Recent content from Randy Johnson

Gophers receive commitment from Florida high school wide receiver
Hayden Moore had offers from 14 FBS programs, including Boston College, Iowa and Vanderbilt.
Gophers land Utah high school receiver and Wayzata defensive lineman
Wayzata's Eli Diane is the first commitment for the Class of 2027, and wideout Kai Meza is the seventh for the Class of 2026.

Michigan State's Isaac Howard wins Hobey Baker Award
The Gophers' Sam Rinzel and Jimmy Snuggerud were named West All-Americans.

Gophers QB Lindsey making strides in spring practice as team looks to replace Brosmer
Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey "is playing at a really high level," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.

U looks to factor star safety Perich in to offensive plan
Gophers coach P.J. Fleck ready to see big offensive moments from Koi Perich.

Gophers men's hockey team lands goalie via transfer from Michigan State
Luca Di Pasquo went 7-0-0 for Michigan State this season and also has a history of success outside college.

Gophers men's hockey team lands transfer from Nebraska Omaha
Tanner Ludtke, from Lakeville South High School, led Omaha in scoring in 2023-24 but was hampered by injury this winter.

Chesley becomes sixth Gophers hockey player to turn pro since season ended
Gophers defenseman Ryan Chesley has signed with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL), a Washington Capitals affiliate.

NHL bound: Rinzel, Moore and Wood leave Gophers for NHL deals
Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore and Matthew Wood join Jimmy Snuggerud as Gophers who have turned pro since Thursday.

Analysis: Frustration is a familiar feeling after Gophers' latest NCAA tournament exit
Gophers men's hockey coach said, "These guys deserved better," after Thursday's loss to UMass in the NCAA regional semifinals.

Snuggerud leaves Gophers to sign with NHL's Blues
A day after a sudden end to his junior season, the high-scoring forward signed an entry-level contract.
Gophers blow lead, lose to UMass in NCAA men's hockey regional on controversial OT goal
Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said tripping should have been called on the play that led to the winning score.

Minnesota State Mankato falls to Western Michigan in OT, exits NCAA men's hockey tournament
A goal by Grant Slukynsky 7:14 into the second overtime period moved top-seeded Western Michigan into the regional final.
Gophers land top-ranked football recruit in Wisconsin's 2026 class
Offensive tackle Gavin Meier of Janesville Parker High School pledged to Minnesota and coach P.J. Fleck.

For love of the U: Snuggerud's Gophers hockey connection goes three generations deep
Gophers captain Jimmy Snuggerud's father, Dave, and grandfather Jim Westby were stars at Minnesota and played for Team USA, too.

Minnesota State Mankato, 'sneaky good' to say the least, is back in the NCAA men's hockey tournament
The Mavericks, in coach Luke Strand's second season, lean on goaltender Alex Tracy, statistically atop the nation.

Everything to know about the NCAA Fargo regional
The Gophers are set to face UMass while MSU Mankato will take on top-seeded Western Michigan, beginning Thursday.

Motzko announces Liam Souliere will start in goal for Gophers vs. UMass
Liam Souliere has NCAA tournament experience and will get the nod over sophomore Nathan Airey.

Gophers' NCAA tourney opener vs. UMass comes after a concerning 18-day layoff
Gophers men's hockey coach Bob Motzko had his team play an exhibition game in Rochester to stay sharp for this Thursday's regional semifinal.

Gophers men's hockey will open NCAA tournament against UMass in Fargo
The Gophers, who last played on March 9, will be playing Thursday in a regional in North Dakota for the second time in three seasons.

Signs point to Gophers landing in Fargo for NCAA men's hockey tournament
College Hockey Insider: Minnesota appears in line to be a No. 2 regional seed when the field is revealed Sunday.

Chance to win third NCAA title slips away from Gophers' Steveson
Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State defeated the Minnesota heavyweight 5-4 and ended the storybook return by the Olympic champion.
Gophers receive commitment from Arizona prep wide receiver
Rico Blassingame, a 6-3, 180-pounder, has 15 offers from Power Four schools.
Gophers churning out NFL prospects, but they have to replace them now, too
The Gophers opened spring practice Thursday with big holes to fill, coming of last season's 8-5 finish.

For one college hockey conference, after years of March memories, it's 'Last Call in St. Paul'
College Hockey Insider: The NCHC Frozen Faceoff comes to Xcel Energy Center this weekend before the conference tournament moves to campus sites.

