Minnesota Countdown to Kickoff: No. 36 K Daniel Jackson
The countdown to Minnesota’s 2025 season kicking off is down to 36 days and moving into our player spotlight is Minnesota true freshman kicker Daniel Jackson.
Jackson was a three-star prospect according to On3 in the 2025 recruiting cycle and committed to the Gophers over an offer from North Dakota State. He was ranked by On3 as the nation’s 19th best kicker.
At Alexandria High School in Alexandria, Minnesota, Jackson was one of the state’s top kickers and finished his high school career with 21 field goals and 132 extra points. He was 5-for-12 in field goal opportunities as a senior but did make 63-of-64 attempts.
Jackson in 2025 will compete with Syracuse transfer Brady Denaburg, Memphis transfer David Kemp and Concordia University St. Paul kicker Sam Henson for the starting kicking job. Henson, Denaburg, and Kemp are all in their final seasons of eligibility with the program. Right now, Denaburg is the likely favorite to win the starting kicking job.
However, long term, perhaps as soon as 2026, Jackson will have an opportunity to be a multi-year starter for the Gophers at the position. Though they’ll certainly also look to add additional kickers to the program through the transfer portal.
The Golden Gophers will begin their 2025 season on August 28 at Huntington Bank Stadium against the MAC’s Buffalo Bulls. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. CT.
