Former Gophers safety Koi Perich, who recently entered his name into the transfer portal, has scheduled official visits to Texas Tech and Oregon.
The visits to Lubbock, Texas, and Eugene, Ore., will come in the next few days, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
A highly popular and dynamic player who turned down Ohio State’s late offer in December of 2023 and kept his commitment to the Gophers, the Esko native had an outstanding freshman season for Minnesota in 2024, leading the Big Ten with five interceptions and earning second-team All-America honors from the Sporting News.
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 88.9 grade for the 2024 season, the best among freshman safeties and sixth among all Power Four players at his position.
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 triumph over Purdue. Still, his Pro Football Focus grade for the season was 62.4.
Perich played with the Gophers in their 20-17 overtime victory over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Dec. 26 — even seeing substantial time on offense — but did not commit to staying with the team for 2026.
