With spring practices around the corner, Gophers Nation continues our position-by-position previews for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Darius Taylor, Gophers' star running back is returning for his junior season with the program after posting over 1,300 yards from scrimmage last season. One of the best running backs not just in the Big Ten but in the country, Taylor was tremendous despite subpar offensive line play last season. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry, totaling 986 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 205 carries, while also making a huge contribution in the passing game with 54 receptions for 350 yards and a pair of scores.

Throughout his first two seasons with the Gophers, Taylor has been fantastic, averaging 5.2 yards per carry and totaling over 2,200 yards from scrimmage with 17 touchdowns. In 18 career games, he has surpassed 100 yards in nine games, including five times this past season, with a season-high 144 rushing yards against USC.

Taylor will enter the 2025 season as Minnesota's locked-in starter at running back. The biggest question surrounding him is whether 2025 will be his final year with the program.

The Golden Gophers added a pair of running backs to the room this offseason in Marshall transfer A.J. Turner and former Washington Husky Cam Davis. Turner and Davis will take over the spots left by Sieh Bangura and Jordan Nubin, who will continue their careers in the MAC at Ohio and Kent State, respectively.

Turner, a home-run threat, joins Minnesota after rushing for 864 yards and six touchdowns on 104 carries this past season for Marshall. According to Pro Football Focus, Turner had 11 carries of 15+ yards and recorded over 50% of his total yardage on those 11 carries.

Turner will likely be the Gophers' No. 2 running back in 2025, providing spells for Darius Taylor while also being a big-play threat himself.

Davis will be playing in his seventh collegiate season but his first outside of Washington. The 6-foot-0, 205-pound Davis had a quiet 2024 season, recording just 190 yards on 44 carries as he continues to regain his form after a devastating injury in 2023.

Before missing the 2023 season, Davis was productive in 2022, rushing for 522 yards and 13 touchdowns on 107 carries. With the Gophers, Davis is likely to have a third-down and potential red-zone role, as his big-back, bruising style could be valuable in short-yardage situations.

When it comes to younger backs to watch in 2025, the one with the biggest chance to make an impact is likely redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi. Ijeboi stood out to the coaching staff early last year, and while he didn’t see much playing time as a true freshman, the Gophers’ staff remains high on the Philadelphia native.

That being said, with Taylor, Turner, and likely Davis ahead of him, Ijeboi’s path to playing time in 2025 is limited. However, if injuries occur, he could find himself in a more notable role. Overall, expect minimal playing time for the former three-star in 2025, with 2026 being the year he’s more likely to make a significant impact.

Overall, Minnesota's running back room should be a team strength in 2025. As previously mentioned, the Gophers return one of the country's best tailbacks in Darius Taylor while also boasting strong depth with A.J. Turner and Cameron Davis. The rushing attack has long been the bread and butter of the Golden Gophers' offense, and that will remain the case this fall.

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