Former Gophers QB Zack Annexstad Signs UDFA Contract with Tampa Bay Bucs

In PJ Fleck’s second season as head coach of the Minnesota Gophers, a walk-on freshman from IMG Academy (FL) named Zack Annexstad was named the starting quarterback , after beating out redshirt freshman Tanner Morgan.

After starting the 2018 season 3-0, Annexstad went down with an injury and never really got the chance to win his starting job back from Morgan, who went on to have one of the most prolific passing seasons in Gopher football history in 2019.

But, Zack stuck around as long as he could. After four years in Dinkytown, he announced his intent to transfer after the 2021 season, and landed at Illinois State where he played for two years , throwing a total of 3,547 yards, 27 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Former Minnesota Gophers QB Zack Annexstad gets his NFL shot

Those underwhelming numbers didn’t stop the 6’3″ 220 lb quarterback from getting his shot at the NFL though. On Saturday, Annexstad signed an undrafted rookie free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who we all know love their Minnesota Gophers.

For many Gopher fans, this news may come as a surprise. But really, these undrafted rookie free agent contracts oftentimes come down to raw skillset and measurables. And those are things that have always stuck out with Zack. He’s big, tall and he came into college with a strong arm, one that’s only gotten stronger since.

Related: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Gophers Get Commitment from Massive UTEP Transfer Aluma Nkele

As a Gopher, Zack Annexstad threw for 1,277 yards, 9 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Now, we’ll see how far he can push his NFL dream. He’s a great kid, which always helps when you’re a young QB3 or QB4 looking for a job… but he has a very uphill road to climb, nonetheless.

Read More: P.J. Fleck, Minnesota Gophers Get Commitment from Massive UTEP Transfer Aluma Nkele