The Gophers’ second-leading rusher, Fame Ijeboi, plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January.
During his redshirt freshman year in 2025, Ijeboi of Folcroft, Pa., rushed for 461 yards on 97 carries and scored two touchdowns across 11 games. He stepped in more when starter Darius Taylor was injured.
Since the end of the regular season, the Gophers have had 10 total players announce plans to enter the portal on Jan. 2, and Ijeboi is now the biggest contributor to express interest in leaving the U.
Taylor was Minnesota’s leading rusher last year and will be entering his senior season in 2026. The junior starter put up 572 yards on 119 carries and three touchdowns in nine games. The Detroit native missed three games and was limited for others, which created more opportunities for Ijeboi in 2025.
The Gophers are expected to bring back tailback A.J. Turner in 2026, head coach P.J. Fleck said last week. Turner, a transfer from Marshall, had 16 carries for 64 yards and one touchdown before suffering a season-ending injury in the 27-14 loss to California on Sept. 14. He was No. 2 on the depth chart before his apparent knee injury.
The Gophers’ incoming class includes three running backs, headlined by four-star recruit Ryan Estrada of El Paso, Texas, along with three-star prospects Zeke Bates of Malvern, Pa., and Niko Castillo of Schuylkill Haven, Pa.
Senior backup Cam Davis, a transfer from Washington, will run out of eligibility after this year. He had 34 carries for 117 yards and two TDs in the regular season.
True freshman Grant Washington added 21 carries for 133 yards last season, mostly in blowout games. Fellow true freshman Tre Berry left the program in November, while true freshman Xavier Ford remains on the team.
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