Homegrown Gopher Koi Perich Named National Freshman of the Year Finalist

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Koi Perich, Minnesota Gophers
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

When you keep one of the best recruits to come out of the state home, you want to see them succeed. Since Koi Perich stepped on the field for the Minnesota Gophers, that is exactly what he has done.

Relegated to special teams duty out of the gate, Perich made quick work of the depth chart and earned national recognition multiple times this season. Now he can put a nice bow on all of it.

Koi Perich was everything and more for the Minnesota Gophers

The Minnesota Gophers don’t have the prestige that other Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year finalists boast. Texas, Ohio State, and Alabama are all blue chip programs. Even South Carolina is a level above what P.J. Fleck can claim.

That said, Koi Perich is right there in contention with the best young players across the entire country. He has stood out not just for the Gophers, but as a force across the college football landscape.

Perich is the only secondary player to make the cut. Wide receivers are going to be notable for their yardage and touchdowns. Edge rushers can put up sacks. Perich has interceptions to his credit (and he has plenty), but his play has been so much more than that.

The standout safety worked his way into a return role, then jumped into the starting lineup. His five interceptions lead the Big Ten, and he has a forced fumble as well. Perich tallied 42 total tackles with a pair behind the line of scrimmage.

It’s not like Perich wasn’t a known commodity coming out of high school. Still, hailing from Esko, MN there was going to be an acclimation process at the Division 1 level.

The only thing that truly held him back this year was opportunity. He could have been atop the depth chart in Week 1 against North Carolina. Perich used his chance to show the Gophers they have something special.

Thankfully the Gophers don’t have to worry about losing Perich to the NFL Draft this spring. They will need to pay him substantially more in NIL funds however. He could work on wide receiver skills this offseason, and working in the vein of Travis Hunter next year wouldn’t be shocking.

Related: Koi Perich NIL Number with Minnesota Gophers Revealed

Given Ryan Williams’ prominence, and the other schools boasting contenders for the award, Perich shouldn’t be seen as the frontrunner. Regardless, it’s a sizable achievement to even be mentioned, and he would be a worthy choice if tabbed as the winner.

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