Kirk Herbstreit shouts out Gophers, Perich in his weekly top performers

Perich continues to be the talk of the town after this breakout performance against USC.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) celebrates his interception during the second half against the USC Trojans at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

ESPN college football personality Kirk Herbstreit is the latest passenger aboard the Koi Perich bandwagon.

Herbstreit typically posts on social media about his "top performers" from the previous week of college football and Perich was one of eight performers mentioned on Monday after Minnesota's upset victory over No. 11 USC.

Here are my top performing players of WEEK 6:

Diego Pavia @VandyFootball
Conner Weigman @AggieFootball
Ashton Jeanty @BroncoSportsFB
Xavier Restrepo @CanesFootball
James Williams @HuskerFootball
Koi Perich @GopherFootball@OleMissFB Defensive Line
Richie Munoz @weberstatefb pic.twitter.com/YrI6Idkv1v

— Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) October 7, 2024

Minnesota's star freshman safety had the biggest role of his six-game college career against the Trojans, playing 48 defensive snaps. His previous career-high was 17 against Rhode Island.

Perich grabbed the opportunity by the horns, compiling six total tackles and forcing one fumble before reeling in a game-sealing, highlight interception in the end zone. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him an 80.4 overall grade, which was the highest for any true freshman in the country in Week 6.

Perich was snubbed out of Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, but Herbstreit labeled him the sixth-best top performer of the week. Perich and the Gophers will get a chance to build off their stunning upset this week against UCLA on the road at The Rose Bowl Stadium.