Former Minnesota star safety listed among top transfer fits at Oregon

Story byBjorn Bergstrom, Ducks WireThu, January 22, 2026 at 8:47 PM UTC·2 min readWhile the Oregon Ducks have lost a number of reserves to the transfer portal in 2026, head coach Dan Lanning and his staff have also brought in a talented pool of transfers. Former Minnesota star safety Koi Perich was among those, as he entered the transfer portal after two standout seasons with the Golden Gophers and promptly landed with the Ducks. The true sophomore earned all-conference honors in each of the two seasons he spent at Minnesota. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNow, Perich is set to compete for Oregon at the safety positon — and potentially at a number of other spots on the field as well. In addition to recording 128 tackles, six interceptions and two forced fumbles, Perich also carried the ball five times and caught seven passes as a Golden Gophers. He excelled as a kickoff (23.2 yards per kick return) and punt returner (7.7 yards per punt return) as well. His do-it-all capabilities on a team and with a head coach in Lanning who isn't afraid to put playmakers in position to make plays, unconventional or not, is likely a huge reason that PFF College has Perich and the Ducks as one of the top fits during this years transfer portal cycle. Though defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi has departed to become the head coach at Cal, new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton is likely to run a similar scheme that puts an emphasis son versatility. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThat fits Perich extremely well, as he can operate near the line of scrimmage and make tackles in the run game, as evidenced by 82 tackles in 2025, while also intercepting six passes as a deep safety over two seasons. Add in the endless possibilities of deploying Perich in packages on offense and as a returner on special teams, and the Ducks got themselves an absolute playmaker in all three phases.