Minnesota's secondary receives boost with John Nestor returning for 2026 season
The Minnesota Golden Gophers’ defense picked up another big player retention victory on Tuesday. After linebacker Maverick Baranowski announced his intentions to return for the 2026 season earlier this month, Gophers cornerback John Nestor’s intentions were announced on Tuesday by Dinkeytown Athletes.
He’s also the second player on Tuesday whose return for 2026 has been announced, joining starting left guard Greg Johnson.
Nestor, this season, was Minnesota’s top cornerback by NFL passer rating against as opposing quarterbacks had an NFL passer rating equivalent of just 62.5 according to Pro Football Focus. Across a team-high 55 targets, Nestor allowed 34 receptions for 298 yards and four touchdowns. But he also recorded five interceptions and six additional pass breakups. PFF graded Nestor overall at 77.9 for his performance during the regular season, including 79.8 against the run and 76.5 in pass coverage.
The Iowa transfer also finished the season with 47 tackles, including six tackles for loss.
Nestor joined the Gophers via the transfer portal last April after leaving the University of Iowa. With the Hawkeyes, the Chicago native appeared in 20 games, recording 16 tackles while also earning the Iowa Team Hustle Award for special teams in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Nestor is the first Minnesota defensive back whose intentions to return in 2026 have been announced. Other notable players with remaining eligibility include cornerback Za’Quan Bryan, safety Koi Perich, safety Kerry Brown, safety Aidan Gousby, and safety Garrison Monroe.
A pleasant surprise in 2025, Nestor will enter 2026 with high expectations
Nobody really knew what to expect from John Nestor when he enrolled at Minnesota last spring. But the Iowa transfer impressed from day one and was an instant impact player on the Gophers’ defense this season and one of the few bright spots in the secondary.
The Chicago native was a consistently reliable cornerback for the Gophers and quickly moved into the program’s top cornerback slot.
Opposing quarterbacks consistently struggled throwing his way, with very few quarterbacks having actual success against Nestor. While he had down games against Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon, Nestor didn’t allow a touchdown in the Gophers’ other nine regular-season games this fall, allowing just 158 yards in those nine games, an average of 17.5 yards per contest.
Notably, of 26 cornerbacks this season that recorded over 500 snaps, Nestor’s NFL passer rating allowed of 62.5 ranked 26th among Power Four cornerbacks this season and eighth in the Big Ten.
In 2026, Nestor will enter the season as Minnesota’s top cornerback, most likely, and high expectations will follow the athletic 6-foot-1 Nestor after his five interceptions and six additional pass deflections this season. Assuming Za’Quan Bryan also returns for Minnesota in 2026, the Gophers should have a quality duo as their starting cornerbacks next season, a duo that, with more experience, should be able to take their own games to the next level.
