P.J. Fleck says Koi Perich could be 'in the mix' as true freshman

The Gophers have liked what they've seen from Perich.

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When Esko, Minnesota's Koi Perich put pen to paper and signed with the Gophers in December, he became the second highest-ranked recruit to ever sign with the program, trailing only running back Jeff Jones from 2014.

Perich was a step behind most star freshmen as he did not enroll early in the spring and he had to wait until June to start training and practicing with the team, which led to questions about how much he might contribute as a true freshman.

"I think it's really early when you talk about true freshmen, I think it's all about how their bodies handle the next few weeks," head coach P.J. Fleck said after practice Tuesday. "It's really difficult coming here in June and making a huge impact as a true freshman. It's just hard at any level and any position."

With the program's all-time leader in interceptions, Tyler Nubin, now playing safety for the New York Giants, there is a void in the Gophers secondary. Despite only being with the program for a few months, Fleck and his staff seem impressed by Perich.

"We love what he does, love how hard he plays," Fleck said. "He's really smart and if he continues to take the next right step, you could see him being in the mix as we go forward, not only at safety but special teams and other certain parts of the game."

Fleck went on to applaud the depth the Gopehrs have at safety. Darius Green recently returned to practice and players like Coleman Bryson and Aidan Gousby have experience at the college level that Perich doesn't.

Perich has been seen returning punts at Gophers camp this summer, and based on what Fleck said it seems like that might be his best shot at early playing time. During his senior year of high school, he returned four kicks for touchdowns and scored 27 total touchdowns. Safety will be his long-term home, but he has the potential to be a playmaker whenever he has the ball and the Gophers have an opportunity to be creative.

When Justin Walley played nearly 500 snaps as a true freshman in 2021, he had a leg up on Perich because he joined the team that spring and got the extra reps in practice. It might not be on day one, but Perich might be too dynamic of a talent to leave off the field for very long.