P.J. Fleck wants to get Koi Perich 8-10 offensive snaps per game

Could Perich be Minnesota's version of Travis Hunter?

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

Gophers freshman sensation Koi Perich has been taking the college football world by storm. He began the season on special teams, but he has since become one of the best defensive backs in the Big Ten. Last week against Maryland he debuted on offense with one snap on that side of the ball.

On his weekly P.J. Fleck Show, the Gophers' head coach was asked about Perich and his potential future playing on the offensive side of the ball.

"It's something that we want to be able to dabble with a little bit. I don't want to put too much on his plate, but whatever we've put on his plate, he's been fine," Fleck said. "He's a competitor and an athlete and if we can add another athlete on offense — and I am not saying he's gonna play 30, 40 snaps, but if we can find a way to get 8-10 snaps with him doing different things, then we're definitely gonna highlight that."

Colorado star Travis Hunter has done things this season that haven't been seen in college football in a very long time. He is playing almost the entire game at wide receiver and cornerback. Fleck seems to want to take an approach similar to Julius Peppers or Charles Woodson, who had small packages on offense.

"He's one of the better playmakers with the ball in his hands, he just happens to play defense. If you can bring him over for 8-10 plays at least to start with, that's something we're definitely going to look at," Fleck said.

Perich has shown his potential with the ball in his hands this season with 14 punt returns for 170 yards and eight kick returns for 145 yards. He has received a 91.4 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade as a safety this season, which is the best in all of college football. Ultimately, he has proven that good things happen whenever he's on the football field.