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.
In Other News...
Oregon's Quarterback Battle Is Becoming A Big Win For Dan Lanning
Oregons quarterback room has turned into one of the more fascinating parts of Dan Lannings program, with Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore and Dylan Raiola creating a level of competition that goes well beyond the usual preseason positioning battle. At Oregon Media Day, Moore and Raiola both talked about patience and growth, and their comments underscored how much this group has leaned into development rather than treating the depth chart as a zero-sum fight.
For the Ducks, that dynamic matters because it gives the staff something more valuable than a single arm in the room. Moore and Raiola said the daily work of pushing each other in practice has become part of the benefit, and Oregon expects that internal pressure to help the team this season. Even before the first meaningful snaps are played, the quarterback situation already looks like a strength the Ducks can build around. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore And Evan Stewart Are Giving Oregon Fans Real Reason To Dream
As Oregon turns its attention to 2026, the early buzz around Dante Moore has been matched by a growing sense that Evan Stewart could be the kind of receiver who changes the shape of the offense. Practice footage has only added to that feeling, with the quarterback and wideout showing encouraging chemistry, while Dan Lanning and Moore have both pointed to Stewarts offseason work as a sign he could be ready to matter right away.
Stewarts path back gives the Ducks optimism some real substance, even if the final answer still has to wait for game action. After an injury cost him the 2025 season, the focus has been on getting his body right again, and the reports coming out of rehab suggest he is not just working back to where he was before. For an Oregon offense looking for a high-end connection to build around, that kind of progress is exactly the sort of detail that keeps fans dreaming a little bigger. [Read more 🡒]