NCAA wrestling championships preview and broadcast info for the meet in Philadelphia
The No. 5 Gophers have heavyweight Gable Steveson seeded first and redshirt freshman Max McEnelly seeded third at 184 pounds.

If Steveson wins another title, is he the best NCAA heavyweight of all-time?
Gable Steveson returned to the Gophers this season, determined to win a third national championship and solidify his place in NCAA history.

Minnesota State Mankato clinches spot in NCAA men's hockey tournament because of St. Thomas' ineligibility
The Mavericks and Tommies will meet for the Mason Cup on Friday, but an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament is not on the line.

Gophers hockey senior Huglen expected to miss NCAA tournament with leg injury
Aaron Huglen, a center from Roseau, suffered an injury that leaves the Gophers without their third-line center.
No spring game for Gophers again this year, but fans have two chances to watch spring practice
The Gophers have joined a national trend of football teams moving away from holding a spring game.

Gophers will try to buck trend of hockey teams ousted early in conference tournaments
College Hockey Insider: Since 2003, only two eventual NCAA champions failed to advance out of the first round of their conference tournaments.

U men's hockey ousted by Notre Dame, has long wait until NCAAs
The Gophers jeopardized their shot at a No. 1 seed by failing to get out of the first round of the Big Ten tournament against last-place Notre Dame.

Gophers top Fighting Irish, push Big Ten men's hockey tournament series to final game
Connor Kurth scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on the winner. They'll settle this Sunday.

Gophers fall to Fighting Irish in opener of Big Ten men's hockey tournament
Minnesota will need to win each of the next two days to reach the semifinals.

Potential Steveson vs. Kerkvliet rematch headlines Big Ten wrestling meet
Gophers heavyweight Gable Steveson could face Penn State star and Minnesota native Greg Kerkvliet for the Big Ten title Sunday.

A transfer from UConn, Wood adds more grit to the Gophers men's hockey team
Matthew Wood was a 2023 first-round NHL draft pick for Nashville and has seen his game grow for Minnesota.

Not yet eligible for the NCAA tourney, Tommies take aim at a CCHA crown
College Hockey Insider: St. Thomas is 12-3-1 since the start of January under fourth-year coach Rico Blasi.

Gophers snag a victory over Nittany Lions and a share of the Big Ten title
Minnesota lost its chance at the outright championship before it began to play Saturday thanks to Michigan State's win.

Gophers hit a complication in push for Big Ten men's hockey title: OT loss to Penn State
Minnesota still can win the conference championship Saturday, but it will need help.
Thomas isn't just a defenseman for the Gophers. Motzko calls him the 'Eraser.'
The Gophers men's hockey team will need tight defense to make an NCAA tournament run. When healthy, Cal Thomas provides.

Analysis: What makes Western Michigan so tough as NCAA men's hockey postseason nears?
College Hockey Insider: The Broncos are closing in on their first NCHC regular-season title and could earn a No. 1 regional seed for the 16-team NCAA tournament.

Gophers hire running backs coach, reveal other coaching moves
Jayden Everett, an assistant at Michigan last season, will handle the backfield. Nick Faus, Jordan Hendy, Christian Pawola and C.J. Robbins also were added to the football staff.
Gophers thrash Buckeyes, move into first place in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota rose to the top with a sweep of Ohio State and Penn State's sweep of Michigan State.

Gophers overcome Buckeyes, stand alone in second place in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota, boosted by Brody Lamb's resurgence, moved to just a point behind first-place Michigan State.
With a familiar name for Gophers fans, Beckett Hendrickson blossoms as a freshman
Beckett Hendrickson, whose father, Darby, played for the Gophers and Wild, is growing into his role this season.

As 4 Nations tourney flourishes, the Gophers' Motzko, Snuggerud still get chills
College Hockey Insider: Bob Motzko has coached and Jimmy Snuggerud has played for Team USA in intense showdowns vs. bitter rival Canada.
Gophers gain commitment from four-star cornerback Hopkins of Nashville
Ranked No. 22 nationally at his position in the 2026 class, Justin Hopkins picked Minnesota over Georgia Tech, USC and Tennessee.

Gophers heavyweight Steveson makes his final home match his 63rd victory in a row
Sixth-ranked Minnesota lost to third-ranked Iowa, its 11th consecutive loss to the Hawkeyes.

McEnelly gives Gophers wrestling a rising star to pair with Steveson
The Gophers enter Friday's showdown with Iowa with Max McEnelly at 17-0 and ranked No. 4 at 184 pounds.

