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Minnesota QB Zack Annexstad received a message from a recent Heisman winner before first game
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Before even taking a snap for Minnesota, people were comparing freshman Zack Annexstad to Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield.
Ok, so maybe it wasn’t because of the comparable talent levels, but because Annexstad and Mayfield are believed to be the only two true freshmen walk-on quarterbacks to start in a game in Week 1. Regardless, it was pretty cool company for the Golden Gophers freshman to join.
But another cool thing happened for Annexstad prior to his first snap with Minnesota. The freshman walk-on received a message from Mayfield, who showed his support for the quarterback.
Baker Mayfield called Zack Annexstad before his debut as #Gophers starting quarterback Thursday, coach PJ Fleck said. “That was cool,” Annexstad told Fleck. Mayfield, Heisman Trophy winner/Browns’ top pick, and Annexstad believed to be only true freshmen walk-ons to start Week 1.
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) September 3, 2018
In addition to winning the Heisman Trophy last year, Mayfield was also the top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, getting selected by the Cleveland Browns.
That message seemed to give Annexstad some confidence in Minnesota’s 48-10 win over New Mexico State in the season opener. Though he got off to a rocky start, the freshman completed 16-of-33 passes for 22o yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he didn’t throw an interception.
Annexstad will have his second career start next Saturday, as Minnesota hosts Fresno State. We’ll have to see if Mayfield sends another message to the true freshman walk-on.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB