On Thursday afternoon, Minnesota redshirt junior quarterback Zach Pyron entered the transfer portal for the second time this offseason. After transferring from Georgia Tech to Minnesota in December, Pyron leaves the Golden Gophers after just one semester as spring practices come to a close.

The departure in itself isn't all too surprising. Pyron has been struggling this spring for the Gophers, and while Drake Lindsey was proving to be capable of being the Gophers' starting quarterback, Pyron found himself in a battle with the Gophers' remaining quarterback room for snaps.

That being said, Pyron's departure is a notable one for the program. Here's what it means for the Gophers' quarterback room.

While Pyron's results on the field in his career have been a mixed bag, the one thing that the Alabama native did have on his résumé that was a benefit was experience. Over the course of his collegiate career, Pyron had over 350 snaps and 19 games of total experience.

Without Pyron’s experience, the Gophers now have a combined five games of experience and 25 total snaps, 20 of which came from Drake Lindsey. Thirteen of those 20 snaps came against Rhode Island in Week Two last season.

While experience can only take a player so far, not having a truly experienced quarterback in the room could be a bit concerning from a depth perspective. Having a quarterback who has played college football against significant competition, as Pyron did in the ACC at Georgia Tech, is only beneficial.

Will it make or break the Gophers’ season? No, probably not. But it is certainly something that is worth noting.

The expected result entering the spring in the quarterback room was that redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey would win the job, if not this spring in the fall. As spring practices went on in March and now April, Lindsey's abilities and status as the frontrunner for the starting job became apparent very quickly.

"I think he's playing at a really high level," .J. Fleck said of Lindsey earlier this month. "I've got to give him his dues after practice nine. He's playing at a really high level, probably higher than any young player I've ever had at that position."

Pyron, on the other hand, at times struggled to find consistency while also trying to adjust to a new program and system.

Now with Pyron's departure, the Golden Gophers' quarterback battle, even if P.J. Fleck won't admit it publicly, is essentially wrapped up. Barring any surprises or injuries in fall camp, Lindsey will be the Gophers' starting quarterback on August 28 at Huntington Bank Stadium against the Buffalo Bulls.

How the rest of the quarterback depth chart unfolds remains to be seen. The Gophers could still see departures at the position this spring. If the roster numbers at quarterback, however, remain the same as they currently stand, the Gophers’ quarterback room will consist this fall of Lindsey, redshirt sophomores Dylan Wittke and Max Shikenjanski, redshirt freshman Jeremiah Finaly, and true freshman Jackson Kollock.

While Lindsey is the likely starter, the number two spot on the depth chart will continue to be a battle heading into the fall. It will most likely come down to Dylan Wittke and walk-on Max Shikenjanski. Jackson Kollock and Jeremiah Finaly will compete for the fourth spot on the depth chart, though it is highly unlikely that either sees the field in 2025.

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