NlW2OfIAt8vvcDaO

Anderson died unexpectedly at age 71 last month, just a few days after experiencing heart failure. Friends have extended condolences to wife Jan, daughter Erin and other family, while also processing the stunning loss of the man who so deeply impacted the lives of many others.

Golden Gophers baseball is a special sport at the U. It’s the oldest program in the 22-team athletic department, dating back to 1876. Gopher baseball has an extraordinary tradition of leaders, players and championships.

The great Dick Siebert coached the Gophers from 1948-1978. He led Minnesota to national championships in 1956, 1960 and 1964. His extraordinary players included Paul Giel, Paul Molitor and Dave Winfield. They were Minnesota natives as were most of the players on his teams.

Anderson, born in Hibbing and a graduate of Nashwauk-Keewatin High School, wanted to pitch for the coach they called “The Chief.” An arm injured in 1975, after one year with the program, punctured that balloon so Anderson became a student assistant coach and later a grad assistant. He learned about the legacy of the program. And who better to have as a college baseball tutor than “The Chief”?

In 1981 it was Giel, then the school athletics director, who asked Anderson to become head baseball coach. At 26, he succeeded George Thomas (1979-1981) as head coach. He had been an assistant coach to Thomas.

Former Gophers baseball coach John Anderson — John Anderson

Anderson retired as Minnesota’s coach after the 2024 season. What a run it was over 43 seasons with a 1,390-1,021-3 record, ranking first in the Big Ten and 20th all-time among NCAA Division I coaches in career victories. Minnesota had winning seasons in 38 of his years as head coach, and the Gophers had 31 seasons with at least 30 wins and 10 seasons with at least 40.

Minnesota finished first or second in the Big Ten standings 24 times, advanced to 20 Big Ten Tournament championship games and qualified for the conference tournament in 31 of 38 Anderson’s seasons. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year eight times, first as a rookie head coach in 1982 and most recently in 2018.

Anderson led the Gophers to 19 NCAA postseason appearances, including a historic and dramatic 2018 year that included hosting an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2000 and advancing to the program’s first NCAA Super Regional, achieving the program’s best postseason finish since reaching the College World Series in 1977.

But there was so much more to the man affectionately referred to by his uniform number, “14.” Awhile back he told Sports Headliners: “It’s not just about wins and losses. My philosophy has always been I am here to prepare people for the next 50 years of their lives. Kids have to understand there’s a 50 percent less chance to play professional baseball today because the draft got reduced by 20 rounds. You better be preparing people for life after baseball.”

Anderson had over 330 All-Big Ten Academic selections. He was proud to tell a reporter in 2024 his entire senior class that year would graduate with degrees. The academic progress rate for the last five years was a perfect 1000.

He cared deeply about the well-being of his players. He knew his role was that of a teacher devoted to guiding his players way beyond baseball, helping develop their academics, life skills and character with the intent they can thrive as adults in a competitive and changing world.

There was no doubting his leadership and devotion to the U. He could have left for better paying jobs, including ones with more resources for winning but he was loyal to the end to his program, players and school.

Remarkably, he spent 49 years at the U counting time as a player, student assistant coach, graduate assistant, and assistant coach. He loved Minnesota and in a final gesture keeping with the selfless spirit that defined his life, his body was returned to the University for organ donation.

I last communicated with him several weeks ago regarding the honor of being named the latest recipient of the prestigious Lefty Gomez Award from the American Baseball Coaches Association. The annual award was to be presented next January and is given to an individual who has contributed significantly to baseball locally, nationally, and internationally.

Anderson texted the following regarding the award: “Humbling honor that is an achievement by an army of people that contributed to the program’s success during my leadership of the Gopher baseball program. Nothing is accomplished by one individual. I am grateful for all those special relationships that I shared over the years.”

To further detail Anderson’s impact on others, Sports Headliners reached out to individuals via text and email asking for their comments. Their replies about “14” are below:

Charlie Nelson, Gopher baseball player 1991-1994 and leader of KLN Family Brands, a Sports Headliners advertiser

“John Anderson taught me the importance and the value of caring for someone even when they might have nothing to offer up at the time.

“I was a freshman on the baseball team and at the time, I wasn’t providing value as a student, baseball player, or teammate. When John sat me down, I didn’t know what to expect. Instead of telling me that maybe the U of M wasn’t for me…he spent time talking to me about life. He shared some of his own struggles with me and he reminded me that being a student athlete at the U of M was a longer journey than I had mentally prepared for.

“I worked hard over the next few years earning the opportunities he gave me and the patience he had with me when he didn’t need to. John was teaching me lessons about life and leadership before I even knew it. I was beyond fortunate to have played for “14” and to have called John Anderson a good friend.”

Patrick Klinger, former Twins marketing executive and now leader of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival

“John was an exceptional coach and an even better human. We smoked many cigars, raised a few glasses of vino and played numerous rounds of golf together.

“One of my favorite memories was rooming with John on golf trips to Arizona. We’d stay up late in our room discussing life, family, friends and sharing experiences. Funny, I never recall talking baseball with him even though we’d both been in that business.

“He was a special man, and I was honored by his friendship. And when I think of those whom I’d like to emulate, John Anderson is near the very top of that list.”

Joel Maturi, former Gopher athletics director from 2002-2012

“I wish I had something original to say about John Anderson but cannot find the words.

“As I have shared with others, I was an athletic administrator for 40 years and worked with and evaluated many coaches. No one embodied a whole person approach emphasizing the total growth and well-being of those he coached better than John.

“Every person I have spoken to or read comments of on his passing all spoke of his impact on their life, not baseball. It is what John believed his mission was and no one did it better.”

Bill Robertson, former sports executive including with the Minnesota Wild

“Coach John Anderson (14) was more than just a baseball coach at the University of Minnesota for so many seasons. He was a mentor of mine, relationship-builder and most importantly a caring husband and father.

“His knowledge of the environment in college baseball was off the charts. He saw things others could not (do) in developing talent. He knew the limitations and climate of playing college baseball in the Upper Midwest.

“John taught me a lot about being professional and how to treat others. Even players who did not play much for him still revere him as he was honest and upfront while truly caring about their future.

“If my son wanted to play college baseball, I would want him to play for John.”

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