Our Minnesota spring roster reset series continues on Gophers Nation. After taking a look at the Golden Gophers' quarterback and running back rooms, we turn our attention to the wide receiver position for the program.

The Golden Gophers' wide receiver room will look quite a bit different at the top of the depth chart this season. Over the offseason, the Gophers said goodbye to their top two wide receivers in Daniel Jackson and Elijah Spencer, both exhausting their eligibility last fall.

Combined, the two standout receivers had 127 receptions for 1,580 yards and 10 touchdowns. Their 127 receptions made up 46.5% of the Gophers' total receptions from a season ago, while their 1,580 yards made up 54% of the program's total passing yards.

With Jackson and Spencer gone, the Gophers hit the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in a trio of receivers in Javon Tracy, Logan Loya, and Malachi Coleman.

Of those three transfers, both Javon Tracy, a redshirt junior who previously was with the Miami (OH), and redshirt senior Logan Loya, a former UCLA standout, will likely both settle into starting roles this fall.

Tracy, during his time with Miami (OH), played quite a bit in the slot, over 52% of his snaps coming in the position. However, with the Gophers, Tracy is likely to line up more often than on the outside, while Logan Loya, who played almost exclusively in the slot at UCLA, will take over that starting role with the program.

Both players come to Minnesota with a history of production. Tracy, during his three seasons with the RedHawks, recorded 79 receptions for 1,166 yards and nine touchdowns, including 57 receptions for 818 yards and seven touchdowns a year ago.

Loya, on the other hand, in 47 games of experience has 109 career receptions for 1,314 yards and 12 touchdowns. After posting a career high 59 receptions for 655 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, Loya saw a dip in his production, in part due to poor quarterback play, recording 29 receptions for 348 yards and four touchdowns.

With Tracy and Loya taking two of the starting spots, redshirt senior Le'Meke Brockington will likely fill out the starting roles at wide receiver, as the X receiver. Brockington last season recorded a career high 18 receptions for 282 yards and eight touchdowns.

Nebraska transfer Malachi Coleman, who, after playing in 11 games as a true freshman for the Cornhuskers, saw time in just one game last season, will now look to break into the wide receiver rotation. Coleman has perhaps the most upside of anyone in the Minnesota wide receiver room, but is still a raw player who requires development time. In all likelihood, Coleman will have a bigger impact in the 2025 season than in 2024.

Also competing for time within the rotation this offseason, will be redshirt junior Cristian Driver, redshirt sophomore Donielle Hayes, redshirt sophomore Kenric Lanier, and redshirt freshman Jalen Smith.

Driver, a former Penn State transfer, is a top candidate to have a much bigger role in 2025. In his first season with the program, the son of former Green Bay Packers great Donald Driver had seven receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. He'll most likely back up Logan Loya in the slot.

Hayes, a Florida native, made his collegiate debut last year, recording two receptions for 22 yards. Nicknamed "Nuke", the former three-tar wide receiver was an explosive athlete coming out of Pine Forest High School in Pensacola, Florida showed strong athleticism and explosiveness routinely.

Lanier has 10 games of experience, including nine games last season, recording one reception for 17 yards. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver could see more time in passing situations, but is a quality run blocker, which could allow him to see increased playing time.

Finally, Jalen Smith is a legitimate candidate to break into the rotation in 2025 despite being just a true freshman. The redshirt freshman appeared in one game as a true freshman last season. Smith has great speed, and now that he has a year of developmental time under his belt, allowing him to add some much-needed size while also refining his game.

The bottom line is that the Minnesota wide receiver room, especially their starting trio, is a strong one. This is a starting wide receiver trio that should be among the better ones in the Big Ten, especially if they're able to stay healthy. The depth of the wide receiver is still a bit of an unknown. There is certainly upside in the room, but most of that talent is inexperienced, especially from a snap count perspective.

The good news for the Gophers is in that regard is that they usually only use a handful of wide receivers truly any given season, with only three or four receiving a majority of the targets. We know that Tracy and Loya will have major roles, Brockington has a chance to be a solidified third in that regard as well if he can find consistency. But beyond Brockington, who will emerge this fall for the Gophers' as a legitimate fourth option?

============================

- Talk about it INSIDE GOPHER NATION.

- Follow us on Twitter: @MinnesotaRivals, @RivalsDylanCC

- SUBSCRIBE to Gophers Nation