WHO COMES DOWN WITH IT? ANOTHER TWO WAY THREAT EMERGES
Gunnar Galloway - September 16, 2025
It's 4th and 7. Travis Hunter, the receiver, sees Travis Hunter, the corner, from the opposite side of the field, and the ball gets thrown his way. Who comes down with the ball?” A question posed to NFL rookie Travis Hunter about his both sides of the ball game plan that won him the Heisman trophy in college and will continue into his rookie season comes up again in my head when I look at Minnesota Gophers own Koi Perich looking to replicate this magic going into his Sophomore year.
Establishing himself in his freshman year as a powerful Safety, Perich eventually established himself in the return game too for the Gophers, recording 46 total tackles, 5 interceptions (totaling 63 return yards), and a forced fumble. In the return game, he returned 20 punts for 188 yards and 16 kickoffs for 314.
He finished fourth on the team’s all-purpose yards list with a total of 565 yards between both defense and returns, only being beaten by two starting receivers and a running back. This season was nothing short but incredible.
Going into this 2025 season, reports came out saying Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck is going to involve him in some offensive schemes, too, as a receiver as well as safety. Immediately, the internet made a connection to last year's Travis Hunter. The Colorado Buffalo, Deion Sanders coached, Heisman winner, second overall pick, that Travis Hunter. I can only imagine the pressure put on doing something not many players get to do, right after one just became the face of it.
Perich now finds himself under a microscope by fans and media alike, beginning this season. Fans are watching, scouts are watching, and the media is watching. Every snap Perich takes on offense or defense will be torn apart, compared to a Heisman winner. That kind of attention can really do something to somebody.
But the potential is there, week 1 vs Buffalo, coaches had Perich playing 7 snaps offensively, lining up outside as a WR for 5, slot WR for 1, and one in a RB/Wildcat back, eventually having one reception for 12 yards. In week 2, he played 4 snaps offensively all as WR with 1 reception for 24 yards. It’s not a lot, but it looks promising.
In the end, one question comes to mind. It's 4th and 7. Koi Perich, the receiver, sees Koi Perich, the safety, from the opposite side of the field, and the ball gets thrown his way. Who comes down with it?
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The air feels different this week. Not just colder, not just louder, but heavier like the past 121 Egg Bowls are pressing down on this one moment. One team is fighting for a path to the College Football Playoff, the other is fighting for its season to survive. Pride, legacy, and the Golden Egg hang in the balance, waiting to crown a hero and expose a victim. In Oxford this weekend, history isn’t just remembered, it's rewritten.