The Gophers’ availability report this week before Saturday’s game against Penn State is busy. Veteran cornerback John Nestor is the most notable player listed as questionable, joining a group of important tight ends and defensive tackles.
The Wednesday and Thursday availability reports were exactly the same for Minnesota. Nestor is third on the team with 501 defensive snaps this season, and he leads the defense with a 90.1 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade. Aydan West has been right behind Nestor in opportunities and production at outside cornerback all season. If Nestor is out, Naiim Parrish and Mike Gerald would likely see the biggest increase in snaps.
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Top tight end Pierce Walsh has been out for the last three games with an injury, and No. 2 tight end Julian Johnson missed last week’s game against UCLA. True freshman Roman Voss has seen his role increase, while players like Jacob Simpson, George Rohl and Jerome Williams have also seen more time at tight end.
The interior defensive line is an even bigger question mark. Jaylin Hicks left the UCLA game with a scary injury, and he has already been ruled out for this week’s game. Riley Sunram and Theorin Randle are both questionable. They’ve combined for nearly 600 defensive snaps this season, so Minnesota could be forced to lean on players such as Naquan Crowder, Sid Kaba and Mo Saine if Sunram or Randle miss the game.
Lastly, special teams ace Mason Carrier is also new to the report with a questionable tag, along with Penn State defenders Jahmir Joseph, Jeremiah Cooper and Caleb Bacon, who have all played more than 200 snaps this season. It’s mid-November, so every team in the country is dealing with injuries.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Nov 13, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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