Two days after redshirt freshman running back Jaydon Wright entered the transfer portal, the Gophers football program on Wednesday added Vanderbilt redshirt freshman running back Johann Cardenas out of the transfer portal.

Cardenas, 6-0 and 223 pounds, suffered a knee injury before the 2024 season with the Commodores and did not play. He entered the transfer portal Tuesday and committed a day later to Minnesota, where he will have four years of eligibility. Gophers running back coach Jayden Everett formerly was a Vanderbilt assistant and recruited Cardenas to the Nashville school.

A three-star recruit out of St. Thomas High School in Houston, Cardenas was the 93rd-ranked player in Texas and the 51st-ranked running back nationally in the 2024 class by 247Sports.com. He had a highly productive prep career, rushing for 2,268 yards as a senior and 4,734 in his career. Included in that was a school-record 457-yard, seven-touchdown effort in a state semifinal victory in 2023.

Cardenas, who originally committed to Texas Tech in January of 2023, had nine scholarship offers from Power Four programs in 2023, including Missouri, Kentucky, Oregon and Colorado.

Cardenas is the third player to transfer to Minnesota since the spring portal window opened last week. He joins Iowa defensive back John Nestor and Purdue defensive tackle Mo Omonode. Cardenas is the third transfer running back to transfer to Minnesota since the 2024 season ended. Joining him are A.J. Turner (Marshall) and Cam Davis (Washington).