CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Gophers offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh’s nameplate marks the office, but quarterback Max Brosmer could have had one in the comfort of his position coach’s seat at the Larson Football Performance Center during the 2024 season.

When the sixth-grader wasn’t there, he was on the other side of the fourth floor next to Harbaugh and analyst Keegan O’Hara in the larger, windowless offensive briefing room. A stack of fast food condiment packets is evidence of many work meals.

After Brosmer transferred to the U from New Hampshire last winter, Harbaugh said it wouldn’t be a typical player-coach relationship but more of a partnership. One example is designing an office space as if it were a WeWork location.

In addition to committing to just two college classes, the graduate transfer spent the majority of his time at the football complex, analyzing, preparing, collaborating and tinkering with game plans week after week.

When Brosmer spoke to the Pioneer Press on Friday two weeks before the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, he naturally sat in Harbaugh’s black chair behind a wooden desk. As he told a story, he pointed to the floor-to-ceiling white board on the north wall.

“That … was filled with protection (calls),” Brosmer said of Penn State’s game plan in late November. “My father was here this week.”

Colin Brosmer looked at the board and said to his son, “‘Dude, holy (smoke)!’ How are you supposed to remember that?’ “, the quarterback recalled.

As the season progressed, Harbaugh, the rest of the offensive staff and Brosmer developed a level of complexity that head coach PJ Fleck said represented the most complex offense he has developed in his 12 years as a head coach.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a student-athlete love the game more during the preparation process. “…Enjoying the actual process and devoting hours, hours and hours a day to the grind and loving it,” Fleck said in late December. “…I think it’s the best processor I’ve ever seen.”

Heading into Friday’s bowl game against Virginia Tech, Brosmer has completed 250 of 374 passes (67%) for 2,617 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions in 12 games. He contributed five more rushing TDs and is eight completions away from breaking Adam Weber’s school record of 258 set in 2007.

The Georgia native, who earned a 3.8 grade point average and a degree in biomedical sciences from UNH, is headed to the East-West Shrine Bowl on Jan. 30. Harbaugh believes the more NFL evaluators are around Brosmer, the more they will fall in love with his football knowledge, decision-making and skill.

“Not there yet”

Brosmer’s maximum preparation work began almost immediately after the final whistle in the previous game. After relaxing and spending some time with his family on Saturday evening, Brosmer watched the day’s game. Road games made this even more beneficial during flights back to Minneapolis. He often completed offensive plays in about an hour.

Then Brosmer watched the film again on Sunday morning with new eyes, so that during the detailed film study with Harbaugh and Co. he had already seen it twice and could better articulate what he had seen. The positive and negative aspects of the game are filtered and divided. And then it was off to the next opponent.

Brosmer spent the rest of Sunday and Monday – technically the players’ day off – watching the opposing defense throughout the game.

“I study what the defense is doing based on the way you (defensive coordinator) call the play,” Brosmer explained. “Do you know what runs and distances he likes, what coverages he has and whether they fit the personnel? I’ll just watch the flow of the game in the quarterfinals. I’m getting a feel for who we’re playing against.”

The deepest dives took place on Mondays.

“He would spend all day here,” Harbaugh said from the team meeting room. “And he just watched the games over and over again. If it were six games, he would watch all six. He spent the whole time doing it.”

Brosmer would even give his coaches a head start.

“I can’t tell you how many times he asked me or Keegan (for example), ‘Hey, what are they doing on the second and long side?’ Harbaugh said. “And on Monday afternoon I’m like, ‘Brother, I’m trying to figure out what we’re going to play in this lineup.’ I’m not ready yet.’ ”