All-American transfer heavily linked to two major college football programs

Two Power Four college football programs have been connected to an All-American defender in the NCAA transfer portal.

Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Half of the time for college football players looking to enter the NCAA transfer portal has elapsed. The portal officially opened its doors on Jan. 2 and will remain open until Jan. 16.

In the weeks after the 2025 regular season concluded, a few thousand college football players entered the transfer portal. A significant portion of the entries are players at the Power Four level seeking better fits and NIL compensation.

One Power Four player searching for a new destination is former Minnesota defensive back and return specialist Koi Perich. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining at his second school.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder was recruited to Minnesota by PJ Fleck as a part of the Golden Gophers' 2024 signing class. On defense, Perich logged 46 tackles (2.5 for loss), a forced fumble, three pass breakups and five interceptions.

Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) reacts against the Wisconsin Badgers | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

As a return specialist, he accumulated a combined 502 yards on kickoff and punt returns. He was named All-Big Ten First Team on defense and All-Big Ten Second Team as a return specialist. Sporting News Perich to its All-America Second Team.

Perich made 82 total tackles (three for loss) to go with a sack, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a pick six for the Golden Gophers in 2025. As a return specialist, Perich accumulated 617 yards on both punt and kickoff returns. Offensively, Perich caught seven passes for 89 yards and ran five times for nine yards.

The versatility of Perich, both as a defender and a return specialist, will draw many sets of eyes to him in the transfer portal. J.D. PicKell of On3 mentioned a pair of schools linked to Perich in the transfer portal on a recent edition of "The Hard Count."

"This is a guy that a lot of people don't know about because he played at Minnesota. He's an elite defensive back prospect obviously right now, but at the NFL level he's going to be a playmaker for a long time," PicKell said. "(He) has a visit set up to Texas Tech. There's also talk of him eventually taking a visit to Oregon; we'll see if that happens or not."

Oregon and Texas Tech are a pair of programs that have made it clear they have everything it takes to succeed in the era of NIL and the NCAA transfer portal.

In addition to copious amounts of NIL funding, both fielded two of the strongest defenses in college football during the 2025 season, finishing in the top six nationally in yards allowed per game.