The biggest building block for the Gophers football program will return for the 2026 season. Quarterback Drake Lindsey told the Go Gopher Podcast he will come back to Minnesota for his redshirt sophomore season next year.

Lindsey’s promising first season at the helm in 2025 led to some concern on whether the U could keep him around or if other deeper-pocketed programs could lure him away via the transfer portal. That nail-biting wasn’t warranted, it appears.

“There was no doubt in my mind,” Lindsey told host Mike Grimm this week. “And I’m really excited to come back for another year here.”

Lindsey said he got “my stuff done” — a reference to a revenue sharing contract and a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal — with the Gophers and its Dinkytown Athletes collective soon after the 17-7 home win over Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan’s Axe on Nov. 29.

“They took care of me, and it’s really not even about that,” Lindsey said on the podcast. “It’s just about being in the right system. I really feel like I’m getting developed here and I think that’s the main thing because the ultimate goal is to take this place to new heights and play in the NFL. I’m focused on now and the bowl game and we will get ready for ’26 and attempt to take the Gophers somewhere where they haven’t been.”

Going into the Rate Bowl against New Mexico on Dec. 26, the first-time starting QB has completed 63% of his passes (228 for 361) for 2,235 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions in all 12 regular-season games. He added four rushing scores.

“I really feel like I took a huge step this year,” Lindsey told Grimm. “When I look back from freshman year to now I see huge increases in every part of my life, not just football. Having another year or two or three under these coaches and this place, I really think I can grow and be a really good quarterback and a really good person.”

Lindsey had a four-career TD game in the loss at Northwestern on Nov. 22 and led game-tying or game-winning drives against Rutgers, Purdue and Michigan State earlier in the season. He had difficulties in a three-interception letdown in the 41-3 loss at Iowa on Oct. 25 as well as learning moments in daunting road defeats at Ohio State and at Oregon, which are both in the College Football Playoff.

Looking ahead to next year, Lindsey will lose No. 1 target and senior Le’Meke Brockington, but should have his No. 2-4 pass-catching options — receivers Javon Tracy and Jalen Smith and running back Darius Taylor — for him to use.

During the season, head coach P.J. Fleck brought Lindsey into the roster-building process, giving his young QB more knowledge in how the Gophers were looking to add more weapons around him via the high school recruiting class and portal, which will open Jan. 2.

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