On Wednesday, Jackson County Central junior Roman Voss, considered the No. 1 football recruit in Minnesota in the Class of 2026, announced he narrowed his list of finalists to two — Alabama and Minnesota.
The 6-4, 220-pound junior is categorized as an athlete by most recruiting websites because a large part of his value stems from his position flexibility. He has been projected as a quarterback, wide receiver and safety.
Jackson County Central won the Class 2A championship in November after beating Staples-Motley 42-26, but Voss, the Huskies’ quarterback for most of the season, suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the team’s state quarterfinal victory over Norwood Young America.
In the 2023 Class 2A state semifinals, Voss suffered a concussion when he hit his head on the turf following a tackle. He remained on the ground for nearly 20 minutes until being taken off on a stretcher.
While Gophers coach P.J. Fleck has prioritized the recruitment of Voss, Voss also has a strong connection to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, a South Dakota native and a former head coach at the University of Sioux Falls.
Before narrowing his choices, Voss had offer from 12 other Power 4 schools, including Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, USC and UCLA.