Minnesota Got a Wave of Good News! | Defense has just one question

Minnesota football defense analysis for the 2025 season. See the projected depth chart and player impact stats for key roster spots. This breakdown covers the current Minnesota football defense, focusing on specific personnel changes and individual performance metrics. If you are tracking the team's evolution heading into the upcoming season, this analysis provides a clear look at how the roster is shaping up. We examine the data surrounding players like Naqaan Crowder and Howie Johnson, evaluating their roles within the current defensive scheme. By reviewing these specific stats and the updated Minnesota football defense depth chart, you will understand the strengths and potential concerns for the defensive unit in 2025. Big Ten football news: Minnesota football’s defense may be far better than expected in 2026. Anthony Smith, Maverick Baranowski, Emmanuel Carmo, TJ Bush, Carter Menz, Howie Johnson and PJ Fleck are giving the Gophers real reasons for optimism. Minnesota football may quietly be building one of the most disruptive defensive fronts in the Big Ten. Anthony Smith is back after leading the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks, but this story goes far beyond Minnesota's star pass rusher. Carter Menz returns, TJ Bush brings proven production, Jackson Howard adds even more depth, and Maverick Baranowski gives the Gophers a veteran presence in the middle of the defense. Then there are the potential breakout pieces. Emmanuel Carmo could give defensive coordinator Danny Collins a versatile weapon at linebacker. Nequan Crowder could provide an important answer against the run. Riley Sundrum and Jalen Hicks have reached a critical point in their development, and true freshman Howie Johnson has already received noteworthy praise from PJ Fleck. There is still one major question: can Minnesota replace all of the production it lost at defensive tackle? If the answer is yes, this defense could be much better than people outside Minneapolis realize—and Minnesota could become a much tougher team than preseason expectations suggest. CHAPTERS 0:00 Minnesota's defense is being overlooked 1:04 Anthony Smith is back 1:48 Minnesota's loaded edge rotation 4:03 Maverick Baranowski stabilizes the defense 5:34 Emmanuel Carmo could change everything 7:03 Minnesota's biggest defensive question 7:47 Nequan Crowder becomes critical 8:38 Riley Sundrum & Jalen Hicks enter Year 3 9:42 Why Howie Johnson is getting attention 11:29 The wave of good news comes together 12:32 Why expectations are still so low 14:01 Why all these defensive pieces connect 15:07 Which Minnesota defender excites you most? The Big Ten Huddle covers Big Ten football and basketball with conference-focused analysis, reactions, predictions and discussion. Join JR and Zach for Big Ten football discussion on Saturday and Tuesday nights at 9 PM. All Big Ten Talk. All Big Ten Fans. All Big Ten all the time. Subscribe for weekly Minnesota football analysis and comment below on which position group you want us to evaluate next. Shop at Homefield: https://www.homefieldapparel.com/?rfsn=7872586.e3e1d25 Shop Big Ten Huddle Merch: https://the-big-ten-huddle-shop.fourthwall.com/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-big-ten-huddle-podcast/id1703305789 Subscribe for more Big Ten content! More Big Ten Football News: ⁨@jrs_BigTenFootballNews⁩ Big Ten Basketball News: ⁨@JRs_BigTenBasketballNews⁩ Follow us on social media: @TheBigTenHuddle Contact: [email protected] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.