P.J. Fleck and the Gophers face even more big decisions this offseason

Tuesday afternoon provided an internal feel-good opportunity for the Gophers, who beat Bowling Green 30-24 in the Quick Lane Bowl and ended a four-game losing streak. Players doused P.J. Fleck with a cooler of water as the final seconds elapsed, and the coach later crowd-surfed atop his players in the locker room — a celebration that follows every victory, even one that leaves the team with a 6-7 record.

While the Gophers made the most of their trip to Detroit — securing the program's seventh consecutive bowl win and giving popular backup quarterback Cole Kramer a proper sendoff in his only start — they don't want to wear out their welcome in the Motor City after three visits in nine years. They became the first three-time champions of the Quick Lane Bowl, but let's face it, playing in Ford Field on the day after Christmas was not their preferred destination when the 2023 season started.

Fleck raised expectations in Minnesota by guiding the Gophers to an 11-2 record and top-10 national finish in 2019, followed by 9-4 marks in 2021 and '22. However, the drop to 5-7 in the 2023 regular season prompted the coach to make some big decisions that will help determine the team's future next season and beyond. As offseasons go, this one could be more important than most for the Gophers.

Foremost on Fleck's to-do list was fixing the quarterback position, and the makeover began quickly after the 28-14 loss to Wisconsin on Nov. 25. Fleck informed his quarterbacks that he'd be bringing in others to provide competition. Athan Kaliakmanis, who started all 12 regular-season games this year but ranked 97th nationally in passer rating, entered the transfer portal three days later.

Kaliakmanis had regressed from his solid finish to the 2022 season. The offensive system under coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. requires accuracy from the quarterback, and Kaliakmanis ranked 10th in the Big Ten with a completion percentage of .531.

Fleck and Harbaugh quickly identified New Hampshire's Max Brosmer, a three-year starter, as their top transfer target. Brosmer leads FCS in passing yards per game (313.6) and ranks second with 29 TD passes. More important, he is an accurate passer (64%) and has the ability to improvise when things break down, something Kaliakmanis struggled to do. The key question with Brosmer: How effectively will he adjust to FBS-level football?

Under Fleck, the Gophers will run the football. That was on display in Detroit, where true freshman Darius Taylor returned after missing five games because of a leg injury and rushed 35 times for 208 yards and a touchdown, earning Quick Lane Bowl MVP honors.

Throw out Taylor's one carry for 3 yards in the opener against Nebraska, and he averaged 159.2 rushing yards per game. The national leader in that category, Missouri's Cody Schrader, averages 125.2.

Taylor will get help from Jordan Nubin, who rushed for 559 yards this year. Fleck added an intriguing reinforcement through the transfer portal in Ohio's Sieh Bangura, who rushed for 1,889 yards and 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

The Gophers still could add more transfers because the first window runs through Tuesday, and a later window opens April 16-30.

Fleck's most important decision on defense for the Gophers this offseason will be his choice to replace defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who led top-10 national defenses in 2019, 2021 and 2022 and left after the regular season to take the same job at Michigan State. Fleck praised safeties coach Danny Collins for his work in calling the defensive plays in the bowl game and also said that a decision could come during the first week of January.

While a program's high school recruiting class might not make an immediate difference on the field, the Gophers appear to have assembled a solid group. They landed the top-ranked player from Minnesota in Esko four-star safety Koi Perich, who stuck with his April commitment to Fleck despite a late push by Ohio State that included a home visit from Buckeyes coach Ryan Day on the weekend before early signing day.

The Gophers also got top-ranked prep players from Wisconsin (Mukwonago four-star offensive tackle Nathan Roy) and North Dakota (Kindred four-star defensive lineman Riley Sunram), and reeled in quarterback Drake Lindsey of Fayetteville, Ark., out of the Razorbacks' backyard.

The 2024 season will present new challenges for the Gophers with the Big Ten adding four teams from the Pac-12 and eliminating the East and West divisions. Minnesota has an ambitious schedule, opening with a home game against North Carolina, then later facing Michigan, Penn State, USC and UCLA, along with traditional rivals Iowa and Wisconsin.

It's clear that the Gophers will need to be better than they were in 2023 to compete in the new Big Ten. Fleck and his staff are addressing the issues and trying to improve the roster. How well they have done will play out next fall.