Minnesota Countdown to Kickoff: No. 49 LB Matt Kingsbury
The countdown to Minnesota’s season opener rolls on to 49 days, shifting the player spotlight to redshirt sophomore Matt Kingsbury. The Chicago, Illinois native enters year three with the program with 16 games of collegiate experience, mostly on special teams.
A late cycle addition in the 2023 recruiting class, Kingsbury was a consensus three-star prospect across the recruiting industry. He was ranked by Rivals as a top-100 linebacker nationally and a top-20 player in the state of Illinois. Kingsbury’s only other offer prior to his commitment was from Western Michigan.
Kingsbury had a prolific senior season for St. Rita High School in Chicago, recording 131 tackles and 11 sacks while forcing an incredible 11 fumbles. He also had one interception, blocked a field goal, and blocked a punt as well.
After a true freshman season in which he redshirted, Kingsbury played in three games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, recording four tackles, all coming against Purdue in his collegiate debut. Last season, Kingsbury played in 13 games, primarily on special teams and made three tackles.
In 2025, Kingsbury will likely once again be a key special teams contributor for the Gophers while looking to earn a spot in the linebacker rotation at the MIKE spot. Maverick Baranowski is currently expected to start while Kingsbury will battle Joey Gerlach and Derik LeCaptain for rotational snaps.
