In a move that was expected, Koi Perich has opted to honor his Minnesota commitment.
The four-star safety signed with the Gophers on Wednesday instead of the Buckeyes, despite a heavy pursuit by OSU late in the cycle.
The number one player in the state of Minnesota@koiperich3 is staying home#RTB #SkiUMah #Gophers pic.twitter.com/D3Cul8TRjG
— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) December 20, 2023
OSU offered Perich on Nov. 6, with Perry Eliano quickly building a strong rapport with the 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety late in the recruiting process. Perich took an official visit to Columbus on Dec. 8 and was impressed by Eliano and OSU's pitch to him. He originally had an official visit to Florida State lined up for Dec. 15, but canceled the visit.
He had in-home visits a week later with both OSU and Minnesota, and after convincing pitches by both parties, opted to stay committed to his hometown team.
Perich is considered the 115th-ranked prospect and the 10th-best safety in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the current cycle.
With Perich staying in his home state, Jaylen McClain and Leroy Roker are Ohio State's only safety signees for the 2024 class.
