Gophers' Koi Perich, Darius Taylor named preseason All-Americans

Gophers stars Koi Perich and Darius Taylor have been named preseason All-Americans by Athlon Sports, as revealed on Wednesday. Perich was named to the third-team defense at safety and Taylor made the fourth-team offense at running back.

It's not the first preseason accolade for either Perich or Taylor, and it won't be the last. They're not only the two current faces of the Gophers' program, they might be among the best players in all of college football at their respective positions in 2025. Having that kind of star power on each side of the ball — and in Perich's case, both sides of the ball — gives Minnesota a chance to make some major noise during the upcoming season.

By now, you know who they are. Perich was a true freshman sensation last season after signing with the Gophers as the clear-cut No. 1 high school recruit in the state of Minnesota. The kid from Elko led the Big Ten with five interceptions despite not playing a full-time defensive role until midseason. He also returned kicks and punts for the Gophers. And in 2025, in addition to his duties on defense and special teams, Perich will be playing some wide receiver for P.J. Fleck.

Taylor, meanwhile, is back for his junior season in maroon and gold. The Gophers' dynamic running back racked up 1,336 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns last year on 259 touches. With Minnesota breaking in new quarterback Drake Lindsey this season, Taylor will be the focal point of the offense, both as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield. He could be in line for a huge year.

And those are far from the Gophers' only big-time players. Four others were named to Athlon Sports' preseason All-Big Ten teams:

• S Koi Perich: 1st team
• RB Darius Taylor: 2nd team
• DL Anthony Smith: 3rd team
• LB Maverick Baranowski: 3rd team
• DL Deven Eastern: 4th team
• OL Ashton Beers: 4th team