The other shoe might not drop after all on the third of three high school football players with uncertain commitments to the Gophers.

Esko, Minn., safety Koi Perich has been quiet about his future destination — Minnesota or Ohio State? — after taking a visit to Columbus in early December.

Perich, the highest-regarded player from Minnesota in the 2024 class, can sign a national letter of intent with one program as soon as Wednesday.

For the Gophers, there was one encouraging sign Monday, with 247sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong posting on X: “Sounds like Top247 safety Koi Perich will stick with his commitment to #Gophers after talking to a source.”

Meanwhile, Allen Trieu, a Midwest analyst for 247sports, told the Pioneer Press on Monday that Perich’s future is “very much up in the air. … Everybody is waiting on Koi. He has the upper hand right now. I don’t think it’s as done of a deal that he’s not going to be in the class as some pessimistic Gopher fans think.”

The Gophers had two players exit the 2024 recruiting class last week, when Prior Lake defensive lineman Jide Abasiri flipped to USC and Gaylord, Mich., linebacker Brady Pretzlaff backed out of the class after a visit to Michigan State.

Gophers safeties coach Danny Collins might have opened up a bit of his recruiting pitch to the four-star safety with a Friday post on X, saying “Heroes Get Remembered. But LEGENDS Never Die.”

Wish, not real

A rumor circulated last week that Gophers quarterback Cole Kramer was receiving $30,000 in name, image and likeness (NIL) money to return for the Gophers’ appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl on Dec. 26.

“That’s not true,” Kramer said Monday. “It’s not accurate information as much as I would love for that to be true.”

Kramer will start against Bowling Green after 2023 starter Athan Kaliakmanis and third-stringer Drew Viotto entered the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month.

Missing Rossi

Gophers linebacker Cody Lindenberg said he will miss defensive coordinator Joe Rossi, who left for the same job at Michigan State last week.

“Coach Rossi meant a lot to me and always will,” Lindenberg said. “… The way he cared about guys, the way that he taught.”

Lindenberg was coached by Rossi for his entire four seasons at Minnesota. He will remember the detailed recall Rossi showed, which earned him the “guru” nickname.

“We’d be going through plays and stuff and he’d have an example in his head from 2013 against whatever team, this half, going this way on the field, this play number in the game,” Lindeberg said. “And it would be spot on.”

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