Needing to replace a four-year starter at punter in Mark Crawford, the Gophers turned to the transfer portal this week and added two players at that position.

Mark Weston, an Australian who played one season at NCAA Division II Ouachita Baptist, announced Wednesday night he is joining the Gophers.

Then, Brody Richter, UCLA's starting punter last year, committed to Minnesota on Thursday.

They join Gophers redshirt sophomore Caleb McGrath and true freshman Luke Ryerse in a competition for the starting job.

Weston, 25, is from Fremantle, Australia, and attended Prokick Australia, the organization that has sent several Australians — including Crawford — to the United States to become college punters and kickers.

Weston redshirted at Ouachita Baptist in 2023, then started for the Tigers last year. His 44.18-yard average on punts ranked seventh in Division II last year, and 23 of his 51 punts ended up inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He will have three years of eligibility remaining with the Gophers.

Richter, a Scottsdale, Ariz., native, averaged 42.8 yards per punt and had 17 punts inside the opponent's 20 as a redshirt sophomore at UCLA last year. He began his career at Arizona State in 2022 and transferred in 2023 to Northern Arizona where he started five games and averaged 43.3 yards per punt. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.