Pair of Gophers ranked among top-100 players in College Football 26
A pair of Minnesota Golden Gophers stars are ranked among the top-100 players in the upcoming College Football 26 video game.
Representing the Golden Gophers are running back Darius Taylor and safety Koi Perich. Both players are ranked as 91 overall for College Football 26.
With Taylor being rated at 91 overall, he is the ninth-ranked running back in the country. He’s also the fifth best in the Big Ten behind Jonah Coleman (Wisconsin), Nicholas Singleton (Penn State), Kaytron Allen (Penn State), and Makhi Hughes (Oregon).
The junior running back in 2024 posted 1,336 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns across 12 games and 259 touches. While he totaled just under 1,000 rushing yards at 986, Taylor saw a drastic role increase in the passing attack. After recording just 11 receptions for 92 yards as a freshman, Taylor recorded 54 receptions for 350 yards and a pair of touchdowns last fall.
Taylor’s 1,336 yards from scrimmage ranked eighth in the Big Ten last season, while his 12 total touchdowns ranked seventh.
The Walled Lake Western, Michigan native enters his junior season with career totals of 1,785 rushing yards, 2,227 yards from scrimmage, and 17 touchdowns.
Perich, who earned preseason All-American honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation on Tuesday, is the 11th-ranked safety overall and seventh-ranked free safety.
The former standout at Esko (MN) was spectacular as a true freshman with 46 tackles, three tackles for loss, and five interceptions. He also had three pass deflections and one forced fumble.
His five interceptions led all defenders within the Big Ten and were ranked fifth nationally.
Taylor, Perich, and the Golden Gophers will begin their 2025 season on August 28 against the Buffalo Bulls at Huntington Bank Stadium. The Gophers will look to win eight or more games for the fourth time in five seasons this fall while also looking to become bowl-eligible for the fifth straight season.
