The Gophers football program’s priorities in the transfer portal this offseason largely were on offense, as evidenced by the fact 10 of the team’s portal additions are on that side of the ball. Coach P.J. Fleck and his staff also added four defensive transfers and a kicker, and more movement is possible when the second portal window is open from April 16 through 25, after spring practice.

For now, we’ll take a look at the defensive and special teams transfers.

Situation: The Gophers lose two durable, multiyear starters in Jah Joyner and Danny Striggow, who combined for 9.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024. Reinforcements were needed to help budding star Anthony Smith and developing edge rusher Jaxon Howard.

Transfer spotlight: Steven Curtis, Illinois State

Comment: Curtis, 6-5 and 255 pounds, earned a starting job as a sophomore this season and was productive with 46 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries in 14 games at FCS-level Illinois State. The West Palm Beach, Fla., native will have two years of eligibility remaining and also received interest from Boston College, Cincinnati and Kentucky.

Situation: The Gophers relied heavily on interior linemen Jalen Logan-Redding and Deven Eastern last season, but their aim is to rotate players to keep them fresh, so an addition from the portal made sense.

Transfer spotlight: Rushawn Lawrence, Stony Brook

Comment: Lawrence, 6-2 and 270 pounds, bounced back from an injury-shortened season in 2023 by making 42 tackles and collecting eight sacks on his way to earning All-Coastal Athletic Association honors. The Philadelphia native, who also played at Albany and Lackawanna (Pa.) College, has one year of eligibility remaining. Houston, Georgia Tech, Virginia and Washington State were among the programs that recruited him out of the portal.