Max Brosmer has given the Minnesota Gophers a lot of confidence in their new starting quarterback. He is a dedicated and thoughtful player whose interest in chess has helped him understand the offense better. As a natural leader, he even hosted a dozen teammates at his family’s home in Georgia for off-season bonding and training.
These qualities suit a 23-year-old in his sixth college football season, but there’s an interesting twist: Brosmer hasn’t played a game for the Gophers yet, nor at the Bowl Subdivision level. He transferred from New Hampshire to fill a need for a team coming off a 6-7 season and entering a tougher Big Ten.
“We had to be able to bring in somebody who was going to be able to lead the team the minute they got here,” coach P.J. Fleck said. “Every decision you make you want to be right and you’re feeling you have to be right, but this one we had to get right, and Max has just exceeded all of our expectations.”
When Athan Kaliakmanis left the program before their bowl game and eventually joined Rutgers, Fleck and his staff expanded their search to include the Championship Subdivision. They quickly identified Brosmer as a top priority.
Brosmer had led the NCAA’s second tier in passing yards per game and was one of three finalists for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in the FCS.
The other three quarterbacks on Minnesota’s roster this season are freshmen, so Brosmer has effectively held the starting spot since he arrived in the winter.
“I fell in love with the process and the culture and the team,” Brosmer said, “and I think I took off and ran with it.”
