Eric Small brings veteran interior grit to Minnesota’s defensive front
Eric Small is a senior defensive tackle for Minnesota who gives the Gophers an experienced, plug-the-gap presence inside. In the 2026 roster info, he’s listed as a senior DT from Naperville, Illinois, while ESPN’s player page shows a long college-football track record with productive disruptive seasons in the trenches, including a 3-sack year and multiple tackles-for-loss contributions. The appeal is the veteran steadiness: he looks like a tough, assignment-sound interior defender who can help on run defense and bring practiced leverage and effort, even if he isn’t the flashiest stat-sheet star.
