Gophers football: Lobos transfer Luke Drzewiecki enters kicker competition

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Key position battles on the 2026 Gophers football team have started to crystallize after three weeks of preseason camp, but placekicker has gone the other direction. It’s murkier than Day 1.

On Friday, Minnesota signed New Mexico transfer Luke Drzewiecki; the Shelby Township, Mich., native was ultra-accurate last season for new U special teams coordinator Daniel Da Prato.

Drzewiecki has joined the team and entered into a competition with Beckham Sunderland, Daniel Jackson and last year’s kicker Brady Denaburg — at least until the next court ruling comes down for Drzewiecki and Denaburg.

Drzewiecki played four years for the Lobos, but has, at least temporarily, gained one more year year of eligibility with a court ruling in Louisiana.

Denaburg also had gained a year of eligibility with a federal court case, but on Friday, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver granted the NCAA a stay that reversed a federal judge’s decision to allow athletes in the class of 2022 eligibility for a fifth year.

Drzewiecki remains eligible because he and roughly 30 others successfully petitioned to play via state court in Louisiana. The NCAA has not yet filed an appeal in Louisiana.

“We are preparing for some of those guys not to be eligible and we are preparing for everybody to be eligible,” head coach P.J. Fleck said, going into the season opener against Eastern Illinois on Sept. 3.

Beckham and Jackson have yet to kick a field goal in a college game, while Denaburg was errant from long-range for the U last year. That preceded the Gophers reaching out to Drzewiecki.

“We have spent a lot more time on field than we normally have just because there are more guys getting kicks and more guys rotating,” Fleck said about preseason camp.

During his fourth year at New Mexico, Drzewiecki made 18 of 19 field goals (95%) last season and all 36 of his extra points. He is a career 78% field-goal kicker and 98% on kickoffs

“He’s a really accurate kicker,” Fleck said. “He’s a tremendous teammate. He has been great in the few days he’s been here. Our players do a great job of embracing every member of this football team. He fits in really, really well.”

Denaburg’s eligibility status is “in limbo,” Fleck said, but he remains able to practice for the U.

“Let’s give some direction of exactly what they are going to be able to do,” Fleck said. “It’s lawsuit after lawsuit. It’s just a ping-pong match. Just goes back and forth.”

Briefly

Freshman running back Ryan Estrada has made a splash since coming to campus from El Paso, Texas. Offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh said Estrada has picked up pass protection, which can often be the biggest hurdle for a young tailback to see the field early in their careers. … Defensive coordinator Danny Collins said the new five-for-five eligibility rule will help young players get on the field sooner. One avenue is having a player just focus on, say, third-down packages. … The Gophers have reintroduced its chrome gold helmets and have a player pictured wearing one on its annual media guide. The U last wore the lids at Ohio State near the end of the 2023 season.

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