Gophers Backfield in Crisis | Minnesota Golden Gophers Football News

The Minnesota Gophers face a major setback as true freshman running back Ryan Estrada, a highly touted recruit with over 7,000 rushing yards and 95 touchdowns in high school, goes down for the season after just a few carries. With Estrada’s absence, the burden shifts to seniors Darius Taylor and transfer TJ Thomas — both carrying injury histories and limited proven durability against top competition. Depth is dangerously thin behind them, with sophomores Xavier Ford and potential returnee AJ Turner offering little offensive firepower. Staying healthy becomes the biggest challenge as the Gophers scramble to maintain momentum without their most promising young back. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/41f71f241a0182b5