In January of 2026, Koi Perich announced his transfer from the Minnesota Gophers to the Oregon Ducks after a challenging season for Minnesota.
Koi Perich was born on September 26, 2005. He’s a college football safety who now plays for the Oregon Ducks football. He went to Esko High School in Minnesota. While he was in high school, he got offers from big schools like USC Trojans football, Michigan Wolverines football, Wisconsin Badgers football, Minnesota Golden Gophers football, Iowa Hawkeyes football, and Washington Huskies football. Later on, he also received offers from Florida State Seminoles football and Ohio State Buckeyes football. In the end, he decided to commit to the Gophers.
As a freshman, Koi Perich had a strong season for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football. He finished with 24 solo tackles, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and five interceptions. Because of how well he played, he was named First-Team All-Big Ten Conference and earned Second-Team All-American honors. Going into his sophomore season in 2025, he took on a bigger role, playing more on defense, helping on special teams, and even getting a few snaps on offense.
On January 1, 2026, Perich announced that he would enter the transfer portal reportedly seeking to play for a national championship contender.
On January 12, 2026, Koi Perich announced that he would be transferring to the University of Oregon to continue his academic and athletic career.
Some fans accepted his decision and understood that it was to pursue better NIL deals or a chance to compete for a national championship, while some called him a “traitor” or “ungrateful” for leaving the program or the Minnesota Gophers mainly.
According to si.com, it notes that it’s no surprise Gophers fans are upset—they have every right to be.
Twincities.com. also reports that Koi Perich has entered the NCAA transfer portal, which is a move that’s undoubtedly a blow to the University of Minnesota.
