Gophers Kicker Clears Eligibility in Court | Minnesota Golden Gophers Football News

Luke Drzewiecki, the Gophers’ new kicker, just got his eligibility cleared in a Louisiana courtroom—just in time for the season opener, where he walked onto the field in uniform, though not expected to play. One of over 40 players from the 2022 class granted a fifth year, Drzewiecki had solid stats at New Mexico (18-of-19 FGs) and a brief stint with the Ravens before returning to Minnesota under his former special teams coordinator. The eligibility saga continues: last year’s starter Brady Denaburg’s ruling was overturned, forcing Daniel Jackson and Beckham Sunderland to handle kicks and kickoffs. Coach Fleck admitted they were preparing for chaos—some players eligible, some not—with rules constantly shifting. Meanwhile, the Gophers are paying big for nonconference games: $500K to Eastern Illinois, $350K to Mississippi State, and a whopping $1.2M to Akron—all deals locked in years ago. And on the injury front, three key players—including backup center Brett Carroll—are out for the season due to leg issues. The Big Ten is also tightening its injury reporting rules ahead of conference games, adding another layer of complexity to the season. 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/a85345b71afab55a