Minnesota Golden Gophers QB Drake Lindsey draws first-round NFL Draft praise

Glenn Kaplan

Minnesota Golden Gophers QB Drake Lindsey draws first-round NFL Draft praise image

Matt Krohn

The Minnesota Golden Gophers took the field for the first time in the 2025 college football season on Thursday night against the Buffalo Bulls. Redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Lindsey made his first career start for Minnesota.

There was a lot of hype around the kid entering the 2025 college football season within the program. On Thursday night, he made some big plays for the Golden Gophers as he completed 19-of-35 passes for 290 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 23-10 win for Minnesota over Buffalo. This will not be the last time Lindsey's name is going to be mentioned this season for the Golden Gophers.

QB coach believes that Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey could potentially be a Future first-round pick

Lindsey is a 6'5", 230 lbs kid from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and it was a major surprise that the Arkansas Razorbacks football program did not have much interest in recruiting the kid and it will be a big mistake for them. After his first start with Minnesota on Thursday night, there is a lot to look forward to in 2025 if you're a Golden Gophers fan. 

He will also be the starting quarterback next season for this program as well and the 2026 season could determine his NFL future. There is a chance that if he shows progress in a big way over the next two seasons, there is a world where Lindsey could be a potential future first round draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Well, renowned quarterback coach Quincy Avery believes that Lindsey could potentially be a future first round pick in the NFL draft whether it is in 2027 or later on. 

Maybe Avery is onto something with Lindsey, and this was just before the 2025 college football season kicked off. If Minnesota finishes with an 8-4 or a 9-3 record during the 2025 college football season, then Lindsey will have played a huge role in it and no doubt be a Top 5 quarterback in the BIG10 Conference. 

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Glenn Kaplan

Glenn Kaplan is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has experience covering the MLB, college football, college basketball, NBA, NHL and NFL, bringing a well-rounded perspective to his work. Glenn has contributed to outlets including FanSided, Wisconsin Sports Heroics, Gridiron Heroics and Pro Football Network, and began his career with Towson University’s student newspaper.