The Minnesota Gophers football team won’t take the field again for another eight months, but there’s still plenty of news surrounding our favorite college football program.
Following PJ Fleck’s fifth consecutive bowl game victory just a few weeks ago, the Golden Gophers have been busy, adding 15 players through the transfer portal. In the six weeks between their regular-season finale against Wisconsin and their Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Virginia Tech, the team also signed over 20 high school recruits for the 2025 class.
Today, the Gophers announced a significant addition to their defensive coaching staff, hiring former Purdue and SMU defensive coordinator Kevin Kane. But that wasn’t the only Gophers-related coaching update shared by ESPN’s Pete Thamel tonight.
Mohamed Ibrahim hired by Kent State
According to PJ Fleck’s go-to insider, legendary Gophers running back Mohamed Ibrahim is set to become the running backs coach at Kent State. This move reunites him with Kenni Burns, the former Minnesota running backs coach now entering his second season as Kent State’s head coach.
After a brief stint in the NFL, Ibrahim returned to Minnesota as an assistant running backs coach for one season. This new role at Kent State offers him the opportunity to lead his own position group.
Sources: Former Minnesota star tailback Mohamed Ibrahim is expected to become the running backs coach at Kent State. The move will re-unite him with his college position coach, Kenni Burns, who recruited him to Minnesota and coached him there. pic.twitter.com/j27hpR0C05
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 23, 2025
Mo Ibrahim’s illustrious Minnesota Gophers career
When I call Mo Ibrahim an all-time great, I mean he is the all-time great running back in the storied history of Minnesota Gophers football. Over parts of five seasons as the feature back in Dinkytown, Ibrahim shattered records, amassing 4,668 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns—both the highest in program history.
As a senior in 2022, Mo delivered a jaw-dropping performance with 1,665 rushing yards, leading the Big Ten, and an incredible 20 touchdowns, which led the entire nation. Across his legendary Gophers career, Ibrahim played 41 games, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and an impressive 113.9 rushing yards per game.
24 DAYS UNTIL GOPHER KICKOFF
Mohamed Ibrahim
– 867 ATT (#2 in School History)
– 4668 YDS (#1 in School History)
– 53 TD (#1 in School History)Best Gopher ever? pic.twitter.com/Esd6J9JNh4
— RTB GOPHERS (@RTBGophers10) August 5, 2024
Before transitioning to coaching, Mohamed Ibrahim’s NFL journey began as an undrafted free agent following the 2023 NFL Draft, signing with the Detroit Lions. Although he was sidelined by an injury during the preseason, he made a comeback and was activated for a regular-season game against the Baltimore Ravens on October 22.
In the third quarter of that game, Ibrahim sustained another injury while returning a kick and was carted off the field. It turned out to be the only NFL game he ever played. In 2024, the Minnesota Vikings gave him another opportunity, signing him to their active roster for their final preseason game. Ibrahim carried the ball four times for 16 yards before being released shortly afterward.
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