Moving on to the Gopher defense. This unit is also returning a lot of production, but probably has more question marks than the offense.
A year ago the Gopher defense finished in the middle of the pack of the Big Ten, allowing 23 points per game and they were 11th in yards allowed. Their SP+ ranking was 33rd nationally, 12th in the Big Ten.
Here is our best guess at who is starting for the Gopher defense on September 3rd when Eastern Illinois is getting a check to come to Minnesota and lose.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE
END
Starters – Anthony Smith, TJ Bush (Cal transfer), Karter Menz
Depth – Adam Kissayi, Jaxon Howard
Freshmen – Aaden Aytch, Anthony Charles
I’m aware that I listed three starters when there will really just be two on the field, but these three represent three young men who are all going to contribute significantly and will be the equivalent of three starters. And the other two names have also had their moments of impact. This group of five ends is a talented and deep group.
It all starts with Smith, who led the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks last season. He is an excellent player on the field and an excellent leader off. I’m not sure that expecting him to match his 12.5 sacks is realistic, but he will be a force that Big Ten defensive coordinators are going to game-plan for.
After Smith, there are several names who will all be a part of the rotation and are all capable of consistently making plays. Karter Menz had a breakout year in 2025 with 6.5 sacks and is most likely to start opposite Smith.
The rotational guys will be TJ Bush, Adam Kissayi and Jaxon Howard. Bush was an unexpected transfer from Cal who immediately brings pass-rush ability. Kissayi is a redshirt sophomore who was with the team last year after transferring in from Clemson. And Howard is the highly touted, 4-star recruit who went to LSU before transferring back to Minnesota last year. All three of these guys are going to be playing meaningful snaps. This group of five is a strength of the Gopher defense.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
Starters – Xion Chapman (FIU transfer), Naquan Crowder (Marshall transfer)
Depth – Riley Sunram, Theo Randle, Mo Saine, Jaylin Hicks, Sid Kaba (Marshall transfer)
Freshmen – Howie Johnson, Jeremiah Benson, Josiah Anyansi
And this is the position group on defense with the most question marks. Replacing Deven Eastern and Jalen Logan-Redding is not going to be easy and the Gopher coaching staff brought in a few transfers to buoy the young faces coming up.
Xion Chapman and Naquan Crowder are the guys expected to start in the middle. Chapman has been injured and will not be ready to go until fall camp, but he appears to be a guy they brought with the intention of starting. Next to him is the stout Crowder, who will plug up the middle. These two do not stand out as the most obvious starters; there will certainly be battles with four or five more guys.
Jaylin Hicks and Mo Saine each started for their respective teams in the spring game but prior to the Spring Game I would have suggested that Riley Sunram and Theo Randle were the two returners with the best chances of earning playing time. And don’t forget about the other Marshall transfer, Sid Kaba.
Frankly, there are a lot of names in the mix. This is the position group that will have the most questions heading into September and they absolutely need some concrete answers. The best news here is that there are no seniors, but can they get elite production this year?
My guess would be that Chapman starts at one spot with Hicks and Saine backing him up. Crowder starts at the other with Randle, Sunram and Kaba fighting for snaps behind him.
LINEBACKER
Starters – Maverick Baranowski, Matt Kingsbury, Emmanuel Karmo, Joey Gerlach
Depth – Nate Cleveland, Mason Carrier, Ethan Stendel
Freshmen – Hudson Dunn, Angel Luciano
At linebacker, there is quality depth. I mentioned that defensive end is the strongest unit on the defense, but linebacker is not far behind. This group of guys is versatile, strong and full of playmakers.
Maverick Baranowski is the leader of this group. Now a senior, Baranowski is a prototypical middle linebacker who has 221 career tackles and started all 13 games last season. He has a chance to put himself in the top 10 in Gopher career tackles with a healthy season.
Replacing Devon Williams as the other primary linebacker is a little bit more of an unknown. Matt Kingsbury is the most likely candidate after having a nice sophomore season. Kingsbury played in 12 games, finished 9th on the team in tackles and had three fumble recoveries. I would imagine that he is starting alongside Baranowski in base packages.
