Preps – David Shama's Minnesota Sports Headliners

Hope Vikes QB Room Won’t Resemble a MASH Unit in 2026

Posted on March 22, 2026March 22, 2026 by David Shama

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has been steadfast in his commitment to having a deep and competitive quarterback room for the 2026 season. It looks like he’s accomplished that with the offseason additions of Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz to compete with J.J. McCarthy.

The trio, though, looks a bit like a potential MASH unit. (That’s a mobile army surgical hospital for those that don’t know).

Start with the 28-year-old Murray, the wagering favorite to be the No. 1 quarterback and is also seen that way by a former front office executive with NFL teams who corresponds with Sports Headliners. “I expect Murray to be the Week 1 starter and see if he can stay healthy,” he texted.

Murray has missed significant playing time during his NFL career that began as a No. 1 draft pick by the Cardinals in 2019. The diminutive 5-10, 207-pound Murray has experienced an ACL tear, ankle sprain, hamstring strains and a foot injury. He has reportedly missed more than 20 games due to injuries.

The source quoted above, speaking on condition of anonymity, texted that “with Kyler’s injury history, I think J.J. will get his chance to play.”

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings QB, image by David Shama — J.J. McCarthy

McCarthy, 23, missed all of his first Viking season in 2024 with a knee injury. Awarded with the starting spot in 2025, McCarthy managed to play in 10 games, but he was impacted by a high ankle sprain, concussion and hairline fracture in his right throwing hand.

When on the field McCarthy’s performance was inconsistent and it cast doubt on whether he should lead the Vikings in 2026. McCarthy, who the source wrote now faces an uncertain future, wasn’t injury prone in high school or at Michigan where he led the Wolverines to the 2024 national championship.

McCarthy’s replacement for five games was Wentz. His season ended with a severe shoulder injury. The Vikings re-signed him last week.

Wentz, 33, has been troubled by injuries for much of his career including an ACL tear, back fractures, ankle sprains, a concussion and most recently shoulder surgery. After all the pain he has endured during stops with six NFL teams, it wouldn’t have been surprising if he had retired this offseason. “I don’t see how Wentz fits in unless Kyler or J.J. get hurt for an extended period,” the source said.

Worth Noting

The popularity of Gopher women’s basketball has long had a lot of potential. It will be interesting to see how many fans attend today’s second round NCAA tournament game at Williams Arena against Ole Miss. Attendance for Friday’s opening round win over Green Bay was announced as 10,355 at Williams Arena (capacity 14,625).

Former Golden Gophers football coach Glen Mason thought the world of Tom Moe who passed away last month at age 87. At Tom’s funeral Mason offered a eulogy with anecdotes about the former Gopher athletics director who once was his boss.

Mason recalled Tom’s first bowl game when the Gophers were in El Paso to play Oregon in 1999. Tom asked if it was okay if he attended Gopher practices. This got Mason’s attention because he was accustomed to athletic directors who often spent their bowl game hours at the swimming pool, golfing or even at the bar.

After the Gophers returned from their Sun Bowl game Tom stopped by the coach’s office. “What did you think?” Mason asked his boss in reference to the experience.

Tom proceeded to show Mason three large legal pads with handwritten notes front and back. Mason said his friend had the “most detailed notes” on every coach and player, and bowl related events. “He was there to work,” Mason told Sports Headliners.

Tom played end for the Gophers and was team MVP in 1959 He was a prominent attorney in Minneapolis with the Dorsey & Whitney law firm. He never sought the glitz of the AD job but served as interim AD starting in December of 1999 and later full-time director until 2002 because the University asked for his leadership. In February the U renamed its athletics director position the Thomas O. Moe Director of Athletics.

Tom, who was also a standout on the Gophers 1960 national championship baseball team, was a highly principled man who had the admiration of so many Minnesotans not only for his career but his dedication to family. “The best (of individuals),” Mason said.

Former Gopher pitcher Max Meyer, whose progress in the majors has been slowed by injuries, might have a breakout season with the Marlins in 2026. In three games over seven innings in spring training, he’s yet to give up a run. A hard thrower, he’s struck out 12 batters.

The storytelling will be fun on Wednesday, April 8 at Mendakota Country Club when Minnesota natives and “Miracle on Ice” players Rob McClanahan, Buzz Schneider and John Harrington speak to the breakfast group. Joe Schmit will moderate the discussion with the heroes from the 1980 gold medal winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. For more information, contact Patrick Klinger, patrick@agilemarketingco.com.

Larry Higgins, a standout player on the 1961 Bemidji basketball team that lost 51-50 to Duluth Central in the state championship game, is searching for film from that game. Central was led by former Gopher Terry Kunze and the game had a controversial ending. Anyone who knows of game film (either in part or whole) should email ds@shamasportsheadliners.com.

