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Minnesota has the best feel-good story in college football
By Keith Farner
Published:
Minnesota is making history this season with its starting quarterback.
Coach P.J. Fleck recently named Zack Annexstad as starter for the Gophers’ Aug. 30 season opener against New Mexico State at TCF Bank Stadium.
A walk-on true freshman, Annexstad joined the Gophers in January after enrolling early from IMG Academy in Florida. Annexstad is believed to be the second walk-on true freshman quarterback to start a season opener, joining Baker Mayfield who started his first game at Texas Tech in 2013 after walking on.
Annexstad beat out redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan, and none of the quarterbacks on the Gophers roster has played in a collegiate game.
“Unbelievable competition,” Fleck said, according to the Star Tribune. “It’s the hardest decision I’ve had to make as head football coach. Both are tremendous individuals, tremendous leaders and great quarterbacks.”
Annexstad is from Noresland, Minn., and his brother, Brock, is a redshirt freshman receiver for the Gophers. His father, Scott, played at Minnesota from 1982-83 and then saw time with Kansas City and Washington in the NFL.
Fleck was undaunted by Annexstad’s talent and not boxed in by the lack of scholarship. The quarterback’s expected to receive a scholarship in 2019. During the recruiting process, Annexstad received scholarship offers from Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.
“Zack Annexstad is a walk-on by paper. He is not a walk-on player,” said Fleck. “… That kid was never a walk-on in our minds.”
https://twitter.com/CoachRichBartel/status/1032264249349947392
Talked to IMG coach Kevin Wright about his former QB/new Minnesota walk-on starter Zack Annexstad.
"He's a guy that you could see him playing on Sunday." #SkiUMah
— Connor O'Gara (@cjogara) August 22, 2018
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
