Bronson Dovich was considered one of the state’s top lineman in the Class of 2015 and was the first 2015 Gopher commitment. He was named Associated Press All-State.
The Gophers will sign ten offensive players Wednesday. Minnesota had one of the top rushing games in the conference as David Cobb gain more than 1,000 yards for the second straight season, finishing with a school record 1626 yards. His productivity along with strong rushing by the Gopher signal callers allowed Minnesota to finish sixth in the Big Ten with 215.5 yards per game, up 20 yards from the previous season.
However, they were second to last in the Big Ten in passing with just 141.8 yards per game (down 50.7 yards form 2013 and ninth in total offense, 154.3 yards behind leader Ohio State.
There were some positives with the passing game as they led the conference with 14.6 yards per receptions and the expected development of sophomore quarterback Mitch Leidner and several talented redshirt freshman receivers.
The following is a look at the incoming group of offensive recruits.
Colton Beebe is a punishing 6-foot-2, 252-pound fullback from Kansas City (MO) Piper. He rushed 92 times for 301 yards and nine touchdowns and caught 21 passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns. Beebe helped lead the Pirates to a 10-2 mark, losing to eventual Class 4A Division I state champion Bishop Meige 62-7 in the state semifinals.
Shannon Brooks, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound running back from Jasper (GA) Pickens, committed to Minnesota in September. He helped lead the Dragons to an 8-3 mark, losing to Stephens County 42-14 in the first round of the playoffs as he finished with 225 carries for 2223 yards and 32 rushing touchdowns and twelve catches for 206 yards and one score.
Brooks rushed for 1696 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior and caught 19 passes for 326 yards and four more scores.
Brooks rushed 156 times for 1064 yards as a sophomore with nine rushing touchdowns and grabbed 46 passes for 592 yards and eight receiving touchdowns.
Brooks had offers from Buffalo, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Furman, Georgia Tech and Keenesaw State.
Here is a link to a story on Brooks.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/444922?referrer_id=388419
Nick Connelly, a 6-foot-7, 277-pound senior lineman from Red Wing (MN) High, committed to Minnesota in June. Connelly helped lead the Wingers to a 3-7 mark this season, losing to Stewartville 69-29 in the second round of the Section 1AAAA playoffs. He committed to Minnesota shortly after receiving an offer from rival Iowa.
Here is a link to previous stories on Connelly.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/271664?referrer_id=331171
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/303036?referrer_id=388419
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/396857?referrer_id=388419
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/456732?referrer_id=388419
Demry Croft, a 6-foot-6, 193-pound senior quarterback from Rockford (IL) Boylan, passed for 2,011 yards and 22 touchdowns, while rushing for 791 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior. He helped lead the Titans to a 5-5 record.
Croft paced Boylan to a 12-1 mark in 2013, losing to eventual state champion Batavia in the Class 6A (Illinois’ largest class) 38-6 in the state semifinals.
Croft started last year at wide receiver before switching positions with 2012 quarterback Brock Stull in the second quarter of Boylan’s second game. Croft ran for 685 yards and 12 touchdowns and passed for 1,879 yards and 16 touchdowns, with only four interceptions as a junior.
Here is a link to a previous story on Croft.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/434114?referrer_id=388419
Bronson Dovich, a 6-foot-5, 295-pound offensive tackle from Chaska (MN) High, was a key member for the Hawks who had a 7-3 record as a senior and 11-1 mark as a junior. Dovich was considered one of the state’s top lineman in the Class of 2015 and was the first 2015 Gopher commitment. He was named Associated Press All-State.
Here are a couple of previous stories on Dovich.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/387074?referrer_id=394965
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/391592?referrer_id=388419
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Jonathan Femi-Cole, a 5-foot-11, 218-pound running back from St. Andrew’s College High School, rushed for over 1,600 yards this past season. Femi-Cole is the second straight addition from Canada, joining Julien Kafo in 2014. He runs a 4.5 forty yard dash and has an impressive 40-inch vertical jump.
KiAnte Hardin, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound athlete from Webb City (MO) High, helped lead his team to a 15-0 mark and another state title. He rushed 25 times for 236 yards and four scores and caught 32 passes for 684 yards and eight touchdowns. Hardin added 32 tackles and one interception. Minnesota head coach Jerry Kill is very familiar with the program as he finished 25-1 and won a state title in 1989.
James Johannesson, a 6-foot-2, 215 senior running back from Fargo (SD) South, led the Bruins to an 8-3 mark as a senior as he rushed 216 times for 2072 yards and 32 touchdowns.
Johannesson rushed for 2,671 yards and 29 touchdowns as a junior as he helped lead the Bruins to a 9-3 mark and the South Dakota AAA state title.
Quinn Oseland, a 6-foot-6, 301-pound offensive lineman from Springfield (IL) Sacred Heart Griffin, helped pace the Cyclones to back-to-back Illinois Class 5A titles, finishing 14-0 both years. Oseland’s cousin and Illinois commit Gabe Megginson had received a scholarship offer from Minnesota.
Hunter Register, 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver from Lafayette (LA) Comeaux, became the latest commitment for Minnesota when he announced his college choice last Tuesday. Register was the first wide receiver commit after Alonzo Brown re-opened his recruitment last month. He picked Minnesota over Memphis, Tulane and Indiana.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/469941?referrer_id=394965
Ted Stieber, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman from Akron (OH) Archbishop Hoban, committed to Minnesota in June. He helped lead the Knights to a 6-4 mark as a senior. Stieber is also a standout wrestler.
Here is a link to a previous story on Steiber.
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/423608?referrer_id=394965
Rashad Still, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound wide receiver from El Paso (TX) Andress, is an under-the-radar January addition. He caught 49 passes for 704 yards and eleven touchdowns as the Eagles finished 10-3.
Bryce Witham, a 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end from Grand Rapids (MI) West Catholic, helped lead the Falcons to a 14-0 record as they won the Michigan Region 3 Division 5 title 24-20 over Catholic Central. Witham had 35 catches for 683 yards and 14 touchdowns. He had offers from Central Michigan, Toledo and Southern Mississippi.