Gophers' Koi Perich recognized as preseason true freshman All-American

The hype is starting to build for Minnesota's star freshman.

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When Koi Perich signed with Minnesota in December, he became the second-highest-ranked recruit in program history. He officially joined the team in June, and he is already turning heads.

Last week, Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said it's difficult for any true freshman to join a program in June and make a huge impact from Day 1, but they could see Perich "in the mix" at some point in 2024.

Popular recruiting website On3 released its own preseason true freshman All-American team on Monday, and it included Perich.

#Gophers' Koi Perich named preseason true freshman All-American, per @On3sports

"He has the ability to be a playmaker, both on defense and special teams. He got a later start as a June enrollee at Minnesota, but we would be surprised if he doesn’t make an impact over the… https://t.co/E6GWmjs03m

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) August 19, 2024

"He has the ability to be a playmaker, both on defense and special teams," On3's Charles Power wrote. "He got a later start as a June enrollee at Minnesota, but we would be surprised if he doesn’t make an impact over the balance of his true freshman season for the Golden Gophers.”

In last year's recruiting cycle, On3 viewed Perich as a four-star prospect and the No. 35-ranked player in the country. No other major recruiting service was higher on the Esko, Minn., product.

“Koi Perich was a massive in-state get for Minnesota as they held off a late push from Ohio State. He was on the cusp of five-star status in the 2024 cycle, and certainly has the ability to be an early contributor for the Golden Gophers," Power wrote. "He is an outstanding athlete at safety and plays with an extremely aggressive physical mindset. He was a standout at the All-American Bowl, earning defensive MVP honors in that game."

It seems as if his chances of contributing to Minnesota's secondary in Week 1 are a bit unrealistic, but he's been seen returning kicks this preseason, and him also helping out on special teams looks to be a much more likely scenario. Ultimately, Perich is one of the most talented players to put on a Gophers uniform in recent memory, so it might be tough to keep him off the field for too long.