Oregon's Koi Perich Turns Heads By Making This Top 15 List

The Oregon Ducks landed four-star safety Koi Perich in the transfer portal this offseason. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher is looking to make his mark in Eugene this season.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg lists Perich as one of college football’s top 15 non-quarterback playmakers for the 2026 season.

Koi Perich Listed Among Top Playmakers in College Football

oregon ducks transfer portal safety koi perich minnesota golden gophers dillon thieneman 2026 nfl draft all american big ten — Oct 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) reacts to his teams win after the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Koi Perch is a 6-1, 200 pound safety that spent the first two years of his collegiate career with Minnesota in 2024 and 2025. Following the 2025 season, he entered the portal and transferred to Oregon. Rittenberg cites Perich’s ability to impact a game on special teams as well as defense for why he is one of college football’s top non-quarterback playmakers.

“Perich has shown in his first two college seasons that he can impact games in multiple ways,” Rittenberg said. “Despite playing primarily on defense, Perich finished second on Minnesota with 742 all-purpose yards last season after finishing fourth with 565 yards in 2024.”

Perich was named First-team All-Big Ten and Second-team All-American in 2024 as a freshman. In 2025 as a sophomore, he was named Second-team All-Big Ten. In his two year career at Minnesota, he had 128 total tackles, six interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), 5.5 tackles for loss, five passes defended, two forced fumbles, and one sack.

Perich had 306 total punt return yards, averaging 8.1 yards per return. As a kick returner, he totaled 813 return yards with an average of 23.2 yards per return. Perich got more offensive reps in 2025 and had seven receptions for 89 yards and five carries for nine yards.

Replacing Dillon Thieneman in Ducks' Defensive Backfield

Perich looks to be the perfect replacement for former Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman, who was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Thieneman, like Perich, transferred to Oregon after playing his first two seasons in college at another Big Ten school. After Thieneman’s 2024 season with the Purdue Boilermakers, he entered the portal and transferred to Oregon. With the Ducks in 2025, Thieneman was named a First-team All-American. These will be big shoes to fill for Perich.

The Ducks defense will look different than it did a season ago. That starts at defensive coordinator. Oregon's defensive coordiantor for the first four years under coach Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi, is no longer in Eugene. Lupoi accepted the head coaching job with the California Golden Bears this offseason.

Lanning promoted within his own staff, naming Chris Hampton as the program's new defensive coordinator. Hampton has been with the Ducks since 2023 as a co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. He'll now be running the show for the defense.

Oregon has high expectations once again this season. The Ducks have made the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. They were knocked out in the quarterfinal in 2024 and the semifinal in 2025. Will they take another step forward in 2026?

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