Minnesota’s top 10 uncommitted football recruits on radars for Gophers, others

The top uncommitted football prospects in Minnesota are drawing interest from P.J. Fleck’s Gophers and other college programs across the Big Ten and country.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 25, 2024 at 5:52PM
Roman Voss, who does a little bit of everything as a junior at Jackson County Central, poses for a photo with fellow recruits before the Gophers-Iowa game at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The high school football talent is deep enough in Minnesota right now to help Gophers coach P.J. Fleck fill his recruiting classes and other college programs to do the same.

Big Ten rivals such as Wisconsin and Iowa have built pipelines here. Coaches from the SEC, ACC and Big 12 are also showing up to schools across the state to try to find the next hidden gem.

Don’t worry, Gophers fans. Fleck already has beaten other schools by securing commitments from potential stars such as Cooper senior linebacker Emmanuel Karmo, the state’s No. 1 player in the Class of 2025.

Fleck also picked up commitments from Heritage Christian Academy’s Abu Tarawallie and other seniors. Top juniors Andrew Trout from Rocori and Howie Johnson from Forest Lake made commitments to stay home as well.

But what makes college football coaches still flock to Minnesota? Top uncommitted prospects are making a name for themselves this season. Here’s a top-10 list of players being recruited in different prep classes:

Roman Voss

Jackson County Central • athlete

The 6-4, 215-pound junior is a dynamic dual-threat quarterback for the Huskies, averaging 17 yards per carry with 24 career rushing scores, including a 67-yard run this season. He projects as an athlete to play another position in college. He’s also caught passes, returned punts and made tackles this season. Voss, ranked the state’s No. 1 player in the 2026 class by 247Sports.com, has scholarship offers from the Gophers, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State and Wisconsin.

Coach quote: “Crazy thing about him is he’s started for me at quarterback since the eighth grade, so that’s a special kind of guy,” JCC coach Tom Schuller said. “He also plays safety for us. He would play linebacker or standup edge rusher in college if he played defense.”

Chanhassen offensive lineman Owen Linder (75) fumbles a pass.
Chanhassen offensive lineman Owen Linder (75), a 6-5, 265-pound junior, is arguably the best uncommitted offensive linemen in Minnesota. (Nicole Neri, Special to the Star Tribune/For the Minnesota Star Tribune)

Owen Linder

Chanhassen • offensive tackle

The 6-5, 265-pound junior is arguably the best uncommitted offensive linemen in Minnesota. He’s listed just behind Gophers commit and Rocori tackle Andrew Trout in most recruiting rankings for the state’s 2026 class. Linder has offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Purdue and Arkansas. The Gophers, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, USC and Tennessee are among the schools showing interest.

COACH QUOTE: “He’s very athletic and great feet for his size,” Chanhassen coach Cullen Nelson said. “Great competitor and finishes play physically. His leadership has grown tremendously. [He’s] working hard to develop his strength and technique.”

Stillwater quarterback Nick Kinsey, a 6-2, 210-pound junior, jumped onto the varsity scene in a big way last season after transferring from Benilde-St. Margaret’s. “Nick is as strong a student of the game as I have been around,” Ponies coach Beau LaBore said. “He has a strong football IQ, loves learning more, critiquing his play and finding ways to improve." (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Nick Kinsey

Stillwater • quarterback

The 6-2, 210-pound junior jumped onto the varsity scene in a big way last season after transferring from Benilde-St. Margaret’s, where he threw for nearly 2,300 yards and 26 TDs. Kinsey’s passing numbers are down this year because of the emergence of sophomore Emilio Rosario-Matias, one of the state’s leading rushers. Kinsey still has a top receiving target with junior Owen Egge, who has an offer from Marshall. Kinsey holds offers from Ole Miss, Miami (Fla.), Georgia Tech, UNLV and UConn, among others from the FBS.

