Anthony Smith eager to leave behind lasting legacy with Minnesota

CHICAGO — After wreaking havoc off the edge over the past two years, the veteran defensive end intends on finishing his career with the Golden Gophers on a high note this fall.

Anthony Smith needs 10 sacks this season to become Minnesota’s all-time leader, but he’s more focused on the program being in a better place than when he first arrived on campus. Smith takes pride in contributing to the Golden Gophers’ bowl win streak, but there’s still a lot he wants to accomplish at the program.

The former four-star prospect led the conference in sacks per game in 2025, and earned first-team, All-Big Ten honors for his heroics in the trenches. Smith’s decision to stick around for a final year means he’s eager to build on his legacy.

“It was an easy decision to come back because I knew there was a lot of meat still on the bone for our d-line, our defense, and our team as a whole,” Smith said. “I have great people around me like Maverick Baranowski, and Darius Taylor, so it’s easy to come around the facility with a smile on my face.”

With the return of Drake Lindsey at quarterback, Taylor at running back, and a defense with an All-Big Ten caliber player at every level, Smith feels Coach P.J. Fleck will be fielding his best team yet. It’s now or never for the Golden Gophers to make a serious run at a conference title in Smith’s mind, and he desperately wants to change the narrative of them being a middle of the pack Big Ten team.

Smith is confident that the defense can dominate, and be one of the nation’s best units. Anchoring the defensive line means Smith intends on setting the tone every game, while the rest of the group builds off his energy.

“We had some special moments during last year’s games, like against Nebraska where we dominated the entire game, and the game against MSU where we got like seven sacks in the first half,” he said. “We got a lot of pieces that came back from last year, so the sky’s the limit for this entire defense.”

Despite posting 65 tackles, including 29 for loss and 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons, Smith feels he can improve his game in a lot of areas. And that’s a head-scratcher because Smith is a disruptive force, who’s explosive off the ball, and can maneuver around offensive linemen with ease.

“I’m always a good power rusher, so whenever I get stuck in a speed rush, and I have to go power, I know that I can collapse the pocket very well,” the 22-year old said. “When it comes to speed rushing, I feel like I’m really good at getting over the edge, having the mobility in my ankles to defend the corner, and pointing my hips and feet towards the quarterback.”

The Pennsylvania native believes he has a similar skill set to Las Vegas edge rusher Maxx Crosby, so he tries to mimic the pro, and loves watching him play on Sundays. Smith’s instincts is one of his greatest strengths as a pass rusher, and credits that to film study. He’s always analyzing the opposition, and trying to find different ways to attack the pocket.

Smith learned a lot from former Minnesota defensive ends Boye Mafe, and Esezi Otomewo, who were both NFL Draft picks. Now he’s applying that to his leadership, and understands there’s a standard to live up to. At the end of the day, Smith wants his legacy to be untouchable, and he has an opportunity to lead the Golden Gophers to the promised land.

“I can’t let my foot off the gas, because if I let off the gas then I’m letting this d-line room down, I’m letting the legacy of the guys that came before me down, so I always work as hard as I can at being the hardest worker.”