Replacing a projected first-round pick is one of the toughest jobs in college football. For Oregon’s new safety, Koi Perich, it’s not just a challenge. It’s a promise he’s already making to the Ducks faithful as the program looks at him to fill the void left by Dillon Thieneman.

“Oregon has been in the College Football Playoff every year, so they are obviously a winning program,” Perich said in his first media appearance in Oregon. “Dillon, he’s going to be a first-round pick, and I’m just hoping to do what he did and just do it in my own version.”

Perich joined the Ducks from Minnesota in the transfer portal after a brilliant season with the aim of getting out of his “comfort zone.” He found the perfect fit in Oregon, which is not that far from his home. However, matching Thieneman’s production is a monumental task. 

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Interestingly, Perich’s transfer to the Ducks has many similarities to Thieneman’s, who also came from another Big Ten team ahead of his third season. And both players also left less-performing teams in search of a bigger challenge in Oregon, with Thieneman leaving Purdue after a 1-11 season. 

With the Gophers in 2025, Perich had 82 total tackles, including eight tackles for loss, one interception, one sack, and one forced fumble. He also contributed to return yards, including 499 on kick returns, on special teams, and added seven receptions for 89 yards offensively.

In his freshman year, Perich appeared in 13 games with three starts, recording 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble, earning several All-American honors in the process. This was after he joined the Gophers as a four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, where he was the No. 1 player from Minnesota, the No. 4 safety in the nation, and a top-60 player nationally. 

Similarly, Thieneman’s path to becoming a top prospect was built on consistent production; after setting Purdue freshman records with six interceptions and 74 solo tackles in 2023, he finished his two years there with 210 total tackles before a dominant 2025 season at Oregon, where he added 96 tackles and two more interceptions.

Dan Lanning on Koi Perich

While Perich has the talent, the question of whether he can translate that success to Oregon is perhaps best answered by his new coach

“He was football-serious,” Dan Lanning said about the Minnesota transfer. “Let’s start there; the guy is infatuated with the ball. That stuck out even when he came on his visit here. He wasn’t really interested in seeing where he’s gonna live or what that looks like. He was ready to watch some film. So, I think that carries over and [is] very similar to the standpoint of how Dillon operated and what he wanted to create while he was here.”

Despite the similar story they share, Perich does not want to be another Thieneman in Oregon. Instead, he thinks he is his “own player.” “But I’m just doing what I do good and try to promote my strengths,” he said. 

Perich wants to build a legacy so great that Oregon fans will remember his name just as they do Thieneman’s.