When Max Brosmer was looking for a new challenge to end his college career, Minnesota didn’t seem like the obvious choice at first.
The Gophers had long been known for their run-heavy style of play, and here was the top passer in the FCS, who averaged more than 40 passing attempts per game at New Hampshire, looking to lead a power conference team in his final season.
Taking a chance on each other, however, led to a successful partnership.
This season, Minnesota has thrown the ball more often than it has run, which hasn’t happened since 2007, when the Gophers finished with a 1-11 record and a negative scoring differential.
Under coach P.J. Fleck, the Gophers had run the ball on 62% of their plays over the first seven seasons. But this year, they’ve passed on 55% of their plays. “We knew we were going to have to be able to close that gap,” Fleck said.
Enter Brosmer. While in the transfer portal, he made it clear that he wanted to have full control of the offense, even though he was coming from a program at a lower level than Minnesota. He connected well with Fleck and the coaching staff, especially with co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Greg Harbaugh.
The Gophers coaches, with no experienced quarterbacks left after last season, realized they needed Brosmer just as much as he needed them.
“That was part of the open, early, honest communication. Throughout recruiting, one of the things that I had told them was, ‘Hey, I want to be able to run the offense,’” Brosmer said. “A lot of teams do the ‘check-with-me’ system where you’re looking to the sideline and the OC is calling the play.”
Brosmer’s vision wasn’t about arrogance, but about confidence and ambition. His desire to lead would not have been possible, however, without his ability to quickly unite the team around a shared goal of improving from a disappointing 6-7 record in 2023.
“That’s what excited me about this place, that they were willing to try new things, especially when I got here in January,” Brosmer said.
The better passing game would be useless if the Gophers (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) weren’t performing well, but they’re on a four-game winning streak going into their game Saturday at Rutgers.
Ironically, the Scarlet Knights are led by Athan Kaliakmanis, who was Minnesota’s starting quarterback last season, and his transfer opened the door for Brosmer to step in for this one-year opportunity.
Brosmer, who earned his degree in biomedical science from New Hampshire, is also a hobby guitarist who recorded his own country song. Despite his many talents, his coach, Harbaugh, has called leadership his greatest strength.
Even though Brosmer didn’t know his new teammates before coming to Minnesota, he held offseason gatherings at his childhood home in Georgia and worked hard to fit in with the team, focusing not only on learning the playbook but also on getting to know the team culture.
“That’s why we’re winning: Guys are working their tails off,” he said. In addition to football, Brosmer plays online chess to exercise his mind and take a short break from the game. His focused approach to preparation has impressed the Gophers.
“Getting into the office at the same exact time every single day,” Brosmer said, “because I have a set amount of minutes that I want to do each thing.”
His ability to learn the game plan and read opposing defenses has made the coaching staff more confident that he can handle whatever challenges come up. “You can utilize the entire playbook,” Harbaugh said. “You can utilize every area of the field.”
Brosmer has thrown 13 touchdown passes and just four interceptions, with four rushing touchdowns as well. His completion percentage of 68.2% ranks seventh in the Big Ten, and it’s on track to break the program record.
“He processes at such a high level because he prepares at such a high level,” Fleck said. “He’s really smart, and I’ve seen a lot of smart people who can’t process and function that quickly.”
