Analysis: Koi Perich was a feel-good story for Gophers, but he seems likely to head for greener pastures

Minnesota embraced Koi Perich like it has few other athletes.

After all, the Esko native and dynamic four-star football recruit said no to mighty Ohio State in December 2023 so he could say yes to the home-state Gophers. He became the face of the program’s future before even playing a down in Dinkytown.

And what wasn’t to like for Gophers fans? P.J. Fleck and his staff fended off blue-blood programs to secure the services of Perich, a speedy, ball-hawking safety and return man who didn’t lack for bravado. An example: Fleck and staff members in 2023 took a trip up Interstate 35 to take in an Esko game, during which Perich took off on a long touchdown return. As he sprinted toward the end zone, he saw Fleck and Co. on the sideline and flashed them a peace sign.

Perich rewarded the Gophers with a freshman season full of highlights. He intercepted five passes, leading the Big Ten and tying for fourth nationally. One of those picks secured the Gophers’ upset of No. 11 Southern California, igniting a field-storming that saw fans hoist Perich onto their shoulders. Another pick sealed a victory at UCLA.

He became the first Gophers freshman since Darrell Thompson in 1986 to be named first-team All-Big Ten, and The Sporting News put him on its second All-America team, making him the first Minnesota freshman to be named All-American since 1972.

On Thursday, Jan. 1, though, after Perich went through a bumpy sophomore season with the Gophers, the reality that college football has become even more of a business hit home for Minnesota. Perich decided to enter his name into the transfer portal — which opened Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16 — to explore his options. He reportedly hasn’t closed the door on returning to the Gophers, but pushing the toothpaste back into that tube would be a challenging task.

Reaction to the news has run the gamut on social media and message boards. Anger, disappointment, acceptance, understanding and inevitability were among fans’ thoughts. Former Gophers cornerback Coney Durr called Perich a “traitor” on the X platform. Gophers freshman safety Zachary Harden posted “My Turn!!”

As a freshman in 2024, Perich carried an air of confidence but one that also was mixed with youthful enthusiasm. When asked during a postgame news conference about an official’s call that didn’t go the Gophers’ way, Perich responded, “That was awful.” Veteran defensive end Jah Joyner flashed Perich a stern look that said, “That’s not how we do things here.”

Perich’s popularity increased into the offseason with the Gophers working him into offensive packages, hoping to make him a threat in all three phases. Fleck even had equipment staffers make a half-maroon, half-white practice jersey that designated Perich as a player on both offense and defense. Dinkytown Athletes, the university’s official name, image and likeness collective, took that idea and ran with it, producing that jersey for sale on its website. Perich was so popular that he has his own page on the Dinkytown Athletes website with 131 items, most with his No. 3 prominently displayed, available for fans to purchase.

As the 2025 season approached, Perich opened up a bit during the team’s photo day. Arriving at a news conference wearing a WWE-style championship belt for his prowess in the weight room, Perich covered a variety of subjects. He was asked if playing for the Gophers was a dream of his growing up. His response, with the benefit of hindsight, was interesting.

“No, I didn’t watch college football,” he said. “My dream was to play for the Vikings. I would just skip through college if I could and just go straight to the Vikings, but you’ve got to do your three years [in college football], and I’m willing to do that.”

Fleck included Perich in his group of four players who represented the Gophers at Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas.

After a freshman year that included a Pro Football Focus grade of 89.9, the best among freshman safeties and sixth among all Power Four players at his position, Perich dropped to a 62.4 mark in 2024. He finished third on the team with 82 tackles and had one interception, a pick-six that supplied the decisive points in a 27-20 win over Purdue.

After the Gophers beat No. 25 Nebraska 24-6 on Oct. 17 at Huntington Bank Stadium, Fleck told the story of how when he and his wife Heather were walking up the tunnel, they ran into Perich, who was surprised that the fans had stormed the field. “Koi was like, ‘They stormed the field, but isn’t that [beating Nebraska] the expectation?’ ” Fleck said. “That’s my guy. … That was a heck of a statement from him."