Former Gophers safety Koi Perich will transfer to Oregon

What began as a feel-good story of a Minnesota high school football star spurning the advances of blue blood programs to stay home and play for the Gophers turned into a tale about the business and competitive reality of big-time college sports in 2026.

Koi Perich announced Monday, Jan. 12, on Instagram that he has committed to Oregon out of the transfer portal.

Perich, an Esko, Minn., native, is a dynamic safety and return ace who became a fan favorite in high school and as a freshman in 2024. He will play his junior season with the Ducks, a team that reached the College Football Playoff inthe past two years.

Though Perich has not spoken publicly about why he decided to leave the Gophers after two seasons, he reportedly wants to play for a team that is a playoff contender, a status the Gophers have yet to reach. Oregon won the Big Ten and made the playoff quarterfinals in 2024, then advanced to the semifinals before falling to Indiana in the Peach Bowl this season.

Perich visited Oregon over the weekend after making a visit to Texas Tech earlier in the week. Texas Tech lost to the Ducks in the CFP quarterfinals in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1.

A highly popular player who turned down Ohio State’s late offer in December 2023 and kept his commitment to the Gophers, Perich had an outstanding freshman season in 2024, leading the Big Ten with five interceptions. His biggest highlights were game-sealing interceptions against USC and UCLA, plus a 60-yard punt return that was part of a Gophers rally in a close loss at Michigan.

Pro Football Focus gave him an 89.9 grade for the 2024 season, the best among freshman safeties and sixth among all Power Four players at his position.

“I haven’t done anything yet,” Perich told the Minnesota Star Tribune last June. “I have a lot more to do. I just have that mindset every day.”

Perich endured a tough start to the 2025 season, particularly in a 27-14 loss at California in which he muffed a fourth-quarter punt that the Golden Bears converted into a touchdown. But his play improved late in the season, and he finished third on the team with 82 tackles. His interception return for a touchdown with 7:40 left in the fourth quarter provided the winning points in the Gophers’ 27-20 victory over Purdue. Still, his Pro Football Focus grade for the season was 62.4. A grade of 60 is considered average by PFF.

As the 2025 season approached, Perich showed signs that he was thinking ahead in his career. When asked during the team’s photo day if playing for the Gophers was a dream of his growing up, he looked ahead to the NFL.

“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.”

Perich played with the Gophers in their 20-17 overtime victory over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl in Phoenix on Dec. 26, 2025 — even seeing substantial time on offense — but did not commit to staying with the team for 2026. The transfer portal window opened Jan. 2 and runs through Jan. 16.