Chaska's Dovich stays home to develop with Gophers

Chaska football coach Bryan Dahl described offensive lineman Bronson Dovich as about 6-5 and 295 pounds.

"Already a monster … so we're excited to see him grow and progress," Dahl said.

Dovich will progress into the University of Minnesota football program. He was one of six Chaska athletes to sign national letters of intent Wednesday afternoon at their high school.

Size isn't the only thing making Dovich valuable. Dahl said the senior captain is also a great leader, a calm influence and a quiet, steady rock who helped teammates.

"You knew he was going to give great effort on every single play," Dahl said.

Dovich was the first 2015 Gophers commitment last June. The offer was one he couldn't turn down and "a dream come true," he said.

"When they gave me the offer, I committed a week later," Dovich said. "It was really a no-brainer."

"All I can do is get down there and just start working as hard as I can," Dovich said.

He's ranked as the third-best recruit from Minnesota behind Jashon Cornell (Ohio State) and Drayton Carlberg (Oregon). He was named to the Star Tribune's All-Metro first-team offense this past season.

He joins Red Wing offensive tackle Nick Connelly as the only Minnesotans to sign with the Gophers this year.

Also signing to attend Minnesota was Chaska senior Joey Duerr, who will compete on the cross-country and track teams. Duerr had other offers but said one thing set the Gophers apart for him.

"The team, for sure," Duerr said, adding that he has competed with some Gophers runners since he was a ninth-grader. "I'm just more comfortable around these guys."