Our Minnesota spring roster reset continues, with just 14 Saturdays remaining until college football returns to our lives. Of course, if you're a Minnesota fan, the countdown to kickoff is now down to 96 days.

After taking a look at the Gophers' offensive line last time, we move on to the defensive line.

Like its counterpart on the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Minnesota defensive line enters 2025 as a general question mark for the program. There is a lot to like about the Gophers' front four entering the season especially the potential starters across the line but the line is generally an injury or two away from being a bit of concern.

The Gophers' defensive line said goodbye to a pair of key pieces in Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow. Joyner last season totaled 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 4.5 tackles for loss, while Striggow had 52 tackles, six tackles for loss, and five sacks. Also among the notable departures are Darnell Jefferies and Logan Richter, who were valuable depth pieces for the program.

Depth edge defender Hayden Schwartz, junior defensive tackle Luther McCoy, and freshman defensive tackle Martin Owusu all also left the program this offseason via the transfer portal. Schwartz currently remains uncommitted while McCoy and Owusu are both continuing his career on the West Coast at Hawaii and Fresno State respectively

While the Gophers saw four defensive linemen leave the program this fall, they did add a trio of transfers to their roster.

In the winter portal window, the Gophers dipped into the FCS ranks to add Stony Brook defensive tackle Rushawn Lawrence and Illinois State defensive end Steven Curtis. In the spring window, the Gophers looked within the Big Ten and added Purdue defensive tackle transfer Mo Omonode.

The good news for the defensive line is that three key starters are returning for the 2024 season.

Leading the pack is defensive end Anthony Smith who, thanks to his size at 6-foot-6 and 285-pounds has the ability to play both defensive end and defensive tackle for the Gophers. Smith is coming off a breakout 2024 campaign in which he recorded a career high 27 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

Deven Eastern is one of the Big Ten's top returning defensive tackles after posting 27 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks in 2024. His five tackles for loss and two sacks, both career highs for the Minnesota native.

Fellow defensive tackle Jalen Logan-Redding is also returning for his sixth season of college football after recording 27 tackles and two tackles for loss last season.

All together, Smith, Eastern, and Logan-Redding should be stability pieces for the Golden Gophers' defensive line in 2025 and should give the line a solid floor, iif all three can stay healthy.

We discussed three of the four starting spots on the defensive line above, but who will start at RUSH end for the Gophers this fall?

Heading into the summer and fall camp, it will likely be a battle between redshirt senior Lucas Finnessy and redshirt sophomore Jaxon Howard. Though another redshirt sophomore in Karter Menz, should probably not be counted out either.

Finnessy is entering his sixth season with the Gophers this fall, but is coming off a career-best 2024 season with 17 tackles. Howard, a former four-star prospect, transferred into the program following one season with LSU in 2023 and played in 10 games last season as a redshirt freshman, recording nine tackles in the process.

Menz will also be a part of the competition but we would likely put him as a long shot to win the starting job at this current point. As a redshirt freshman, Menz played in five games recording 23 total snaps, with 18 of those coming between their week two matchup last season against Rhode Island and the Duke May's Bowl against Virginia Tech.

Notably, Jaxon Howard was recently named in Athlon Sports' anonymous coaches' quotes regarding Minnesota. With one coach telling Athlon Sports, “Jaxon [Howard] is a special talent on defense. He could be a real game-wrecker."

While the starter at RUSH end is still a question, it is one position where the depth should be solid. Each of the three RUSH ends has upside as starters, and the Gophers should reasonably have a three-deep at the position entering the fall.

At the defensive end position, which is technically the strong-side defensive end, FCS transfer Steven Curtis is the most likely candidate to be Anthony Smith's primary backup. The former Illinois State standout played in 25 games for the Redbirds over two seasons, but was fantastic in 2024 with 50 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and five sacks. He also had two forced fumbles.

Stony Brook defensive tackle Rushawn Lawrence could potentially see playing time on the outside as well. For Stony Brook, Lawrence played both defensive tackle and defensive end. That position versatility is worth noting as he'll be able to fill in both behind Anthony Smith and Jalen Logan-Redding.

Purdue transfer Mo Omonode will also be able to fill in behind Jalen Logan-Redding on the depth chart.

The depth at nose tackle is a bit more concerning and it's a position that the Gophers' will need to develop this fall with both Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding in their final years of eligibility.

The most likely option to be the primary backup at nose tackle is Nate Becker. The 6-foot-5, 295-pound Maple Grove, Minnesota native is entering his fourth season with the program. Becker played in five games last season, totaling just 34 snaps. Beyond Becker, Theorin Randle and Riley Sunram will also look to work their way into playing time. Randle appeared in three games a season ago, while Sunram will look to make his collegiate debut in 2025.

Overall, the Gophers defensive line has a chance to be a strength this upcoming season. Their solidified three starters bring a good floor for the unit as a whole and the RUSH end group is promising even with a lack of production at this level. There’s also quality depth at the defensive tackle position thanks to some versatile pieces; partially Anthony Smith and Rushawn Lawrence The depth at defensive end and nose tackle does remain light as of now and could become a concern depending on health and player availability as the season progresses.

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