Star freshman Koi Perich had his Big Ten-leading fifth interception of the season during Gophers’ win over Maryland on Saturday, but perhaps the most intriguing part of his afternoon is that he played a snap on the other side of the ball.

Perich lined up in the backfield when Minnesota was on offense late in the first quarter, as Ryan Burns of 247 Sports noted.

It will be interesting to see if this was just a one-off or if Perich starts to get involved in a handful of plays offensively in the final four games of the regular season for the Gophers.

As a high school star in Esko, MN, Perich played tailback and wide receiver in addition to safety, linebacker and kick returner. He scored 27 total touchdowns as a senior, 18 of which came on offense.

At just 18 years old, Perich might be the best athlete on the Gophers roster. His combination of agility and quickness at 6’1″, 200 pounds is one of the things that made him such a good safety in his first season of college football. It could also make him dangerous if he gets some offensive reps., maybe in packages where he has a high chance of having the ball in his hands.

The most outstanding two-way player in the country is Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter.

It’s already Perich’s fifth INT of Saturday tied for fourth most in a single season in Minnesota history. He is tied for second in the nation in that stat despite not playing a major role on defense until Week 6 against USC. Four of his interceptions have come in the Gophers’ last three games, including game-clinching picks against USC and UCLA.

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