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Hockey Icon Lou Nanne Lauds Wild, U.S. Olympic Teams

Posted on March 3, 2026March 3, 2026 by David Shama

When Minnesota icon Lou Nanne talks hockey, you listen. This morning, he spoke with Sports Headliners about the Wild, the men’s and women’s Olympic teams, and the Golden Gophers.

Does the Wild have the best personnel in its 26 seasons history?

Wild star forward Kirill Kaprizove — Kirill Kaprizov

“Oh, there’s no question about that,” Nanne said. “They’ve got three of the best players ever that the Wild have had. (Kirill) Kaprizov, (Quinn) Hughes and (Matt) Boldy are definitely as good a players as they’ve ever had, or better than they’ve ever had. You’ve got two forwards (Kaprizov and Boldy)…who can really score. They’re tremendous and they’ll be the best two productive scorers that’s ever been on that team. And they’ve got the best defenseman (Hughes) they’ve ever had.”

The talent, of course, goes deeper with other standouts like defensemen Jonas Brodin, Brock Faber and Jake Spurgeon, forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Foligno, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt. “They’ve got a very, very good team,” Nanne said.

Only three NHL teams have more points than Minnesota’s 80 and there’s a consensus the club is a Stanley Cup contender. Asked specifically what makes the Wild special, Nanne said:

“The talent. They’ve got talent at every position. They got speed. They got goal scoring. Their goaltending has been good enough this year. Sometimes it’s been tremendous and their defense overall (when players are healthy)…is probably the best defense in the league.”

The NHL trade deadline is Friday and Nanne thinks GM Bill Guerin could make a move for a top center. “All depends on what the price is. If they can get somebody worth the price they want to pay, yeah, they’ll pick up somebody.”

The Predators’ Steven Stamkos has drawn speculation, but Nanne questions whether the Wild can afford him. The Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck is on the center rumor list and would come with a lesser salary cap hit.

Both the U.S. women’s and men’s teams won Olympic gold medals last month in riveting 2-1 overtime wins over Canada. The women’s team was not only talented but had a nucleus of young players.

Nanne predicts future gold for the women. “…The women’s team, frankly, is the best team in the world by a longshot. …I don’t think (in) the next two Olympics that anybody is going to come close to that women’s team. I think they’re going to be dominant.”

The women’s gold medal game attracted a viewing audience of over 5 million in the United States making it the most watched women’s hockey game in history. The men’s game had about four times the viewership in an electric classic for the ages featuring great players, intensity and drama. “It was just a wonderful thing to watch,” Nanne said.

Nanne was born in Canada in 1941 but had no mixed feelings about the game. He became a U.S. citizen long ago and he’s been a major contributor to U.S. hockey development for decades. He captained the 1968 U.S. Olympic team before going on to a career with the NHL North Stars as a player, coach, and front office executive.

Nanne’s alma mater, the University of Minnesota where he was an All-American defenseman, is having an atypical season. The Gophers, 11-20-2 overall and 7-14-1 in the Big Ten, are a longshot to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. “They’re very young and inexperienced…when you’re young and inexperienced…you’re not going to have a lot of success,” Nanne said.

Worth Noting

Per ESPN.com, the Vikings retained their high ranking in the latest annual NFL Players Association survey, finishing second for two years in a row. In 2023 the Vikings were No. 1 among the NFL’s 32 franchises in the survey asking players to grade their organization in a wide variety of categories ranging from ownership to food and dining. The Dolphins were No. 1 in the 2025 survey.

Interestingly, recently dismissed GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah received an A grade. Also of note was that defensive coordinator Brian Flores got a B+, while special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and head coach Kevin O’Connell both received A grades. In 17 categories, only ownership had an A+.

Former Gopher Nick Rallis, defensive coordinator of the NFL Cardinals, received a C+ in an organization whose ownership was given an F.

With Koi Perich gone to Oregon on what Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck said was for a $2million deal, it’s freed up money to pay other Gophers. Perich likely could have received similar money to stay at Minnesota. His sophomore season at safety didn’t produce as many interceptions as his freshman year, five versus one. Why? At least partially because he had to support the cornerbacks.

Condolences to family and friends of former Roosevelt head hockey coach Clayton “Bucky” Freeburg who recently passed away. A tremendous defensive coach, he led the Teddies to three state tournaments and counted Reed Larson and Mike Ramsey among his outstanding players.

Hockey historian Dave Wright emailed that his first section public address announcer assignment was the 1978 game between “Bucky’s” Teddies and a Blake team coached by Rod Anderson, brother of former Minnesota governor Wendy Anderson. The Teddies won 7-0 and advanced to the state tournament for the last time in school history.

