As the preseason rolls on for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, including fall camp entering its second full week, a trio of Golden Gophers have been named to preseason watch lists on Monday and Tuesday. On Monday, Koi Perich was named to the 2025 Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list. The award is annually […]
As the preseason rolls on for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, including fall camp entering its second full week, a trio of Golden Gophers have been named to preseason watch lists on Monday and Tuesday.
On Monday, Koi Perich was named to the 2025 Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list. The award is annually given to the nation’s top athlete in the eyes of the Maxwell Football Foundation. The Golden Gophers have never won the award previously.
The latest honor is a continuation of what has been a huge summer for Perich, who was also named to the Bronko Nagurski Watch List, Jim Thorpe Watch List, and Paul Hornung Watch List. The Nagurski Award is annually given out to the top defensive player in the country, the Jim Thorpe Award to the top defensive back, and the Paul Hornung Award to the most versatile player in the country. He also earned preseason All-American honors this summer.
During his true freshman season, Perich was an instant impact player on the Gophers’ defense, recording 46 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and five interceptions. He earned All-Big Ten First Team honors for his play. He was also a standout on special teams, earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors as a return specialist.
Also earning watch list honors this week was the running back duo of Darius Taylor and AJ Turner. Both players were named to the Doak Walker Award watch list. The Doak Walker Award is presented annually to the nation’s top running back. No Golden Gophers running back has ever won the award.
Taylor is entering his third season with the Golden Gophers and is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he totaled 1,336 yards and 12 touchdowns from scrimmage. Despite sub-par offensive line play when it came to run blocking, Taylor was still able to manage 4.8 yards per carry and over 80 rushing yards per game, totaling 986 rushing yards on 205 carries. He also set a program record for receptions by a running back with 54, totaling 350 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Turner, a transfer this offseason from Marshall, is coming off a 2024 season in which he led the country in yards per attempt at 8.3. In 11 games and across 104 carries, Turner totaled 864 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He also contributed to the passing game for the Thundering Herd with eight receptions for 68 yards.
Which Golden Gophers have been named to preseason watch lists?
Maxwell Award: Darius Taylor
Jim Thorpe Award: Koi Perich
Bronco Nagurski Trophy: Koi Perich
Walter Camp Award: Koi Perich
Doak Walker Award: Darius Taylor, AJ Turner
Lott IMPACT Trophy: Anthony Smith, Koi Perich
Category: General Sports