Signs point to senior transfer Souliere taking over full-time in net for Gophers
Men's hockey coach Bob Motzko has used both Liam Souliere and Nathan Airey most weekends but could be ready to pick one goalie for the stretch run.

College Hockey Insider: North Dakota-Denver series looms large, especially for the visitors
"We've got to start sweeping" is the Fighting Hawks' mantra, sitting at No. 23 in the PairWise rankings.

Analysis: Minnesota State Mankato aiming to return atop CCHA
College Hockey Insider: The Mavericks have a key home series this weekend against surprising Augustana.

Minnesota Gophers offensive lineman Martes Lewis enters the transfer portal
Martes Lewis, an offensive lineman who started three games for the Gophers in the 2024 season, including the Duke's Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech, has entered his name into the transfer portal.

Gophers defensive line coach is headed to the Arizona Cardinals
The team's sack totals rose under the leadership of Winston DeLattiboudere, who also played for Minnesota.

Gophers roar all the way back, then leave the Badgers behind in men's hockey
Wisconsin took a two-goal lead in the first period, but Minnesota scored the next five goals.

Gophers men have key improvements to make before they're NCAA tournament ready
The Gophers have been good one night and shaky the next, so they're looking for a complete showing vs. Wisconsin.

Analysis: What's happened to St. Cloud State men's hockey?
The Huskies' slump can be traced to the loss of standout goaltender Isak Posch, who is out 12 weeks because of a lower-body injury.

Wild scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov will have surgery
The All-Star winger will be sidelined at least a month because of an undisclosed lower body injury.

Fleck promotes Collins to Gophers defensive coordinator, replacing Hetherman
Minnesota also added former Purdue defensive coordinator Kevin Kane as an assistant.
Is the Gophers men's hockey team ready to make a mid-winter run?
It's that time of year, but up next for Minnesota is a two-game series at first place Michigan State.

Analysis: Wild first-round pick Stramel sees production rise after transfer to Michigan State
College Hockey Insider: Charlie Stramel left Wisconsin and reunited with a former coach, who has him on the top line for the Spartans.

Gophers football transfer portal impact, Part II: Defense
The Gophers faced some urgency to get the right defensive fits in the transfer portal, especially at cornerback, where they are replacing two starters.

Gophers football transfer portal impact, Part I: offense
The Gophers loaded up on wide receivers, running backs and offensive linemen, trying to fill key holes.

Louisiana high school running back with 123 touchdowns to his name commits to Gophers
Xavier Ford rushed for 3,467 yards in 2024 and for 8,591 in his prep career.
Gophers score five times in first period, wipe out Irish in Big Ten men's hockey
Minnesota outshot Notre Dame 24-5 in the opening period, when Jimmy Snuggerud tallied twice.
Behind the numbers: Gophers men's hockey team struggling to kill penalties
"It's got to be better," coach Bob Motzko says of a unit that is ranked 60th among 64 NCAA Division I teams.

Arizona State, Augustana emerge on the national college hockey landscape
The Sun Devils (NCHC) and Vikings (CCHA) aren't just in new conferences, they are threatening to win.

Defensive coordinator leaving Gophers for Miami (Fla.)
Corey Hetherman, who received a contract extension after the season, will take the same post with the Hurricanes.

Gophers land Oklahoma State linebacker Roberson via transfer portal
Jeff Roberson's transfer gives the Gophers another veteran option to help replace leading tackler Cody Lindenberg.
Gophers get Ziemer, Moore back for tough series at Ohio State
The Gophers men's hockey team has seven consecutive Big Ten series coming, with gold medalists Brodie Ziemer and Oliver Moore back from the world juniors.

Two from Gophers defense, Bryson and Owusu, enter the transfer portal
Coleman Bryson, a safety, was MVP of the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl for Minnesota, while defensive back Martin Owusu played in one game over two years.

Analysis: Gophers get plenty of help from youngsters in bowl game, setting up for future
With seven starters unavailable against Virginia Tech, the Gophers got good looks at some capable fill-ins.

Bring on the bath: Gophers cap season with 24-10 victory over Virginia Tech in Duke's Mayo Bowl
The Gophers scored three touchdowns in the second quarter, with Darius Taylor catching one TD pass and throwing one as well in their eighth consecutive bowl victory.

Gophers' Quinn Carroll plenty familiar with Virginia Tech, his final college opponent
His brother Collin Carroll played for the Hokies, and Quinn had the program as one of his final college choices.

Gophers enter Duke's Mayo Bowl, dreaming of much bigger things
The first 12-team College Football Playoff has the Gophers believing they can make it there, too.