“Iowan” Max Brosmer gives the Minnesota football team a passer it hasn’t had in years

The Davenport native and sixth-year quarterback transferred from the University of New Hampshire, where he was an All-American at the FCS level.

There is a connection to Iowa. Always.

Quarterback Max Brosmer transferred to Minnesota for his final season of college football after an All-America FCS career at the University of New Hampshire. Somehow, the kid originally came to the Northeast from Roswell, Georgia, where he excelled in high school.

But back to his ties to the Hawkeye State. Believe it or not, he was born in Davenport.

“I don't remember actually living there,” Brosmer said at Minnesota's media event this week. “I was born in Davenport and we moved to Ohio afterward. Frank Bierman and I were born in the same hospital in Davenport, which is pretty cool. Totally different life paths, and then we find out we were born at Genesis (Medical Center).”

Bierman is a tight end for the Gophers who graduated from Tipton High School. Another tie against Iowa.

Minnesota (2-1) hosts the Iowa Hawkeyes (2-1) on Saturday night at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in what will be the Big Ten Conference opener for both teams. Rosedale's Floyd is on the court.

“Yes, I have,” Brosmer said when asked if he had seen the famous pig trophy. “When I was here in January and December, I was able to see it. It's been on display for a week now.”

Minnesota needed a quarterback when Athan Kaliakmanis transferred to Rutgers after last season. Coach PJ Fleck immediately targeted Brosmer, who rushed for 8,713 yards and 70 touchdowns in 36 games for UNH.

He led the FCS with 3,464 yards and was second in passing touchdowns (29) last season.

“I'll just say, the transfer portal is a wild new world,” Brosmer said last spring. “I was kind of warned when I entered the portal how crazy it could get, and I don't think I understood the true depth until I was in it. I was fortunate that a few schools reached out to me pretty early when I entered the portal. I didn't really know what to expect when I got in, and Minnesota was one of the first schools to do that. When I saw Minnesota was kind of joining, I thought I might as well check it out.

“I had heard a lot about the program, a lot about Coach Fleck and the culture. That's just the kind of player I am. I value culture and team spirit, so I fell in love with the process, the culture and the team. I think I took off and stuck with it. I can't thank the staff and the team enough for embracing me so quickly.”

Brosmer gives Minnesota something it hasn't had in years: a quarterback with very good passing skills.

“First of all, you start with the intangibles. They are incredible,” Fleck told the media in Minnesota this spring. “That's the first thing you see when you meet him. I think every successful quarterback has to have that trait. You feel like he's been here for 30 years.”

“I have never seen a person walk into a situation and connect with so many people as quickly as he does.”

Brosmer's statistics in three games with the Gophers are rather modest. He has completed 53 of 77 passes for 627 yards and three touchdowns (with one interception).

But the kid has talent. And Iowa has to be careful.

“Week 1, I think, was about getting comfortable and stepping into those shoes,” Brosmer said. “And I felt like I was part of the team as the starting quarterback. Now the team has completely changed in a positive way. There are things that we work on every week that we've done a really good job of getting better and doing the things that we talk about.”

“For me as a quarterback, it's about staying in the rhythm of the team, making sure we're moving at the same pace and doing what's asked of us every Saturday. And throughout the week, too.”

What advice did Minnesota co-offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. give his signal caller on Saturday?

“Throw it to the free man,” Harbaugh said. “Trust what you see each week and go through your progress. It's fun with him because you can tweak different things each week. I've talked before about how smart he is and how well he can transition from one opponent to the next…”

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