Wright is doing public address announcing for the 35^th year at the boys’ state hockey tournament this week. Later in the month he will do eight games at the boys’ basketball tournament.

Comments Welcome

Hard to Believe Koi Perich Won’t Move on from Gophers

Posted on January 2, 2026January 2, 2026 by David Shama

Koi Perich, the home state hero, has his name in the college football transfer portal. He reportedly hasn’t decided whether he will transfer or return to the Gophers for his junior season next fall.

If the Esko, Minnesota native didn’t intend to move on, why place his name in the portal window which opened today and runs through January 16? Perich, who was a Sporting News second-team All-American as a freshman safety in 2024, already knows how much money he can earn playing for the Gophers. He’s also familiar with the coaches, teammates, program environment and 2026 expectations.

By declaring the Gophers are still in the picture, Perich does give himself leverage when he and his representatives consider offers from other programs. The posture also takes some public “heat” off him in his home state.

“This is definitely not about the money,” an authoritative sports source told Sports Headliners today about Perich’s motivations.

Make no mistake. The University of Minnesota football program wants to retain Perich. For the coming season the Gophers might be willing to pay him low seven-figures in combined revenue share and Name, Image and Likeness money for his expected final season of college football before he declares for the 2027 NFL Draft.

Gophers football star Koi Perich — Koi Perich photo courtesy of University of Minnesota

That’s really stretching the budget because college safeties usually have a compensation ceiling under $1 million (see August 24 Max Olson ESPN.com story on money value per positions in college football). The Gophers, though, could be willing to go higher based on Perich’s resume of being among the more talented and experienced safeties in college football, plus his value as a kick and punt returner, and part-time availability as a receiver and runner on offense.

The Miamis, Ohio States and Oregons have the resources to outbid the Gophers on Perich but his decision whether to move on is probably first about playing for a program that can realistically compete for conference and national championships. The last two seasons the Gophers have produced 8-5 overall and 5-4 conference records.

A talented and motivated Perich wants to win every game. That’s not realistic at Minnesota where last month the team had to go into overtime to defeat non-power four conference New Mexico in the Rate Bowl. In 2025 Minnesota was embarrassed in conference losses to Ohio State and Oregon by a combined score of 84-16.

Perich almost chose Ohio State coming out of high school where he was a four-star recruit and one of the nation’s best safety prospects. A last-minute decision sent him to coach P.J. Fleck’s program which just completed its ninth season under his leadership.

In Columbus the Buckeyes are presumably losing All-American safety Caleb Downs who is eligible for the NFL Draft after playing three seasons for Ohio State. Perich could step in and start, while being surrounded by a much more talented group of teammates.

Oregon star safety Dillon Thieneman is also a junior and eligible for the draft. Downs, Thieneman and Perich are all free safeties.

And at Miami, Perich could join his former Gopher defensive coordinator Cory Hetherman who has the same role for the Hurricanes. Miami and Oregon are still alive in the college football playoffs while Ohio State, the 2025 defending national champions, was eliminated New Year’s Eve in a semi-final loss to the Hurricanes. Those three programs offer the opportunity to play on college football’s biggest stages.

Home state college heart strings and the opportunity to play in front of family don’t figure to keep Perich in a Gopher uniform. Growing up in the small town of Esko outside of Duluth, it was the Vikings who stirred his deep passion, not the Gophers. And with the money Perich can now command in college football, he can afford to pay for his family to see him play anywhere in the country.

When Perich was a freshman, he did a memorable late October interview with Paul Allen on KFAN Radio. He talked about how the Gophers, despite their 5-3 record, were a top 10 caliber team. Call it naïve for him to say what he did, or just a young man talking about aspirations for his team, to this listener his comments were telling about his desires.

Neither the eye test nor the Pro Football Focus analysis verify that Perich was as effective last season as his first. His interception total, for example, was down from five to one, while offenses strategized to avoid his area on the field. PFF graded him 88.9 for his overall performance as a safety in 2024, one of the best numbers in the country for his position. This year his grade was 62.4.

It’s emotionally difficult for Gopher fans to think about the 2026 season without their home state hero. However, even if Perich returned for the coming year, it was definitely going to be his last in college football. From the start it’s believed his plan was to play three years and then move on to the NFL.

There is also solace in knowing the safety position isn’t as important as several others on the team. That list starts with quarterback and includes offensive and defensive linemen. Pushed for an answer, college football authorities would generally prefer a superb cornerback to a gifted safety.

If this is goodbye with Perich, be grateful it’s not redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Lindsey departing. Or junior running back Darius Taylor who announced today he will return rather than opt for the 2026 NFL Draft.

While in no way diminishing the contribution of Perich, the source referenced above said losing Perich will not be “catastrophic” for the program.

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