Oregon safety Koi Perich named the player to watch during spring game

All across the Oregon Ducks' 2026 roster, there's intriguing players. There's players looking to make a name for themselves, whether they're young or haven't yet gotten opportunities, and others to continue their success and even step it up to another level. But safety Koi Perich fits into a category of his own, leading ESPN to tab him as the player to watch during Oregon's spring game on Saturday.

"Perich was one of the best true freshmen in college football in 2024, but after his sophomore season drew mixed reviews, he opted to leave Minnesota, his home state, and head west to Oregon," ESPN analyst Kyle Bonagura wrote. "It's a similar path to what Dillon Thieneman took last year when he left Purdue for Oregon and had a nearly seamless transition. Thieneman was an All-American as a junior for the Ducks, and now they'll hope Perich can mirror that type of success."

The former Golden Gopher was electric during the 2024 campaign, intercepting five passes on his way to bursting onto the college football scene. But he took on a lot more responsibilities last season, with Minnesota deploying him offensively (12 touches for 98 yards) and more on punt and kickoff return (617 total return yards). He picked off just one pass and didn't have the same effect on the game defensively that he did the season prior.

But now with the Ducks, all Perich has to do is focus on the task at hand: excelling at the safety position.

Dan Lanning has already raved about how locked in he is, saying that he was more interested in watching film than figuring out his living situation in Eugene.

If he can add to his 2024 form in an Oregon uniform, there's a good chance that he'll find himself in the same position as Thieneman, waiting to hear his name called on Day 1 of the NFL draft. But what comes first is a formal introduction to Duck fans during the spring game, where his play-making skills should be on full display.