Koi Perich

Updated October 31, 2026 | Sources: GoDucks.com, 247Sports, SI Oregon (2025-2026)

Perich at Minnesota. Five interceptions as a freshman. Now he is Oregon's.

Koi Perich came to Oregon as the top safety in the transfer portal, and five games in, he is the one Duck the coaches do not take off the field. He started every one of Oregon's first five games per the official box scores, through UCLA on Oct 10, and played all 87 defensive snaps at Oklahoma State (Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports snap counts). Through USC his 23 tackles were tied with linebacker Devon Jackson for the team lead, and against UCLA he made 11 more, the most on the team, plus an interception (ESPN box score, Oct 10, 2026). Eleven of them came in his Oregon debut against Boise State, tied for the most by anyone on either team. At USC he made 7 tackles, and with Oregon up 41-27 and USC at the Oregon 32 in the final seconds, he picked off Jayden Maiava at the goal line for a touchback. It was his first interception as a Duck, and his first since a pick-six for Minnesota in 2025. The ball skills are why Oregon went after him. As a freshman at Minnesota in 2024 he had 5 interceptions and earned Freshman All-American honors. In 2025 he made 82 tackles for the Gophers, caught 7 passes on offense and returned 19 kickoffs for 499 yards. At Oregon he replaced All-American safety Dillon Thieneman, a first-round pick of the Bears, in a secondary that also lost Jadon Canady to the Chiefs.

Week 9 vs Northwestern, Oct 31, 2026

7 tackles, 4 of them solo, against Northwestern.

ESPN box score, Oct 31, 2026

87 of 87

Snaps at Okla. St.

Never left the field

23

Tackles (2026)

Tied for the team lead

1

INT at USC

Goal line, final seconds

5

INTs (2024)

Freshman year at Minnesota

Koi Perich Minnesota Highlights

#1 safety in the portal. Every snap at Oklahoma State. The goal-line pick that ended USC's last drive.

Via YouTube

The Impact

Oregon lost All-American safety Dillon Thieneman, a first-round pick, to the NFL, and Perich stepped straight into that role. He reads quarterbacks like a veteran, closes on the ball like a cornerback, and tackles like a linebacker, and the tackle count says he has had plenty of chances to prove the last part. The back end was not perfect at USC: six completions of 20 or more yards, the most any opponent has managed this season. But after Oregon went up 34-27, USC threw 15 times for 55 yards, and Perich's interception finished it.

Four Games In

Boise State (Sept 5): 11 tackles in his Oregon debut, tied for the most by anyone on either team. At Oklahoma State (Sept 12): 4 tackles, and all 87 defensive snaps, the only Duck on either side of the ball who never came off the field. Portland State (Sept 18): 1 tackle and a pass breakup on third-and-1 that forced a punt, in an 84-0 game where the starters did not need long. At USC (Sept 26): 7 tackles and the interception at the goal line with Oregon up 41-27. Official box scores list him as a starter in all five.

The Secondary Rebuild

Oregon's secondary lost safety Dillon Thieneman (R1, Bears) and versatile corner Jadon Canady (R4, Chiefs) to the NFL Draft. The official box scores show what replaced them: Perich, Brandon Finney Jr. and Ify Obidegwu are listed as starting defensive backs in all five games, and Aaron Flowers (hurt at USC; his status is on the injury tracker) in the first four. Carl Williams IV started the first two, Na'eem Offord the last three, and Peyton Woodyard started against UCLA with Flowers out. The group is young, and Perich is the one proven commodity in it. His five interceptions as a freshman were not just a stat. They were evidence that he reads quarterbacks better than most players two years older.

The Minnesota Years

Perich played two seasons at Minnesota before transferring. In 2024 he made 46 tackles with 5 interceptions as a freshman. In 2025 he made 82 tackles and returned his one interception for a touchdown, and the Gophers used him everywhere: 7 catches for 89 yards on offense, 19 kickoff returns for 499 yards with a long of 93, and 18 punt returns. All figures from ESPN. That two-way record is why we called him the biggest portal get of the cycle.

Watch List for 2026

1

Every snap: he played all 87 at Oklahoma State. Watch whether Oregon ever gives him a breather.

2

Tackle count: 11 in the opener was a great night for him. Our read: fewer tackles by a safety usually means the front is winning.

3

Ball skills: two interceptions through five games, after five as a freshman at Minnesota. Watch his eyes on the quarterback.

4

Explosive passes: USC hit six completions of 20 or more yards. UCLA had four on Oct 10 (ESPN play-by-play). Nebraska on Oct 17 is the next test.

5

Pairing with Aaron Flowers (hurt at USC; his status is on the injury tracker): both were listed as starting defensive backs in each of the first four official box scores, and Peyton Woodyard started against UCLA with Flowers out. Their communication shows in how rarely a receiver runs free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Minnesota, where he was a Freshman All-American in 2024 with 5 interceptions and made 82 tackles in 2025. He was the #1 ranked safety in the transfer portal.

Yes. The official box scores list him as a starter in all five 2026 games through UCLA, and he played every one of Oregon's 87 defensive snaps at Oklahoma State (Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports, Sept 14, 2026).

Two at Oregon: at the goal line in the final seconds at USC on Sept 26, 2026, and against UCLA on Oct 10 (ESPN box score). At Minnesota he had 5 as a freshman in 2024 and 1 in 2025, which he returned for a touchdown. That ball-hawking is a major reason Chris Hampton targeted him in the portal.

34 through five games, the team lead: 11 against Boise State, 4 at Oklahoma State, 1 against Portland State, 7 at USC and 11 against UCLA (ESPN box scores).