Why Roman Voss chose the Gophers, even after Alabama rolled out the red carpet

Roman Voss took an official recruiting visit to Alabama over the June 13-15 weekend and got an up-close look at the bluest of college football’s blue-blood programs.

The Jackson County Central athlete toured Bryant-Denny Stadium, where more than 100,000 Crimson Tide zealots gather on autumn Saturdays. He saw tributes to the 18 national championships, 84 consensus All-Americans and four Heisman Trophy winners that highlight Alabama’s history.

And Voss posed for photos wearing a crimson No. 4 jersey, envisioning what it might feel like to play for the Tide.

At 5 p.m. Monday, it was time for Voss, the top-ranked 2026 recruit in the state of Minnesota, to make his collegiate choice between two finalists: Alabama and the Gophers.

He chose the Gophers, staying in his home state and committing to a group of coaches — head coach P.J. Fleck, offensive coordinator Greg Harbaugh Jr. and tight ends coach Eric Koehler — who earned his trust.

“I just thought the people make the place,” Voss said Tuesday in a phone interview with the Minnesota Star Tribune. “The place doesn’t make the people.”

That’s not a criticism of coach Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide staff — “Their people were great,” Voss said. “They were awesome”– but rather a tribute to the relationship that Fleck and Co. built since becoming the first program to show interest in Voss in April 2024.

That impact will be at tight end. Voss is the 12th-ranked athlete nationally in the 247Sports composite ratings of major recruiting services, and he showed his versatility by playing quarterback, safety and linebacker in high school. Gophers coaches envision the 6-2, 225-pounder adding weight and becoming a big target.

“I can’t wait to do it. I haven’t done a lot of blocking in my life,” Voss said with a chuckle, “but I’m super willing to learn.”

While calling the decision to pick the Gophers over Alabama “very hard,” Voss also spoke of the virtues of playing in his home state. His parents’ Lakefield home is roughly a three-hour drive to Minneapolis. In addition, his sister, Sadie, will be a senior on the University of Sioux Falls volleyball team this fall.

“Just being able to have my family come to games a lot easier is also a big plus,” Voss said.

Voss is the third consecutive top-ranked Minnesota prep recruit to commit to the Gophers, joining Cooper linebacker Emmanuel Karmo (2025 class) and Esko safety Koi Perich (2024). Fleck and his staff also have received commitments from the top three in-state recruits in the 2026 class in Voss, Forest Lake defensive tackle Howie Johnson and Rocori offensive tackle Andrew Trout.