:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59357351/usa_today_9549089.0.jpg)
Minnesota’s biggest transfer (so far) under P.J. Fleck will be with the Gophers for an extra year. Defensive tackle O.J. Smith has been granted an extra year of eligibility (per Andy Greder of the PiPress and confirmed by Ryan Burns). This means Smith will be playing in the maroon & gold both this fall (2018) and next fall (2019).
News: #Gophers defensive tackle OJ Smith, a transfer from Alabama, receives another year of eligibility in 2019, a source tells @PioneerPress. https://t.co/TPNJbfWNu6
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) April 11, 2018
I can confirm @andygreder's report that #Gopher DT OJ Smith (@juicemane318) has been granted an additional year of eligibility from the NCAA.
— Ryan Burns (@RyanBurnsMN) April 11, 2018
The former Alabama DT will now have two years at Minnesota.
This is good news for a unit that has lacked for explosiveness and/or depth for multiple seasons now. How good the news will be remains to be seen, as we have yet to see the former 4 star Under Armour All-American play a snap for the Gophers. As of now though, I’d certainly rather have O.J. Smith in a Gophers uniform for two seasons instead of just one.