The University of Minnesota football team had nine players named to the Shrine Bowl 1000 today. The annual watch list serves as a look into the Shrine Bowl’s scouting process and features college players who are currently all-star game eligible for the 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl and 2026 NFL Draft class.
The Gophers who were named to the Shrine Bowl 1000 were Maverick Baranowski, Jaylen Bowden, Deven Eastern, Jameson Geers, Greg Johnson, Marcellus Marshall, Jeff Roberson, Anthony Smith and Darius Taylor.
The Shrine Bowl will be played on January 27, 2026, at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
University of Minnesota running back Darius Taylor was named to the Maxwell Award watch list today, as announced by the Maxwell Football Club. The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the outstanding player in college football.
Taylor is one of 80 student-athletes on the list, and he is one of 14 Big Ten players to be nominated. He is one of six Big Ten running backs on the list.
Taylor is one of the most versatile players in the nation. In 2024, he started 11 of the 12 games he played in and rushed 205 times for 986 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns. He also caught 54 passes for 350 yards and two touchdowns, and he completed one pass for a 10-yard touchdown. Taylor led Minnesota in all-purpose yards with 1,336 (986 rushing, 350 receiving).
Minnesota opens the regular season on Thursday, Aug. 28 when it hosts Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium. Single-game tickets and season tickets are now available.
(info courtesy of Gopher Sports)
