Alex Bars getting "close" to a decision per 247
Alex Bars, a 4 star OT out of TN and younger brother of current Michigan OL Blake Bars, is getting close to a decision per a Steve Wiltfong tweet:
Steve Wiltfong @SWiltfong247 11m
Top247 offensive tackle Alex Bars getting 'close' to decision #Michigan #NotreDame #PennState #Vols http://tennessee.247sports.com/Article/Top247-offensive-tackle-Alex-Bars-getting-close-to-decision-128976 … via @247Sports
He's the 107 overall composite player according to 247. The article is paywalled and posted on the Tennessee 247 site, but 247 also lists his top 5 as Florida, Floridat St., Michigan, Notre Dame, and OSU with the only 3 crystal ball predictions all having him going to Michigan. If he does indeed pull the trigger soon it may be good news for Hoke and co.
I hope Bars goes blue. Sounds like he would be a good fit and a more natural tackle than the other recruits.
Doles is more of a center, right? If Bars commits is there still room for Doles?
Yes, Doles is being recruited as a center. It's thought that Michigan wants 3 linemen in 2014 until/unless more spots open up via attrition, so a Bars commitment might prevent someone like Doles from committing. However, recent word is that he's leaning toward Northwestern.
FWIW, I'll have a scouting report on Alex Bars up tomorrow morning.
I was just going to ask you how he compares to his brother.
More details at 7.
but I think the Bars family has shown family ties doesn't mean much. Didn't their Dad play for ND and the oldest brother for PSU? Then Blake came to Michigan.
Here's the skinny from Mgoblue:
"father, Joe, played linebacker at Notre Dame (1981-84), while uncle, Mike, played football and hockey at Notre Dame... is brother of Penn State junior/sophomore defensive end Brad Bars ... grandparents attended Michigan, while grandfather, Douglas Eggleston, played football at U-M."
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/blake_bars_810565.html
Another interesting angle is the family lived in Michigan until 2003.
Here is a snippet from a Tom VH Mgoblog interview with Blake Bars back in June of 2011:
TOM: Ok, and to talk more specifically about Michigan how familiar are you with the program?
BLAKE: We lived in Trenton [Michigan] for around 12 years. I went to a Lloyd Carr camp in Wyandotte once, but I can't really tell you much more than that, I was pretty young. We did go up to Michigan last year and took a brief visit. We have relatives in Ann Arbor and we wanted to look around the stadium. We're excited to go back up and meet the coaches and go on a tour.
TOM: Does Michigan have any advantage with all this since you have family there and you've lived there before?
BLAKE: I think my Aunt who lives in Ann Arbor is a pretty good recruiter. She always says that if I come to Michigan she'll have special things for me. She'll bake me cookies and cook for me. I like the fact that my family is there, and my mom's uncle actually played for Michigan, but I'm not sure how much it will factor in.
Quenton Nelson just committed to ND, which makes it their 3rd 4* OL commit for the 2014 class. They took 5 last year and 3 the year before so that could be the end of their OL recruiting for 20014. Either that helps with Bars or it pushes him to commit to ND sooner as there is only one spot left.
Not a big surprise since the kid went to Red Bank Catholic High School and they have Notre Dame's leprechaun on their helmet.
Any reason why after taking 3 OL in '12 and 5 OL in '13 the coaches feel the need to take 4 or 5 in '14? 13 over 3 yeasr seems excessive unless they aren't happy with some of the 12 and 13 recruits already.