Gophers Nation continues Minnesota's 2023 position previews by taking a look at the Golden Gophers defensive line and its key members entering this fall.
Defensive End
At the defensive end, it will primarily be three edge rushers for the Golden Gophers. Jah Joyner will lead the pass rush and is someone that we are expecting to have a breakout season. Joyner did a great job of getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks last fall but just couldn't finish off those pressures with sacks. It's certainly easier said than done, but we do expect Joyner to get to the quarterback more this year, not just in terms of pressure but also in finishing those plays with sacks. Joyner has the ability and skill set to be one of the best edge rushers in the Big Ten.
Backing up Joyner will mostly be Jalen Logan-Redding and Anthony Smith. Logan-Redding played in 12 of 13 games last season, recording 18 total tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack. It was a quality season for the Missouri native and one that he can build on heading into this season. He should provide a quality backup and rotational piece for the Golden Gophers.
Smith, a redshirt freshman out of Pennsylvania, played in two games last season for the Golden Gophers, recording one tackle. He should see a bigger role for the Golden Gophers, but it will still be minimal compared to that of Jah Joyner and Jalen Logan-Redding.
Nose Tackle
At nose tackle, we expect mostly a two-man rotation with Kyler Baugh and Logan Richter.
Baugh, last season for the Golden Gophers, recorded 36 total tackles while starting all 13 games at nose tackle. He provided a quality presence in the middle of the field when it came to stopping opposing rushing attacks while also providing a bit of an upside in the pass rush. For the most part, his job is to eat up space, and he did that very well last season, earning All-Big Ten honorable mentions for his efforts.
Richter is entering his redshirt senior season with the program after playing in 17 games over the last three seasons, including 11 of 13 games last season. The Perham, Minnesota native recorded four tackles last season. It will be intriguing to see how much Richter sees the field this fall; last year, Baugh had 395 total snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to Richter's 108. Either way, the Golden Gophers should feel confident in their pair of nose tackles in the middle. One additional name to watch here would be redshirt sophomore Luther McCoy, redshirt freshman Theorin Randle could be a name that sees a few snaps but ultimately will likely not play a major factor.
Defensive Tackle
At defensive tackle, redshirt sophomore Deven Eastern and redshirt senior Darnell Jefferies. Jefferies took more snaps last season than Eastern with a 61 to 23 advantage, but with Trill Carter now gone, Eastern and Jefferies should see a bigger role.
Right now, don't be surprised if it is Eastern who gets the starting job over Jefferies for the Gophers' week one matchup against Nebraska. During his brief time on the field last season, Eastern showed flashes and now, with an extended run on the field, could turn those flashes into solid production. Jefferies had an up-and-down time when on the field last fall but should be able to provide quality production for the Gophers, whether that's as a starter or backup. Behind Jefferies, watch for either redshirt sophomore Nate Becker, who made most of his impact on special teams last year, but also true freshman Martin Owusu. Neither should see significant snaps, however, barring injury.
RUSH
Finally, at the rush position, it will once again be a two-man rotation with Danny Striggow and North Carolina transfer Chris Collins. Striggow was a Big Ten honorable mention last season for the Gophers, recording 20 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He was a quality pass rusher for the Golden Gophers last season and was able to convert on quite a bit of the time he got pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He was also a strong run defender. He may not put up impressive numbers, but Striggow is a reliable member of Minnesota's defense and will be a key part of their success.
Collins, a transfer from North Carolina who joined the program this offseason, played both linebacker and defensive end for the Tar Heels. He totaled 69 tackles over five seasons, including 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. In 2022, he recorded 20 tackles, including eight solo. He played decent enough against the run as well during his time with the Tar Heels and should be a quality rotational piece for the Gophers.
Defensive End
At the defensive end, it will primarily be three edge rushers for the Golden Gophers. Jah Joyner will lead the pass rush and is someone that we are expecting to have a breakout season. Joyner did a great job of getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks last fall but just couldn't finish off those pressures with sacks. It's certainly easier said than done, but we do expect Joyner to get to the quarterback more this year, not just in terms of pressure but also in finishing those plays with sacks. Joyner has the ability and skill set to be one of the best edge rushers in the Big Ten.
Backing up Joyner will mostly be Jalen Logan-Redding and Anthony Smith. Logan-Redding played in 12 of 13 games last season, recording 18 total tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack. It was a quality season for the Missouri native and one that he can build on heading into this season. He should provide a quality backup and rotational piece for the Golden Gophers.
Smith, a redshirt freshman out of Pennsylvania, played in two games last season for the Golden Gophers, recording one tackle. He should see a bigger role for the Golden Gophers, but it will still be minimal compared to that of Jah Joyner and Jalen Logan-Redding.
Nose Tackle
At nose tackle, we expect mostly a two-man rotation with Kyler Baugh and Logan Richter.
Baugh, last season for the Golden Gophers, recorded 36 total tackles while starting all 13 games at nose tackle. He provided a quality presence in the middle of the field when it came to stopping opposing rushing attacks while also providing a bit of an upside in the pass rush. For the most part, his job is to eat up space, and he did that very well last season, earning All-Big Ten honorable mentions for his efforts.
Richter is entering his redshirt senior season with the program after playing in 17 games over the last three seasons, including 11 of 13 games last season. The Perham, Minnesota native recorded four tackles last season. It will be intriguing to see how much Richter sees the field this fall; last year, Baugh had 395 total snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, compared to Richter's 108. Either way, the Golden Gophers should feel confident in their pair of nose tackles in the middle. One additional name to watch here would be redshirt sophomore Luther McCoy, redshirt freshman Theorin Randle could be a name that sees a few snaps but ultimately will likely not play a major factor.
Defensive Tackle
At defensive tackle, redshirt sophomore Deven Eastern and redshirt senior Darnell Jefferies. Jefferies took more snaps last season than Eastern with a 61 to 23 advantage, but with Trill Carter now gone, Eastern and Jefferies should see a bigger role.
Right now, don't be surprised if it is Eastern who gets the starting job over Jefferies for the Gophers' week one matchup against Nebraska. During his brief time on the field last season, Eastern showed flashes and now, with an extended run on the field, could turn those flashes into solid production. Jefferies had an up-and-down time when on the field last fall but should be able to provide quality production for the Gophers, whether that's as a starter or backup. Behind Jefferies, watch for either redshirt sophomore Nate Becker, who made most of his impact on special teams last year, but also true freshman Martin Owusu. Neither should see significant snaps, however, barring injury.
RUSH
Finally, at the rush position, it will once again be a two-man rotation with Danny Striggow and North Carolina transfer Chris Collins. Striggow was a Big Ten honorable mention last season for the Gophers, recording 20 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He was a quality pass rusher for the Golden Gophers last season and was able to convert on quite a bit of the time he got pressure on opposing quarterbacks. He was also a strong run defender. He may not put up impressive numbers, but Striggow is a reliable member of Minnesota's defense and will be a key part of their success.
Collins, a transfer from North Carolina who joined the program this offseason, played both linebacker and defensive end for the Tar Heels. He totaled 69 tackles over five seasons, including 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. In 2022, he recorded 20 tackles, including eight solo. He played decent enough against the run as well during his time with the Tar Heels and should be a quality rotational piece for the Gophers.
