Oct 26, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) celebrates after intercepting a pass against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Report: Koi Perich turned down big NIL money for shot at playoffs with Gophers

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Dec 27, 2024 12:24 PM ET

After Gophers star freshman Koi Perich introduced himself to college football with a first-team All-Big Ten campaign, it was obvious that he would have lucrative Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) opportunities at other schools. If the offers were there, he reportedly didn't entertain them.

Fantasy Life's CFB/NFL Draft analyst Thor Nystrom was on the latest episode of the Purple Daily podcast and he talked about Perich's decision to return to the Gophers in 2025.

"That was a kid that probably could've gotten more money, especially if he looked elsewhere. (He) wasn't interested at all," Nystrom said. "He didn't even want to hear the offers."

The way that modern college football works, anyone who follows the sport would realize that bigger programs were likely doing everything they could to get Perich to enter the transfer portal. After dominating the Big Ten as a true freshman, it's clear that he could be a star at just about every school in the country.

It's also worth noting that getting him back for his sophomore season doesn't entirely mean he will finish his career at Minnesota. College football rosters undergo annual makeovers, and Nystrom mentioned how important it will be for Minnesota to be competitive in 2025 if they want to keep Perich for the long haul.

"It's extremely important that the Gophers are good next year. Not necessarily they got all the way to crash that (College Football Playoff) party, although Koi believes that they could," Nystrom said. "He wants to see the team competing next year."

It's clear that Perich is an incredibly competitive person who wants to play on the biggest stages college football has to offer, and he wants to do it at Minnesota. The Gophers' aggressiveness in the transfer portal this offseason has shown that they will do everything they can to build off their 7-5 campaign in 2025, and Perich will be leading the charge.

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This article first appeared on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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