Oregon added another notable piece to its 2026 roster when former Minnesota safety Koi Perich chose the Ducks through the transfer portal, and on Monday he laid out exactly why Eugene won out.
Perich said the appeal was simple: winning and the stage that comes with it.
"I just wanted to be on a contender, and a great program. I think Oregon is both of those.
There’s a lot of great coaches, great players here. And with both of those in the equation, you’re going to have a lot of success.
Hopefully I can add to that," Perich said.
That fit has become a calling card for Dan Lanning’s program. Oregon has turned into a steady contender over the last few years, and the kind of talent flowing through Eugene keeps making the Ducks a real option for high-end players who hit the portal.
Perich certainly fits that mold. He flashed as a freshman at Minnesota, his hometown school, and developed into one of the better secondary defenders in the Big Ten during his time with the Golden Gophers. Still, the chance to suit up for Oregon and chase a College Football Playoff run clearly carried weight.
He also talked about what the move has meant on a personal level. Leaving home was part of the challenge, and Perich said that was something he wanted to embrace.
"Never being away from home. That was obviously a little different.
But I wanted to be uncomfortable. It’s something I wanted to do in my process.
I knew that was a big opportunity that I needed to do, and obviously, you can’t be great unless you’re uncomfortable," Perich said.
That mindset fits the way Lanning has operated in Eugene, where growth is a constant theme and recruits are pushed to choose what’s best rather than what’s easiest.
Perich is part of that wave, and he’s joined in the transfer class by former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola has already made noise with his comments comparing Nebraska and Oregon after his first offseason in Eugene, and he also spoke about embracing a backup role.
"It's something new. But I know change is good, and especially at a place like this, I'm more than willing to sacrifice for the greater good," Raiola said.
Lanning has also noticed Perich’s seriousness about football. While speaking during Big Ten Media Days, he told a story about Perich being more interested in watching film with him than taking in the housing portion of the program tour. Perich backed that up, saying he didn’t care much about the picture-taking part of the visit and preferred to spend that time focused on football with Lanning and the rest of the staff.
For Perich, the move is about winning now and giving himself a shot at the next level later. The question from here is whether he can follow the path of former Oregon safety and current Chicago Bears rookie Dillon Thieneman.
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