Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. Andy Greder, Pioneer PressThu, January 1, 2026 at 5:44 PM UTC·4 min readThe Gophers football program engaged in a nerve-racking recruiting battle with Ohio State for Koi Perich in the 2024 class, but the U beat out the Buckeyes for the signature of the four-star prospect coming out of Esko High School. There might be a sense of pensive déjà vu in Dinkytown this winter. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter two season at Minnesota, Perich has yet to announce whether he will return to the Gophers for the 2026 season or will enter the NCAA transfer portal. The window for players to hit the open market opens Friday and closes Jan.