The Transfer Portal officially opened its doors to thousands of players on Friday as the 14 day window of chaos officially began. As programs look to built a team capable of winning a National Championship, there will be battles over elite playmakers who could end up deciding the Playoff race in 2026. At the safety position, none are bigger than Minnesota star Koi Perich coming off his Sophomore season.
As a true freshman, Koi Perich was one of the best safeties in the country playing for the hometown Minnesota Golden Gophers. This season, Perich tried to play wide receiver and safety for the team, and it led to him taking a step back with his play. As Perich looks for a new landing spot, he'd benefit greatly from landing on a team with more talent around him and potentially focusing on safety.
Koi Perich currently ranks as the #1 Safety in the Saturday Blitz Transfer Portal Rankings.
Two College Football Playoff teams should be all-in on Koi Perich
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes are in the College Football Playoff semifinals because of how they attacked the Transfer Portal last offseason. Miami built an impressive secondary using the Transfer Portal, but most of the key pieces were 1-year rentals. Koi Perich can step in and replace Jakobe Thomas forming an exciting safety duo with Zechariah Poyser.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to need to retool the roster ahead of the 2026 season, as they'll have elite high-end talent capable of winning a National Championship. The Buckeyes will lose key pieces on defense, but none are bigger than the loss of Caleb Downs, who's going to be a Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft. Perich has played at a high level in the Big Ten, and if he can return to his freshman form while focusing just on safety, it would be a stellar addition.