COACH QUOTE: “Nick is as strong a student of the game as I have been around,” Stillwater coach Beau LaBore said. “He has a strong football IQ, loves learning more, critiquing his play and finding ways to improve. He has good size, led us effectively primarily in the shotgun last year and now under center and in the shotgun this year. Nick continues to get bigger, stronger and faster. And of course, he’s got all the throws.”

Through four games, Edina junior quarterback Mason West has thrown for 978 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Mason West

Edina • quarterback

The 6-5 junior has picked up where he left off after leading the Hornets to a Class 6A state runner-up finish last year. Through four games, West has thrown for 978 yards with 15 touchdowns and only one interception. In Edina’s 48-21 blowout over Wayzata, he went 22-for-23 with 301 yards and five TDs. His go-to wide receiver, Meyer Swinney, is going to California. West’s offers are from Miami (Ohio), Kent State and Marshall. Big Tens teams are also showing interest.

COACH QUOTE: “He is an extremely smart player and very coachable,” Edina coach Jason Potts said. “These attributes allow our team to run complicated schemes and have a lot of fun. He is also the ultimate competitor; this drives him to put in the extra work outside of practice and demonstrate strong leadership skills with his teammates.”

Dalton DeBoer

Holy Angels • offensive line

The 6-7, 320-pound junior helps block for a Holy Angels offense averaging 275 yards rushing per game with 15 touchdowns scored on the ground through four games. DeBoer has offers from Kent State and SMU. Programs with interest are from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC and Big 12.

COACH QUOTE: “Dalton is a fierce competitor, hardworking and very good leader,” Holy Angels coach Jim Gunderson said. “He is improving each week and is really stepping up his game. He has good heavy hands and great feet, along with his size makes him a great prospect.”

Moorhead, the No. 3-ranked team in Class 5A, is averaging 50.8 points per game. Jett Feeney is the quarterback the orchestrates that high-powered offense. (Provided)

Jett Feeney

Moorhead • quarterback

The 6-1 sophomore leads the state in passing through the first four games with 1,146 yards with 21 touchdowns and one interception. He threw for 373 yards and six TDs in a recent 50-15 win over Brainerd to earn Star Tribune Athlete of the Week honors. He has received interest from Power Four programs and others from the FBS and FCS levels. His sophomore teammate, Taye Reich, has a Kansas State offer as a defensive back.

COACH QUOTE: “As a freshman, he played on the varsity basketball and baseball teams,” said his father and coach, Kevin Feeney. “Great arm strength and ability to move outside the pocket. Student of the game who understands coverages and has great anticipation and an ability to throw to open [receivers].”

Ethan Beckman

Prior Lake • offensive line

The 6-5, 340-pound junior started every game last season for Prior Lake. He’s picked up offers from Kansas State and Iowa State after visiting them this fall. One of the state’s fastest rising offensive lineman prospects, Beckman has some interest from the Gophers and Wisconsin as well.

Randy Kweyete

Park Center • defensive back

The 6-3, 180-pound senior proved to be one of the state’s top cornerbacks last season when he had 27 tackles and an interception return for a touchdown. He has attracted interest from Iowa State, Kansas State and North Dakota State, among others.

Eden Prairie senior running back Elijah Rumph led last year's Class 6A semifinalists in rushing with nearly 800 yards. He’s being recruited to possibly play defense in college. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Elijah Rumph

Eden Prairie • running back/athlete

The 6-1, 200-pound senior led the Class 6A semifinalists in rushing with nearly 800 yards last season, but he’s being recruited to possibly play defense in college. Rumph has FBS offers from Charlotte, Georgia Southern, South Florida and Western Kentucky.

Sam Ruid

St. Francis • offensive line

The 6-6, 300-pound senior can play both tackle and guard and received looks from several FBS and FCS schools. A member of the Star Tribune preseason dream team, Ruid holds a Division II offer from Minnesota State Mankato.

about the writer

Marcus Fuller

Reporter

Marcus Fuller covers Gophers men's basketball and college basketball for the Star Tribune. He has 13 years of experience covering Twin Cities college and professional sports. 

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