Redshirt junior Anthony Smith announced his decision to stay for a fifth year with the Gophers following Minnesota’s 20-17 win in the Rate Bowl.

Smith has played for the Gophers since the 2022 season, having been recruited as a four-star prospect. He redshirted his first season and appeared in only two games, however, his impact on the team has been undeniable ever since.

In 2023, Smith played in all 13 games, recording 15 tackles (two for loss) and one sack. His defensive presence only grew the following year, when he nearly doubled his tackle total. Smith led the team with 11.5 tackles for loss in the 2024 season, including 27 total tackles, and shared the team lead for sacks with six.

Despite those impressive statistics, he continued to improve during the 2025 season. Both Minnesota and Indiana led the Big Ten in sacks with a total of 39. Smith spearheaded that effort for the Gophers, leading the conference individually with 12.5 sacks. By the end of the season, he totaled 38 tackles, 17.5 of which were for loss. His performance in the Rate Bowl earned him “Defensive Player of the Game” honors.

Smith said postgame that by December, he already knew he planned to stay with the Gophers for another season.

“I told [head coach P.J. Fleck] I was gonna get MVP and announce that I was gonna come back,” Smith said. “I knew how good our team is going to be for next year, for 2026, and I wouldn’t want to miss that for the world.”

Smith added that he feels the team has immense potential, noting that while this season did not go exactly as planned, the future is bright. Fleck remarked that Smith’s individual performance in the Rate Bowl was one of the best he has ever witnessed.

“When you watch Anthony work, you see what type of person Anthony is,” Fleck said.

Fleck added to his compliments saying that Smith is one of the easiest players to coach and a fantastic teammate who is always trying to grow his game.

“It’s hard to get guys to be uncomfortable,” Fleck said. “Going into 2026, in this NIL portal world where everybody just wants to be told how good they are […] you better have a really strong culture to be able to continue to coach young people.”

Smith finished the Rate Bowl with six solo tackles, two sacks and two batted passes. His commitment to return will likely continue to bolster the Gophers’ defensive line as they head into the 2026 season.