Max Brosmer isn't one to back away from a challenge. When the Roswell, Ga., native received no scholarship offers from FBS schools and scant few from nearby FCS programs coming out of high school, he took his skills north to New Hampshire, where he became the second true freshman quarterback in program history to start for the Wildcats.

And when Brosmer, after three years as a starter at New Hampshire, decided he wanted a bigger challenge that could help prepare him for a pro career, he went all-in on the rare move of a quarterback leaving a Football Championship Subdivision program – formerly Division I-AA – to a team in a Power Four conference at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, formerly Division I-A.

"I'm playing against new defenses, new coordinators. I love that challenge," said Brosmer, who led FCS in passing yards per game (313.5) in 2023 and was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in FCS. "Football is a chess game. It's a big chess match, and it's a chess match against the defense but also coordinator vs. coordinator. And that's the fun part for me."

On Thursday night at Huntington Bank Stadium, the Gophers open their 2024 season against North Carolina, and Brosmer will be front and center. Minnesota's fan base finally will get a chance to see just what the Gophers have in this new quarterback.

For the past eight months, the graduate transfer has been preparing for what awaits in the next four. From a newcomer who helped the Gophers with bowl preparation last December to a leader who quickly was voted captain and has put his stamp on the team, Brosmer has taken on any role the Gophers have needed. He's led offseason workouts and bonding trips. He's become the new face of the program. And he's injected some cautious optimism — maybe even hope — that the Gophers quarterback can be a difference-maker for the first time since Tanner Morgan passed for a school-record 30 touchdowns in 2019.

Fleck is ecstatic in what he's seen from Brosmer so far but knows that the football has yet to be snapped in anger this season.

"Max has just exceeded all of our expectations," Fleck said. "He's got to go out there and prove it. … The only thing Max Brosmer has to do is be the best version of Max Brosmer every day, and that's what he's capable of doing, and that's what he'll do."

Stats point to success

It's easy to see why Brosmer was attractive to Fleck and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Greg Harbaugh Jr. when they went looking for a quarterback in the transfer portal. Minnesota's starter last year, third-year sophomore Athan Kaliakmanis, struggled with accuracy (53.1 completion percentage) and productivity (6.1 yards per pass attempt), garnering a middling rating of 65.2 by Pro Football Focus for a team that ranked 126th of 133 FBS teams in passing offense.

Brosmer, meanwhile, had an 80.1 rating by Pro Football Focus, led FCS in total offense (325 yards per game) and accounted for 18.9 points per game (second most in FCS).

He's also shown the ability to spread the ball around. New Hampshire's leading pass-catcher last year was running back Dylan Laube, who caught 68 passes for 699 yards and seven touchdowns before being drafted in the sixth round by the Las Vegas Raiders. The Wildcats' second- and third-leading receivers were a wideout and a tight end, respectively.

Just as important to the stats: Brosmer showed the presence of a three-year starter and the work ethic of someone trying to prove himself.

"His superpower is his leadership ability, and how he can get people to come with him," Harbaugh said. "That's what he's probably best at."

The road less traveled

Quarterbacks who don't make it at the FBS level often will transfer to an FCS program in the hopes of receiving playing time. Recent examples for the Gophers have been Demry Croft (Tennessee State), Zack Annexstad (Illinois State) and Jacob Clark (Missouri State).

What happens less frequently is a QB taking Brosmer's route: making the jump from an FCS program to an FBS squad at the Power Four level. Here are a few examples:

• Vernon Adams Jr., made the jump to Oregon in 2015 after three productive years at Eastern Washington. At Oregon, Adams won the starting job, passed for 2,643 yards and 26 TDs and led the Ducks to a 7-3 record.

• Cameron Ward played two years at FCS-level Incarnate Word, winning the Jerry Rice Award as nation's top freshman. He entered the transfer portal in 2022 and chose Washington State, for whom he played the past two seasons and passed for nearly 7,000 yards and 48 TDs. Ward transferred to Miami (Fla.) in January and won the Hurricanes' starting job.

• Miami will have another FCS-to-FBS transfer QB in Reese Poffenbarger, who led FCS with 36 TD passes for Albany in 2023 and has two years of eligibility with the Hurricanes.

• Shedeur Sanders, the starter at Colorado, passed for 27 TDs last year after spending two seasons at Jackson State.

Filling their needs

Fleck wasn't necessarily seeking a QB at the FCS level when he recruited Brosmer, but the coach quickly discovered that the graduate transfer checked all the boxes.

"It was the best available player," Fleck said of his strategy. "We needed somebody to come in here that understood the situation. … We had to bring in somebody who was going to be able to lead the team the minute they got here."

Harbaugh saw the fit with Brosmer right away, and knowing the Gophers needed a starter, he didn't waste time.

"I find a guy that I like, and we go after him," Harbaugh said. "He fit what we needed at the time. And I couldn't be happier with just the personal relationship I have with him. … He challenges me, which I love. It's fun coaching him."

For Brosmer, the long path to one more collegiate season is hitting the exciting part. He'll start his final season opener, hopeful that he has the Gophers pointed the right way.

"For a lot of us, this is our last season playing football," he said. "That's something you think about, 'This is my last one, my last go-'round.' That's becoming a reality, but it allows you not to take everything for granted."