PJ Fleck, Minnesota Gophers Land No. 1 In-State Recruit (Again)
There's no arguing that high school recruiting has taken a backseat to the portal in modern day college football. But that doesn't mean recruiting top high schoolers isn't crucial to building a sustainable program.
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Satellite camps are still held on campuses throughout the country throughout the offseason and coaches still travel from coast-to-coast throughout the year, meeting with high schoolers they are interested in. At the end of the day — transfer portal or not — you can't make a good college athlete without playing high school first.
Minnesota Gophers land No. 1 in-state recruit, Roman Voss
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
But on Monday, they got their biggest commitment of the class, in Top 150 4-star recruit out of Jackson, MN, Roman Voss (ATH), who verbally committed to the Minnesota Gophers at 5 PM CDT, as scheduled.
The 6-4, 225 lb high school junior told Ryan Burns (247Sports) that he committed is staying home because of PJ Fleck and his coaching staff and the work they have put in to build a relationship with him going back to middle school.
'They were my first ever offer, and they've been recruiting me the longest,' Voss explained as to why he ultimately chose Minnesota over Alabama. 'And I just have a very, very good connection with tight ends coach Eric Koehler. I mean, that's my guy. I love him. He loves me. And I think we have a really, really good connection. I think we're going to do special things at Minnesota.'
Roman Voss (via 247Sports)
The ability to hit the transfer portal and be granted immediate eligibility with your new school has changed the game. Toss in the ability to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the school's financial wherewithal and player's talent level, college football is now a second-tier professional football league.
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And for now, it's a league made up of one-year handshake contracts that may or may not be legally binding. Not only has the new landscape affected teams through the transfer portal, but it has made keeping top commits even more difficult.
What are the Gophers getting in Roman Voss
When Burns asked Voss whether or not he will hold his commitment through the end of the year, when National Letters of Intent are signed, the hometown kid made it clear that he has zero intentions on changing his mind, saying, 'I'm now 100% committed'.
Voss — who played QB in high school — also confirmed in interviews with top recruiting sites that he is committed to the Minnesota Gophers as a tight end. He told Burns that the Gophers have a nice offensive package they've presented to him that includes plenty of time lined up out wide, and even some time as a wildcat QB.
Not only did he choose Minnesota over Alabama, but he also held offers from Auburn, Cal, Iowa, Iowa State, Illinois, Miami, Wisconsin, USC and Oklahoma (among others). For yet another recruiting class, PJ Fleck what many thought not that long ago was impossible.
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As long as his commitment holds, Voss will join the last two top in-state high school recruits in Dinkytown. Koi Perich committed/signed in 2024 and 2023 top in-state recruit Jaxon Howard transferred back home following one homesick year at LSU.
At this point in history, collegiate sports are run by the transfer portal and NIL money. Rarely can incoming freshman make an immediate impact at the college level. But Perich proved last year that staying home can help make that immediate impact dream come true too.
Local or not, Fleck is reeling in the talent
But whether these kids make the trip then, or another time during the summer, the point is to show off the Land of 10,000 Lakes when it can be appreciated most. After the Voss commit, the Minnesota Gophers' 2026 class now ranks 14th in the country.
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New commits like Ryan Estrada (RB) and Trason Richardson (S) are from Texas. Josiah Anyansi (DL) is out of Cali. Others hail from Missouri and Ohio, which I promise have much different winters than Minnesota. These are recruits who committed this month, alone.
2026 Commit
Pos
Hometown
Rating (247)
Howie Johnson
DL
Forest Lake, MN
4-Star (90 OVR)
Ryan Estrada
RB
El Paso, TX
3-Star (88 OVR)
Gabe Weaver
TE
St. Louis, MO
3-Star (88 OVR)
Jordan Lampkins
S
Bolingbrook, IL
3-Star (87 OVR)
Lucas Tielsch
OT
Akron, OH
3-Star (86 OVR)
Trason Richardson
S
Rosharon, TX
3-Star (85 OVR)
Josiah Anyansi
DL
Murrieta, CA
3-Star (85 OVR)
Jeremiah Benson
DL
West Bloomfield, MI
3-Star (84 OVR)
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