Minnesota Gopher football fans probably shouldn't be too worried at the departure of the program's leading running back of the 2021 season. Depth seems to have been a strength at the position. The Star Tribune reports that redshirt freshman Ky Thomas has entered the transfer portal.

Thomas tweeted, "I want to thank my coaches, teammates and the University of Minnesota. I have entered the transfer portal," the story indicates.

With 144 yards and a touchdown, Thomas earned the Offensive Player of the Game honor for December 28's 18-6 victory over West Virginia at the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona.

At the post-game news conference last week, Gopher coach PJ Fleck said, "Who would have thought beginning of the year - if you would have bet Ky Thomas would have been the bowl game MVP, you're probably not working anymore...That's no disrespect to Ky...not many people in the country have seven scholarship tailbacks, and we do, and we needed every single one of them."

Thomas had a great year, rushing for 824 yards and six scores. But the team is set to return a van-full of running backs in 2022. Mohamed Ibrahim will be back for his sixth season after being lost to the team with an Achilles' tendon injury in the 2021 season opener against Ohio State. He was the Big Ten's Running Back of the Year in 2020.

Trey Potts is set to return after rushing for 522 yards this past season and six touchdowns before an undisclosed injury at Purdue shut down his season. Bryce Williams will also be back from injury. True freshman Mar'Keise Irving filled in admirably in 2021.

The team also brings in highly touted incoming freshman Zach Evans out of Rockwall-Heath (Texas) after a 2,000-yard prep season.

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