Minnesota Gophers football star Koi Perich throwing out the first pitch at a Minnesota Twins game
Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Koi Perich grew up in Esko, MN, a small town just outside of Duluth, that holds around 2,000 people. Because of a commitment he made to his high school track team, Perich arrived on campus for his true freshman of college at the University of Minnesota late and injured.
Because of that, the safety was limited in his playing time, to start the 2025 Gophers football season. Nonetheless, the homegrown supertalent seemed to impact the game every time he got on the field.
To go with his 46 combined tackles and 3 passes defended, Koi Perich snagged 5 interceptions (which led the Big Ten) and forced 1 fumble. He also sat near the top of the conference in most punt/kick return categories.
Reminder: Freshman Koi Perich led the @bigten in INTs last season š²
Relive all 5ļøā£ of the @GopherFootball star's picks š#B1GFootball x @koiperich3 pic.twitter.com/pxNXkLJqih
ā Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) June 30, 2025
It just seemed that, in every big moment, the 18-year-old kid did something special. And not only did Koiās historic freshman season earn him a place on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, but he was also named 1st Team All Big-Ten and 2nd Team All-American.
Gopher phenom Koi Perich ready to build on huge freshman season
Entering 2025, PJ Fleck and the Minnesota Gophers appear determined to play Koi Perich on both sides of the ball. Heās even been wearing a multi-colored practice jersey this spring and summer. Iām all for it. This is one of the most talented players to ever wear a maroon and gold uniform.
Fleck and his coaches (on all sides of the ball) should squeeze every ounce of CFB talent/usage possible out of Perich. Not only will it help Minnesota win more football games, but it will undoubtedly help grow the brand too.
Minnesota Safety Koi Perich Last Season:
šæļø 260 Coverage Snaps
šæļø Zero TDs Allowed
šæļø 28.7 Passer Rating Allowed
šæļø 88.9 Coverage Grade
20th Ranked Player on the 2025 PFF College 50āļø pic.twitter.com/ZTtNVs8MEi
ā PFF College (@PFF_College) July 3, 2025
Minnesotaās Koi Perich is one of the best players in the country
Playing both ways and as a returner he impacts the game in so many ways
So excited to watch him this year pic.twitter.com/A6RRksuAc9
ā CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) July 11, 2025
Related: Koi Perich NIL Number with Minnesota Gophers Revealed
And in return, the small-town kid out of Esko will have more opportunities for national recognition, over the next couple years, than any Gopher in modern football history, and way more than any helmet schools (like Ohio State) could have offered him.
Letās be real, too. While thereās little concern, at this point, that the Minnesota Gophers will lose Koi Perich to the transfer portal, his time in college football is limited. This kid is an NFL talent, and guess what? He knows it.
Koi Perich has already used up one of his four years of standard college eligibility. And while there are quite a few ways to get a fifth year these days, donāt expect Minnesotaās young superstar to stick around any longer than he has to.
Koi Perich didnāt dream of playing for Gophers, wants to be a Viking
On Wednesday, at Gopher football media day, Koi told reporters gathered at the U of M football facilities that his dream was never to play for his home stateās only power conference collegiate football program.
In fact, Perich never dreamed of playing college football at all. His only dream is at the next level. But Koi is like any out-state kid from MN. His childhood football dreams arenāt just in the NFL, he specifically wants to play for the Minnesota Vikings.
"My dream was to play for the Vikings. I would just skip through college if I could and just gone straight to the Vikings..butā¦ ya gotta do your three yearsā¦"
ā Koi Perich Gophers Safety
Manifesting himself to be the heir to Harrison Smith.pic.twitter.com/07EdGy9yBA
ā The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) July 16, 2025
Reporter: āWas [playing for the Minnesota Gophers] always a dream of yours growing up?ā
Perich: āNo, I didnāt watch college football. My dream was to play for the Vikings. I would just skip through college if I could and just gone straight to the Vikings. But, you gotta do your three years, and Iām willing to do it.ā
Koi Perich ā Gophers Football media day (video via KSTP Sports)
Related: PFF Grades Confirm: Gophersā Koi Perich is a True Freshman Phenom
As Koi reminds us, football fans in this state, especially outside of the Twin Cities, live and die with the Minnesota Vikings. But Gopher diehards shouldnāt be offended by that. If anything, it means we could very well see the future Dinkytown legend trade in his maroon and gold, for purple and gold.
Whether heās able to manifest that destiny straight out of the draft, or later on in his career, has yet to be determined. One thing is certain, however. As long as this kid stays healthy, he will be an early round draft pick in 2027, after he finishes his required three seasons with the Gophers.
Not only was Koi an All-American as a freshman, but entering his sophomore season, the 6ā1ā³, 200lb safety/utility weapon has been tagged as one of the 20 best players in all of college football, by PFF.
Minnesotaās Koi Perich is one of the best players in the country
Playing both ways and as a returner he impacts the game in so many ways
So excited to watch him this year pic.twitter.com/A6RRksuAc9
ā CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) July 11, 2025
After just one year of high-level football, Perich is already developing into the type of talent that NFL scouts will be drooling to get their hands on just as quickly as he is willing to make the jump.
Koi Perich dreams of playing for Minnesota Vikings just like every other local out-state kid
Koi and I have very few things in common, most notably, football talent. But as two people who were born and raised in small town Minnesota, we share one thing for sure. We fell in love with the game of football because of the Vikings, who have owned the greater MN sports market since the mid-90s.
Football kids in Minnesota, especially those who grow up away from the Twin Cities, are raised idolizing and pedestalizing the Vikings like their fandom means the difference between making it to heaven and being sent south for the rest of your eternal winters.
Related: Gopher Football Conceding Chunk of New RevShare Money to Menās Basketball?
For 30-somethings like me (and Adam Thielen), it was Randy Moss, Cris Carter and whoever happened to be throwing them the football between the 1998 and early 2000s seasons. Those Vikings teams revolutionized the game of football and hooked millions of local kids my age.
Randy Moss: 1 of 1
š„: Vikings YouTube pic.twitter.com/fHq4ADyWN8
ā SleeperVikings (@SleeperVikings) June 21, 2025
For older teenagers, like Koi Perich, and early twenty-somethings a bit older than he is, they remember Brett Favre and the Vikingsā run in 2009-10, along with the Minneapolis Miracle from 2017-18.
What few of us think about when we dig back into our football memories, is the Minnesota Gophers, who have hovered from mediocre to terrible for most of our modern day lives. PJ Fleck is helping to turn that around and Huntington Bank Stadium is more full now than at any U of M football stadium most of us have attended.
Mentioned in this article: Koi Perich More About:Minnesota Gophers Football Minnesota Vikings