Michigan football team adds offensive lineman Blake Bars to 2012 recruiting class
Blake Bars from Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy became the fourth offensive lineman in Michigan’s 2012 recruiting class on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound (or up to 275-pound, depending on which recruiting website you visit) comes from a football family. His brother, Brad, is a defensive end at Penn State and his father, Joe, played linebacker at Notre Dame.
Bars told his hometown newspaper, The Tennessean, in March that his brother was recruiting him hard to Penn State.
“(Brad) is definitely pumping it up,” Blake told the newspaper. “He’s actually pushing me towards them. He’s like, ‘Dude, you’ve got to come play here with me and compete with me.’ We are close. Back when he was at MBA I was the right tackle and he was the d-end, so I got to go against him almost every day.”
Four Southeastern Conference schools (Florida, LSU, Kentucky and South Carolina) were among the others to offer Bars a scholarship.
Bars is rated a 3-star recruit by both Scout.com and ESPN.com. Rivals.com rates him a 4-star and ranks him as the 34th best offensive tackle in the nation.
An ESPN.com evaluation of Bars says he “has the height and athleticism for the offensive tackle position at the BCS level of play; will need to add bulk to his frame over time.”
Bars is the 18th player to commit to Michigan for the 2012 season. Previous offensive line commits include Rivals.com 4-star recruits Erik Magnuson from Carlsbad, Calif., and 3-star recruits Ben Braden from Rockford and Caleb Stacey from Cincinnati. Verbal commitments are non-binding.
Bars should receive one more year of high-level coaching before heading to Ann Arbor.
According to The Tennessean, former Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae will be Bars’ offensive line coach next season at Montgomery Bell Academy.
“(Coach Mawae) has been helping us with our footwork,” Bars said. “He’ll come into the weight room and show us technique and introduce new drills to us that I know are going to make us a lot better. It’s such a great opportunity. Kevin is the man, pretty much.”
Comments
Mack Ferguson
Wed, Jun 29, 2011 : 4:45 p.m.
This recruiting bonanza is nuts! Also I found this huge article breaking down why Denard will NOT be our QB next year. Crazy stuff... <a href="http://www.chatsports.com/michigan-wolverines/a/Why-I-believe-Denard-may-be-Benched-10-2-203#commentsPos" rel='nofollow'>http://www.chatsports.com/michigan-wolverines/a/Why-I-believe-Denard-may-be-Benched-10-2-203#commentsPos</a>
tater
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:41 p.m.
Even players who provide depth or play on the scout team "have a significant impact on the team's overall performance." Sometimes the guy with five stars washes out or, in the case of a Terrelle Pryor, brings your program down with his selfish nature. And sometimes the guy with three stars or a "low four" ends up in the NFL after a great career. It's all a crapshoot and you just never know. Sam Webb thinks Bars has a great "upside;" I'll trust his judgement on this one. At any rate, I'm glad he is "aboard."
OldBittyBates
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.
It makes me wonder how many new recruits from the years 2011 and 2012 will actually make a significant impact on the team's overall performance and success. Blake has potential, but he will have to work hard in order to take out the competition. I wish him well, and hope Kevin Mawae's instruction can make a difference.
david mallory
Mon, Jun 27, 2011 : 6:40 p.m.
welcome to the Michigan family Blake. GOBLUE