The top recruit in the Gophers’ 2024 recruiting class was on the field for the first play of the new season Thursday against North Carolina.

True freshman Koi Perich, a four-star prospect from Esko, Minn., served as a front-line blocker on the U’s kickoff return team at Huntington Bank Stadium. Throughout the 19-17 loss to North Carolina, he continued to play special teams, including on punt units.

“We just want to make sure Koi is ready to play when Koi has to play,” Gophers head coach P.J. Fleck told the Pioneer Press on Monday. “He’s a really good football player. He’s still developing and has a lot to learn, but we want him to be able to learn on the fly.”

Fleck said the program has not yet made any decisions on whether Perich will redshirt this season. In only one season, players can take the field in four regular-season games (plus a fifth appearance in a bowl game) and not use that year of eligibility.

Perich, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, is primarily a safety, and the Gophers relied on Aidan Gousby, Coleman Bryson and Kerry Brown at that position against the Tar Heels. Veteran safety Darius Green, who is coming back from an off-season ailment, was sidelined in Week 1.

“You just don’t know how it’s going to play out,” Fleck said. “And if you do get to him, where he becomes ready to play, and you have to play him, then he’s ready to play. That’s what we’re working on right now.”

The Gophers hope a little taste against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent in Week 1 can go a long way towards Perich’s overall development.

Offensive line issues

The Gophers’ O-line allowed five sacks and the right side received the lowest pass-blocking grades from Pro Football Focus. Guard Quinn Carroll was pegged at 56.6 and tackle Martes Lewis was at 51.5.

“I think there was just inconsistency across the whole line,” Fleck said. “I don’t think it was just one guy, but I think the whole line, especially on that right side, is something we’ll always look at.”

Fleck said fifth-year Lewis, who has moved from guard last season, and sixth-year Carroll, who moved inside from tackle, as well as redshirt freshman Phillip Daniels and redshirt sophomore Ashton Beers have all made improvements since last season. Lewis initially won the starting job over Daniels in fall camp.

“It’s made it harder,” Fleck said about the overall level of competition improving. “It’s not like, ‘Oh, we didn’t get any better.’ Everybody’s gotten better. So now it’s, ‘How do we, moving forward, put the best five out there? And then how do we create the best five throughout the game?’ If that means we have to rotate people, then we rotate people. We’ll make those decisions as we keep going.”

Four debuts

Besides Perich, three other Gophers made their on-field debuts Thursday, including Daniels, Samuel Madu and Alan Soukup. All four played on special teams, with true freshman Soukup serving as the new long snapper. True freshman Madu also plays cornerback.

Related Articles

Gophers football: Perspective on Big Ten opponents is key after season openers

How long might injured Gophers running back Darius Taylor be out?

John Shipley: Deion Sanders’ Buffaloes a prime-time appointment for hate-watchers

Gophers football: P.J. Fleck’s conservative approach costs the U in two-point loss to North Carolina

Gophers’ errors and mishaps lead to 19-17 loss to North Carolina