The Gophers’ current offensive line issues can be traced back to Ohio State, but in a distinct way that proceeded the 42-3 blowout loss in Columbus on Saturday.
The transfer of 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive tackle Phillip Daniels from Minnesota to the Buckeyes after the 2024 season created a hole the Gophers are still trying to patch.
A season ago, Daniels started for the Gophers as a redshirt freshman and was penciled in to be the U’s next left tackle in the wake of senior Aireontae Ersery being drafted by the Houston Texans in the second round.
Ohio State offensive lineman Phillip Daniels, far right, participates with new teammates in a drill during NCAA college football practice in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Daniels transferred away from Gophers after the 2024 season. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
But Daniels, a Cincinnati native and cousin to Buckeyes’ great Paris Johnson, went home — with a name, image and likeness (NIL) offer that was too rich for the Gophers’ pocketbook. Daniels ended up being the Gophers’ only significant loss to the transfer portal last year, but it was a big one and has had a domino effect.
It exacerbated the Gophers’ O-line overhaul, which was already going to occur with senior guards Tyler Cooper and Quinn Carroll leaving Dinkytown alongside with Ersery.
Without Ersery and Daniels, the Gophers have turned to redshirt freshman Nathan Roy at left tackle. The four-star recruit from Mukwonago, Wis. has been learning on the job and has been the highest overall graded starting O-linemen at 72.7, per Pro Football Focus.
For the opening four games, the rest of the offensive line was Greg Johnson at left guard, Ashton Beers at center, Central Florida transfer Marcellus Marshall at right guard and Kentucky transfer Dylan Ray at right tackle.
For the Buckeyes game, however, the Gophers moved Johnson to left tackle, Marshall to left guard. Beers stayed at center, but Ray slid inside to right guard and Roy flipped to right tackle.
Marshall, the U’s lowest-graded O-lineman, was subbed out in the second quarter in favor of Tony Nelson.
“We feel like we have eight guys that can really play, but maybe the fourth or the fifth guy hasn’t separated himself from the sixth and seventh and eighth guy,” head coach P.J. Fleck said. ‘We thought this (Ohio State) matchup was going to have to force us to really be stout on the edges.
“It doesn’t mean that’s going to have to be (the same) as we keep going forward, but we’re going to find the best five,” Fleck said. “… If we have to rotate, we’ll rotate. It’s a semi-good problem to have, because we do have some guys who can play. We’re deep; we just need more consistency from a few guys, and it’s our job to get them there as coaches.”
This season, the Gophers are 104th in the nation in rushing yards per attempt (3.79) and the Buckeyes defense limited them to 2.7 per carry on Saturday.
“That’s a pretty big wall we were going against,” Fleck said. “Our guys are coming off the ball. It’s not like we have a bunch of busts, but we played some pretty good teams, and we put ourselves in a negative or non-advantageous way early on in a few games (including a 14-0 hole early against Rutgers). That kind of got us out of a little bit of the run game early.”
The U’s running game woes also include California (3.5 yards per attempt) and Rutgers (3.3).
More for Taylor
The Gophers were managing the workload for running back Darius Taylor against Ohio State, and that’s why he didn’t carry the ball in the second half, Fleck said.
After two games out with a hamstring injury, Taylor had eight carries for 12 yards, with one reception for 6 yards at Ohio Stadium. He should get a bigger workload against Purdue on Saturday.
“I would confidently say that should be the case,” Fleck said. “I think our medical team would agree on that.”
Hundreds at Huntington
The Gophers will welcome back more than 200 former players for homecoming Saturday. Fleck said roughly 40 alumni returned to the U for this game near the start of his tenure in 2017.
Max Brosmer is among the 200, but the Vikings quarterback started his NFL bye week at the U’s Larson Football Performance Center, working out Monday with his successor, Drake Lindsey. Brosmer made the quick turnaround after taking the red-eye flight from the Vikings’ 21-17 win over Cleveland in London on Sunday.
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