Minnesota safety Koi Perich named Preaseason All-American
Last season, as a true freshman, Minnesota Golden Gophers safety Koi Perich lit the college football world on fire. In 13 games played, the Esko (MN) native recorded 46 tackles, three tackles for loss, and five interceptions. He also had three pass deflections and one forced fumble in the process.
In the process, Perich earned Second-Team All-American status from Sporting News. He also earned a 2024 Freshman All-American selection by the Football Writers Association of America. On top of that, he was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection at safety. An impressive feat considering his inexperience entering the season, plus the overall depth at the position within the conference.
On Tuesday, Perich was named a second-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. It’s the second time this offseason that Perich has earned preseason All-American status. In June, Phil Steele named the sophomore a second-team selection as well.
Walter Camp is the first of five outlets that are used to determine All-American status alongside the American Football Coaches Association, Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America, and Sporting News.
While Perich is expected to be a leader on the Gophers’ defense this upcoming fall, he also may see a role on offense. After taking a handful of snaps in 2024 at wide receiver, Perich took regular snaps this spring. In a May podcast appearance on the Go Gophers Podcast with Mike Grimm, Fleck discussed Perich’s potential on offense.
“We got a lot of different packages for him,” Fleck said. “It’s not just a gadget thing. We want him helping our offense this year.”
Perich and the Golden Gophers will begin their 2025 season on August 28 against the Buffalo Bulls at Huntington Bank Stadium.
