According to ESPN insider Pete Thamel, Minnesota’s star RB Darius Taylor will miss another game this Saturday versus Rutgers. Multiple sources confirmed that he is still sidelined with a leg injury. Taylor has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in the season's second game.
The backfield situation deteriorated further when backup A.J. Turner was ruled out for the remainder of the season. The expected workload in Taylor's absence fell to the Marshall transfer, who suffered a knee injury after only four carries in a game against California. Turner will now focus on recovering and preparing for the 2026 season.
Taylor's current hamstring injury occurred on September 6 during Minnesota's 66-0 victory over Northwestern State. The injury happened on his third carry of the game, a 17-yard run where he pulled up before reaching the end zone and grabbed his right leg. He collapsed out of bounds and received medical attention before walking off the field.
The Detroit native has suffered from many leg injuries in college, and this serves as another setback for him. During his freshman season, Taylor missed seven games in 2023 due to hamstring issues. He was also out for the 2024 opener against North Carolina with more similar issues.
Head coach P.J. Fleck gave an optimistic opinion of Taylor's injury after the Northwestern State game. “It doesn't seem too bad, which is really good. We got a really good positive diagnosis on that. We'll see how the week goes as he goes through it,” Fleck told reporters
With neither primary option available, Minnesota will likely rely on redshirt freshman Fame Ijeboi and Washington transfer Cam Davis. Ijeboi rushed for 136 yards on 23 carries this season, going for 85 yards vs. California. Davis has 69 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries this season.
Minnesota will now rely upon its other running backs to step up. The Gophers look forward to Taylor returning to the lineup to help boost their ground game.
