Koi Perich, the Gophers freshman phenom, is going to be working with General Mills and promoting Gushers as part of his Name, Image and Likeness activities that include clothing. https://athletesthread.com/collections/koi-perich
Blake Baratz, the Minneapolis-based sports agent, told KFAN’s Paul Allen yesterday morning that Perich has “something coming up with General Mills and Gushers.” He didn’t provide details about Perich’s endorsement of the fruit-flavored snack.
Perich, whose football success as a true freshman has drawn national attention, was also on Allen’s program and talked about multiple subjects including NIL that allows college athletes to be compensated for various roles including endorsing products and personal appearances. “I am a big fan of NIL,” Perich said. “I don’t have a lot to say on it, but, yeah, anything that can help me, and I’ll use anything I can…to help other people. That’s a big thing and awesome what they’re doing with it.”
NIL played a role in the 19-year-old Perich wanting to become a Gopher. He and those around him know that with his performance on the field, likeable personality and Esko, Minnesota roots, the opportunities with NIL can keep growing.
With his generational talent, Perich could enrich himself more at some other schools, but he expressed his confidence in head coach P.J. Fleck and the Gopher program yesterday. “I feel like in the next couple of years we’re just going to keep improving and improving, and it’s going to be really fun,” he said.
Before Perich left the KFAN studios Fleck joined Allen as he normally does on Monday mornings. The host teased that it was “student show” day and someone with the initials “K.P.” had a question for the coach.
The student asked: “Why don’t you blitz your safeties more?”
Not sure if the ultra-competitive Perich, who is confident he can do a lot of things on the football field, was serious or teasing, but Fleck kind of poked back with this answer:
“If you don’t like catching interceptions, I can blitz you a little bit more. You’re not going to be on KFAN as much (without those interceptions).”
At that point, Perich was like, Row the Boat. Whatever for the team.
Perich has been impressive returning punts for the Gophers but it’s been his interceptions from the safety position that have led to honors. He leads the Big Ten with five interceptions including two that closed out wins over USC and UCLA. He has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Big Ten Freshman of the Week, Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week and the Shaun Alexander National Freshman of the Week.

Before Perich’s career is over at Minnesota, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him have a role on offense, perhaps as a receiver with limited snaps. “I can play a lot of positions,” Perich said on KFAN. “That’s what I’ve done my whole life. I feel any time, any position they put me there I can play it. It will just take me a little time and I can master it.”
Fleck admires the focus and commitment of how Perich lives his life. …”You’re talking about a kid, whatever he does, he is fully committed. He’s no nonsense. He just wants to compete and be fully committed and help make teams better. …
“He’s only been on campus for about five months, so he’s got a long career ahead of him. And a lot of work to do and he’ll just keep doing it better.”
Baratz’s company, IFA, represents other Gophers, too, including sophomore running back Darius Taylor. He burst on the scene last year as one of the nation’s premier runners. His emergence also prompted Fleck to say about 12 months ago the Gophers could lose players to other schools without NIL support from the public and the program would deteriorate.
Asked about where NIL is now, Fleck said this at his news conference yesterday: “It’s always a work in progress. It always will be. Always has been.
“We’ve had some very generous donors step up big time for us, and continue to do and work with Dinkytown Athletes and the collective. It’s really special to see what these people are doing for our student-athletes. I think everybody sees the importance of it. …That goes a long, long way in building football programs in 2024 and beyond.
“I’m really excited about where we are and the progress we continue to make every single day. The job of the head football coach is even more important now in fundraising. Not just for facilities and stuff, but for your student-athletes and getting out there and making sure people are really, really aware of what’s going on in college football. …So, I think people are really becoming more aware of it, especially our fans, our donors, our boosters, our supporters. And I can’t thank them enough. …”
NIL isn’t going away, even as revenue sharing with college athletes waits in the wings. It’s believed the Gophers football team has at least two players earning six-figures in NIL income. That number will increase and will be made possible by more individuals and businesses in the state supporting NIL for football and the other 21 sports at the University of Minnesota.
Dinkytown Athletes, the official NIL collective of Gopher athletics, recently announced a “million-dollar match campaign.” Mark Pearson’s Twin Cities-based financial services company, Nepsis, is matching dollar for dollar donations, new memberships or upgraded memberships to DA through November 10. The proceeds will go to Gopher football and volleyball.
Worth Noting
The Gophers have answered critics of their game management this fall. In the UCLA game Minnesota was trailing 17-14 with 2:20 remaining. The Gophers went on a scoring drive that ended with 27 seconds left in the game for a 21-17 win.
Against Maryland the Gophers got the ball on their 35-yard line with 28 seconds remaining in the first half. In six plays they moved down the field to kick a field goal with two seconds left in the second quarter boosting Minnesota’s lead to 34-13.
Gopher quarterback Max Brosmer was named the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Week yesterday for his performance against Maryland, a 48-23 win. Brosmer completed 26-of-33 passes (78.8 percent) for season-highs of 320 yards and four touchdowns.
The Gophers are surprisingly about 3-point favorites to win at Illinois Saturday. That would not only make Minnesota 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten games, but also end a 0-10 record against head coach Bret Bielema (3-0 as with the Illini,, before that 7-0 at Wisconsin). The Illini are No. 24 in the AP national rankings, and are 6-2 overall and 3-2 in Big Ten games.
Fleck wasn’t biting yesterday when asked what a win over Bielema and a bowl eligibility sixth win would mean for his team.
“This is going to bore you—1-0 (winning the game). It’s all we’re worried about. I have a lot of respect for coach Bielema and what he does. He always has a hard, smashed mouth, tough football team. No matter where he was, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Illinois. It’s his DNA. We gotta play our best football, playing a ranked opponent on the road. We gotta DIB, man. Do it better.”