The flexibility and versatility for this unit comes with Emmanuel Karmo and Joey Gerlach. Karmo played in all 13 games last year as a true freshman. Karmo is an athletic linebacker who did well covering in the passing game last season. Gerlach is in his final season and is also a versatile linebacker who should see more playing time in 2026.
And then we have some emerging linebacker, Nate Cleveland who saw action in eight games last year as a true freshman. In the Spring Game, he led both teams with 10 tackles and it looks like he and Karmo will pair to be a very strong linebacker duo in years to come.
Mason Carrier and Ethan Stendel played primarily on special teams last season, but they both could see action on defense this fall.
CORNERBACK
Starters – John Nestor, Aiden Gousby/Aydan West (Michigan State)
Depth – Mike Gerald, Naiim Parish, Simon Seidl
Freshmen – Justin Hopkins, Chance Payne, Lamont Hamilton
Here at corner we have one starter locked in and then a little bit of unknown. John Nestor had a great season in 2025 after transferring to the Gophers from Iowa. He tied for the Big Ten lead with six interceptions, he also had six TFLs and finished 5th on the team in tackles.
On the other side of the field, there should be a battle between Aiden Gousby and Ayden West. Frankly, both will play and both will play a lot. Gousby has spent most of his Gopher career as a safety, but was moved to corner late in the season last year, and he did well. West was brought in as a transfer from Michigan State with the intent of giving the Gopher defense another reliable corner.
What is most likely? Both will play, especially on passing downs. Gousby will be on the field as nickel safety with West on the outside.
After those three, there is a bevy of sophomores who are itching to make a leap into the regular rotation. Mike Gerald played in six games last year as a redshirt freshman before missing some time due to injury. Naiim Parish was a true freshman last fall and he played in five games. Simon Seidl played in eight games and Samuel Madu played in the bowl game against New Mexico State. All four of those guys will be sophomores and all of them saw significant action in the Spring Game, with the exception of Gerald (who I think did not participate).
SAFETY
Starters – Kerry Brown, Aiden Gousby / Zack Harden / Garrison Monroe
Depth – Mekhai Smith (Leheigh), Parker Knutson (SW MN State), Zahir Rainer
Freshmen – Jordan Lampkins, Trason Richardson, Tavian White
And finally, we get to the unit that was potentially one of the best units in college football before Koi Perich decided to hit the portal and head to Oregon. But this group is still very good and it is led by Kerry Brown.
Brown is an elite safety who has started 22 games in his first two seasons. He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten and has four career interceptions. While Perich garnered the attention, Brown was quietly our best safety. He will be a junior this season, but it is likely that it will be his last and he will be drafted next spring.
Next to him will be a combination of guys, probably dependent on the situation.
As mentioned under the corners, Gousby could be starting at CB, he could be starting alongside Brown at Safety or he may be consistently on the field as a nickel when teams are frequently passing.
After Gousby, the most likely options at Safety will be Zack Harden or Garrison Monroe. Monroe is a junior who played in four games last season. Harden is a sophomore from Georgia who played in 11 games last year as a true freshman.
Then we have the transfers Mekhai Smith and Parker Knutson, and freshmen Trace Richardson and Jordan Lampkins.
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What do we love about this defense?
I’ll start with the fact that there are a few guys in this lineup who are capable of earning 1st or 2nd All-Big Ten honors. Anthony Smith and Kerry Brown are elite players, who will stand out among their Big Ten colleagues. Lest we forget about Baranowski and Nestor, who are also very good players who will rack up stats and hold this defense together.
The three questions that will keep me up at night are around the interior of the defensive line, who steps up in the secondary to make that unit stronger and is Danny Collins the right man for the job?
There are a lot of bodies who will have the opportunities to step in and perform at both DT and in the secondary. Who grabs ahold of those opportunities and who begins to stand out…we’ll find out this fall.
