'Easily': Koi Perich claims Gophers are 'one of the best teams in the nation'

Perich has five interceptions, putting him near the top of the national leaderboard.

Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) runs with the ball after intercepting a pass against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Koi Perich is one of the best freshmen college football players in the country and he's exactly where he wants to be at the University of Minnesota. While the threat of the transfer portal and big money through NIL will remain a threat, Perich is focused on the now and the current version of the Gophers is, in his eyes, one of the best teams in the nation.

"I think ever since Michigan we've literally flipped our emotion and we know that we're one of the best teams in the nation and we're a top-10 team, easily," Perich said during an in-studio appearance on KFAN-FM 100.3 on Monday. "Obviously with college football, everyone's a good team. Anyone can beat anybody on a day-to-day basis, but I love our team and I got a lot of confidence."

At first glance, calling the Gophers one of the top teams in the country is stretch. But that might be the case in the official rankings if not for an early-season inability to play a full 60 minutes. They missed a field goal that would've got them a win over North Carolina in the season opener; they coughed up a halftime lead and got bludgeoned in the second half by Iowa; and they were down by three scores to Michigan before a controversial onside kick offsides call cost them a chance to win.

Now that Perich has dubbed the Gophers a top-10-caliber team, the pressure ramps up to prove it at No. 24 Illinois on Saturday and then at home against No. 3 Penn State on Nov. 23. If Perich is right and the Gophers can play at a high level for 60 minutes, then four wins to finish the season on a seveng-game win streak isn't outside the realm of possibilities.

Can the Gophers keep Perich from the portal?

Perich, whose agent Blake Baratz confirmed upcoming NIL deals coming with General Mills and Gushers, chose to stay home and play for head coach P.J. Fleck and the Gophers over offers from the likes of Ohio State and Florida State. Why'd he stay home?

"I got two things. Obviously, my first thing for me was the NFL. My whole dream my whole life was to go to the NFL and the last two safeties that played my positions have been drafted really high in Antoine Winfield and Jordan Nubin, but also Jordan Howden," Perich explained.

"This is a safety school. If you're a safety, I believe you should come here. And also I believe in what coach Fleck has done for this program and where we're going. I feel like in the next couple of years we're just going to keep improving and improving and it's going to be really fun."

Perich, who thinks LeBron James is the basketball GOAT and models his football skills after star safeties like Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins, Jesse Bates and Derwin James, has played in five games as a true freshman and he is second in the nation with five interceptions. His latest pick featured a 45-yard return against Maryland that he regrets not bringing it back for a touchdown.

"I actually got no vision right there. I should've scored," Perich claimed. "I gotta score. I need to get me a touchdown. That's the one thing I want."

While it's all fun and games right now, every big play Perich makes adds to the threat of another team offering significant NIL money and sponsorships to steal via the transfer portal. When KFAN's Paul Allen asked Perich about the portal, Perich kept his focus on what's in front of him.

"I don't really try to focus on the future too much. I just focus on what tomorrow's going to bring me or today's going to bring me," he said. "I feel like it's too much to look into the future that much and whatever's presented to me at that time I'm going to take my [inaudible] with the decision and do that."

For now, Perich is dressed in maroon and gold and the future at Minnesota is bright.