Eight key Gophers football players are ready for their close-up

They come from Anoka and St. Cloud, from the Chicago suburbs to Kansas City, and from the Milwaukee area to Mississippi's Gulf Coast. They're quarterbacks and cornerbacks, tight ends and safeties, and wide receivers and kickers.

Together, these eight players occupy key roles for the Gophers football team as it embarks on a 2023 season that features a roster full of promise, experience in some places, newcomers in others, and all coming against a schedule that ranks among the toughest in the nation.

From when the football takes flight on the opening kickoff on Aug. 31 against Nebraska to when the last second ticks off in the Nov. 25 regular-season finale against Wisconsin, these eight players will help determine how the Gophers season plays out and the heights their team can reach. They're ready for their close-up.

Athan Kaliakmanis, quarterback

Quite simply, no one will impact how the Gophers fare this season more than Kaliakmanis, the third-year sophomore who's entering his first full season as Minnesota's starting QB after replacing injured veteran Tanner Morgan. After facing an intimidating first start at Penn State on White-Out night, Kaliakmanis acquitted himself well, leading a second-half surge to beat Nebraska, engineering a fourth-quarter comeback to secure Paul Bunyan's Axe at archrival Wisconsin and heating up in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Syracuse before leaving with an ankle injury.

Be it with his strong right arm or his nimble feet, the Antioch, Ill., native is poised to bring a balanced pass/run split to a Gophers offense that's been heavily reliant on the rushing game. Kaliakmanis is growing as a leader, taking the reins of an offense with multiple weapons.

"He's got a little of this moxie, this 'X' factor that he can create,'' coach P.J. Fleck said.

Daniel Jackson, wide receiver

During the Gophers' breakout season in 2019, wide receivers Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman torched opposing defenses for a combined 146 receptions, 2,537 yards and 24 touchdowns. Should anyone expect Minnesota's receiving stats to approach those lofty numbers in 2023? Most likely not, but the passing game should be more productive than it's been the past two years, and Jackson is a reason why.

The senior from Kansas City, Kan., led Minnesota with 557 yards and five TD grabs while catching 37 passes last year. Jackson flies under the radar with his reliability, and with Chris Autman-Bell out most of last season, Jackson seized the No. 1 wideout role. He put an exclamation point on his season in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Syracuse, when he had two TD receptions, including a highlight-reel catch in the corner of the end zone.

"Daniel Jackson is an NFL receiver whenever his time comes,'' Autman-Bell said.

Aireontae Ersery, left tackle

Each of the four quarterbacks on the Gophers roster are righthanders, so here's where Ersery comes in: He's the protector of their blind sides, and how well he does his job will have a stamp on how good the Gophers are this season.

The junior from Kansas City, Mo., is entering his second season as a starter. He acquitted himself well in 2022, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention, but there's a higher ceiling for the 6-6, 325-pounder. He received a middle-of-the-road grade of 61.6 from Pro Football Focus last year, but Fleck sees the potential. "His ceiling is probably higher than any linemen we've had here,'' the coach said in 2022. "He's got draftability written all over him.''

Gophers defensive end Danny Striggow faces Ersery often during practice and appreciates his talent. "He's got such quick feet, such quick hands and he's strong as strong can be,'' Striggow said.

Brevyn Spann-Ford, tight end

At 6-7 and 270 pounds, the St. Cloud native has been largely considered a potential breakout player ever since he arrived on campus in 2018. Spann-Ford has tantalized with his NFL size and talent since his redshirt freshman year when his first career catch went for a touchdown.

Well, break out is exactly what he did in 2022, leading the team with 42 receptions and ranking second in receiving yards with 497. Pro Football Focus noticed, ranking Spann-Ford fourth nationally among tight ends in 2022. He was named one of 10 players on the Big Ten Preseason Honors list.

Spann-Ford considered leaving for the NFL after last season but opted to return for a sixth season, betting on himself and his team in hopes of putting together a special season. "I would say it was a big decision, but not a very difficult decision,'' he said. "At the end of the day, I'm here and I'm happy to be here. I'm really excited about this upcoming season.''

Dragan Kesich, place-kicker

Kesich has been the Gophers' kickoff specialist for the past two seasons, and he has been outstanding in that role. Last year, he booted 59 of his 72 kickoffs for touchbacks, ranking third nationally at 81.9%. That's worked well for the Gophers, who'd rather have opponents starting a drive at their 25-yard line that giving up big returns.

This year, Kesich adds place-kicking duties, and he'll get the first crack at replacing two-year starter Matthew Trickett, an honorable mention All-Big Ten performer in 2022. Kesich has attempted only one field goal in his Minnesota career — a 53-yarder that Iowa blocked in 2021 — but the affable Oak Creek, Wis., native was the No. 7-rated prep kicker in the country, according to Kohl's Kicking Camp.

Kesich helps keep things loose with the Gophers, hosting his popular "Kamp with Kesich'' behind-the-scenes videos on Twitter.

Cody Lindenberg, linebacker

Mariano Sori-Marin, the vocal leader for the Gophers defense over the past few years, has exhausted his eligibility, but his legacy lives on in understudy Cody Lindenberg, who's assumed a leadership role and will try to build on a productive first season as a starter. The speedy Anoka native collected 71 tackles, including a team-high 46 solo stops, in 2022.

Lindenberg, who plays the "Will'' or weak-side linebacker position, has been a standout during the open training camp practices, and Fleck raves about his abilities. "It's well-documented for me. I think he's one of the best players in college football,'' Fleck said of the redshirt junior.

Though appreciative of the compliment, Lindenberg is quick to emphasize the team aspect of the Gophers defense. "I'm just continuing to work every single day,'' he said. "I know what this team, what this defense is truly capable of, and I know my part in it.''

Justin Walley, cornerback

Mississippi's Gulf Coast might not be a traditional recruiting area for Gophers football, but Fleck certainly is happy that he was able to land Walley, a D'Iberville, Miss., native who quickly developed into a productive player. Entering his junior season, Walley has four interceptions and nine pass breakups for a Minnesota defense that has ranked in the top 10 nationally in yards allowed the past two seasons.

Walley's presence in the Gophers secondary takes on added importance this season with Terrell Smith now playing for the Chicago Bears. Newcomers such as transfers Tre'Von Jones and Tyler Bride are in the mix to start opposite Walley, and the veteran is helping them get up to speed. "Whether it's a true freshman or a transfer, the whole defense is treating everybody like they've been here for three years,'' Walley said. "… We're making it a strong focus to come out every day and work hard, trying to get better every day.''

Tyler Nubin, safety

If the Gophers defense has a bell cow, it's Nubin. The rangy safety steadily improved throughout his career to the point where he considered leaving after the 2022 season for the NFL draft but returned to Dinkytown for one last Gophers go-round.

The St. Charles, Ill., native earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last year and was named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors list in July. Nubin's all-around play helped fill the stat sheet in 2022 as he made 55 tackles, intercepted four passes, had three pass breakups and forced a fumble. He's on the watch list for the Jim Thorpe (best defensive back) and Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) awards but deflects the early praise.

"It doesn't really matter because it's preseason,'' he said. "It's just a guess, and I have to go out there and perform. … It's cool, but I'm still gonna do the same thing that I was gonna do.''