Two Gopher stars, Koi Perich and Darius Taylor, have earned spots on the newly released list of the top 100 returning college football players for the 2025 season. This ranking, from the team at College Football Network, is based on their subjective evaluation.
Darius Taylor: No. 66
“When healthy, Darius Taylor is one of the top running backs in college football. He missed half of what should have been a 1,000+ yard freshman campaign and followed up last year with five 100+ yard outings and was just 14 yards shy of the elusive 1,000 yards. He’s a big-play threat who eats up ground without being the fastest back in the country while being able to lower the shoulder and break tackles to grind out extra yardage after contact. Last year, he demonstrated his receiving ability, too.”
Taylor is ranked as the tenth-best running back on the list. After amassing 2,227 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns in his first 17 games for the Gophers, he’s set up for a potential breakout junior season. Despite missing seven games due to injury in his freshman year and sitting out last year’s season opener against North Carolina, Taylor has proven his explosive ability. When healthy, he’s topped 150 yards in eight games, with five of those exceeding 189 yards. Whether as a runner or a receiver, Taylor is a constant big-play threat.
With good health, a bit more consistency, and solid quarterback play from either Drake Lindsey or Zach Pyron, it’s easy to imagine Taylor surpassing 1,500 yards from scrimmage next season. He’ll be the undisputed lead back in a running back room that also features transfers A.J. Turner (Marshall) and Cameron Davis (Washington).
Koi Perich: No. 20
“Koi Perich was one of the best defensive playmakers in the Big Ten last fall, and he was just a true freshman. His five interceptions led the conference, and he picked off more passes than he allowed touchdowns. He also forced a fumble and had three tackles for loss while making contributions on special teams. He’s set to play more offensive snaps in 2025, making him a potential Travis Hunter MK. II.”
Perich ranks just behind Ohio State’s Caleb Downs and Purdue-to-Oregon transfer Dillon Thieneman among safeties on the list. The standout freshman from Elko, MN, made a remarkable impact in his debut season, recording five interceptions despite not having a full-time defensive role for the first month. Heading into year two, he’s poised to build on that success as the Gophers’ top defensive star under newly-promoted coordinator Danny Collins.
One of the most exciting storylines for Minnesota’s 2025 season will be Perich’s potential role in offensive packages. A remarkable athlete, it makes perfect sense for head coach P.J. Fleck to explore utilizing him on that side of the ball, alongside his responsibilities on defense and in the return game.
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