MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The University of Minnesota football team held its second practice of spring football open to media on Tuesday at Athletes Village.
It was hard not to notice safety Koi Perich standing on the sideline. He had a split jersey during the session – half maroon, half white. Maroon jerseys are typically worn by defensive players, while white ones are worn by the offense. P.J. Fleck got the idea for the jersey after quarterback Drake Lindsay mentioned it was difficult to see the sophomore running across the middle of the field.
So Fleck went to his equipment manager, Brady Gagnon, and the dual jersey was born.
“I got that about two weeks ago. Drake was saying, and all the other quarterbacks were saying how hard it was to see me on offense when I was running over the middle of the field,” Perich said. “P.J.’s idea, but give all the credit to Brady, our equipment manager. He did a great job with that.”
“He’s a versatile athlete and the more you can do with Koi Perich, the better off you’re going to be. Simple as that, so you can take that for how you want it,” Fleck said. “You can take a picture of his jersey if you want and figure it out.”
The next Travis Hunter?
Why you should care:
Perich came to Minnesota as a standout safety at Esko, and was also known for kick and punt returns on special teams. He led the Gophers’ defense last year with five interceptions, and was an All-Big Ten pick. He also emerged as a special teams weapon, nearly taking at least two punt returns for touchdowns.
By the second half of the season, he was running routes at wide receiver and getting a few offensive snaps every game. Travis Hunter at Colorado was the top defensive back/receiver combination in college football last year, winning the Heisman Trophy and is now headed to the NFL.
Perich had one receiving target last year, and no catches.
Could Perich follow in Hunter’s footsteps?
“He’s too good of a football player not to be on the field throughout the entire game. This isn’t just a gadget thing,” Fleck said.
Saturday scrimmage
Local perspective:
Fleck and the Gophers had a 100-play scrimmage last Saturday, taking what they’ve learned in practice and applying it to a game situation. Fleck said he loved what he saw, and was looking for players to apply what they learned in Tuesday’s practice.
They also had an Alumni Day recently, where about 175 former players came back to watch practice and spend time with current players.
The schedule
What’s next:
The Gophers have one more practice open to the public, set for 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at Athletes Village.
Minnesota also recently announced themes for three 2025 home games. The Gophers will have a Gold Out for their Aug. 28 home opener against Buffalo at Huntington Bank Stadium. They’ll have a high school, band and cheer day for Sept. 6 against Northwestern State. They’ll also have a Maroon out against Rutgers on Sept. 27.
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