Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey was arrested early Friday morning, and the story is eerily familiar.
Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
News didn’t break well for the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Friday morning, as starting quarterback Drake Lindsey was arrested and accused of possession of fake identification and underage possession of alcohol. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg acquired the preliminary report from the Fayetteville Police Department on the incident.
According to a preliminary report from the Fayetteville Police Department, an officer was alerted by staff at the YeeHawg bar shortly after midnight about a possible fake identification document. Staff directed a police officer to Lindsey, 20, who admitted to having the fake identification and to consuming alcohol before arriving at the bar.
The Fayetteville, Arkansas, native was taken to the Washington County Detention Center. A copy of the fake ID was discovered in his wallet. Lindsey signed a form for a minor in possession of alcohol / attempted use of fraudulent or altered identification document. He was released about seven hours later after posting $470 bond.
Adam Rittenberg
ESPN
The news itself wasn’t great for the starting quarterback, especially just a few months before his 21st birthday. Going into the season, Lindsey was a fascinating player in terms of the NFL Draft with his 6-5 and 230-pound frame, and his profile just got a little more interesting.
Drake Lindsey is on similar path to Baker Mayfield
The fascinating element of Lindsey’s arrest isn’t that he got arrested, but where and why. It’s not an identical situation to what Baker Mayfield dealt with ahead of the 2017 season, but there are some parallels.
Both players were arrested with alcohol charges
Each incident occurred in Fayetteville, Arkansas
The hope for Lindsey is that he can take the leap in a similar way to Mayfield. He took a massive step in 2017, raising his stock from being a fourth or fifth-round pick to being the Heisman Trophy winner and being selected first overall. Lindsey doesn’t have the background that Mayfield had as a multi-year starter, but he’s got the goods in terms of a live arm and size.
It’s certainly a piece of adversity for Lindsey to overcome, and if he can do that, keep an eye on him for the 2027 NFL Draft.
College Football
He’s had a tremendous impact on the program in such a short time
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