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| Blake Bars |
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 284 lbs.
High school: Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #62
Last year: I ranked Bars #87 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.
Bars came in last year as my choice for freshman most likely to redshirt, and he did not disappoint. Of course, all the offensive linemen redshirted, so it was a fairly easy choice. We didn't hear much buzz about Bars coming out of practices, and his play in the spring game was less than stellar. Then again, at 6'5" and in the mid-280's, he's nowhere near the weight he needs to be to compete in the Big Ten.
Bars appears to be a third-stringer at best, behind a couple of his classmates and some walk-ons. Unless there are departures or injuries between now and the season, he might not see any game action once again. Michigan should be able to run out a second line without using him, and he should hopefully be able to at least get into the 290's for the 2014 season.
Prediction: Backup to the backup offensive guards
Uh, oh, Sally Bars isn't going to like this.
ReplyDeleteI hope Bars can gain some weight and challenge the starters next season. I agree with you that Bars is unlikely to play a role this year and that we're likely in trouble if he has to play. Hopefully he can beef up and be ready to push the starters next year, when at least one of the guys playing on the interior this year will probably have to move out with both tackle spots being vacated.
The comments are always fun to read a year or two later...
DeleteHa. I just read the comments from Mrs. Bars for the first time. funny
DeleteDepth is a great thing!! Finally starting to build it, in a few years hopefully on upperclassmen will start on the OL,...Jr's, Sr's and 5th Yr Sr's.
ReplyDeleteA Wonderful thing!
Depth is important and necessary. So when we look at players the quality of Kyle Kalis, or Jack Miller who will probably start as RS freshman and RS Sophomores respectively and even Chris Bryant who reportedly was going to start as a RS freshman last year before injury; when we look at Blake Bars possibly starting in his Jr, Sr or 5th season, is that a good thing or what? Granted we're talking about OT vs. OG, but comparatively speaking regarding quality and talent let's say with an Erik Magnuson whom some may project as a starter, how high is his ceiling?
ReplyDeleteI would agree with you that the walk-on OLmen are going to be ahead of most freshman and red-shirt freshman that haven't gotten any buzz.
ReplyDeleteEven though freshman rarely play, I almost think a couple of the true frosh are more likely than less-hyped RS freshman to play, just because there's a chance (even if it's a <5% chance) that one of the freshman is another Hutchinson/Schilling type that is near ready and or headed for a great NFL career. Whereas Bars, if he is really that underweight, is very unlikely to see meaningful time with Glasgow, Bryant, and Burzynski around. I guess I'm saying the freshman are bigger unknowns and so I tend to weigh their high end potential a little more.
So Thunder - any worries about Bars or Magnuson (not to jump ahead) on your end or is it just too early?
I'll never really be worried about Bars, because I wasn't expecting much from him, anyway.
DeleteI haven't heard positive things about Magnuson - nor have I heard a ton of negative things - but it's too early to be concerned with linemen. Schofield didn't play significantly until he was a redshirt sophomore, and now he's pretty solid. Some of these guys take time.
Agree - especially with linemen. Have to be patient in judging. The greats can sometimes play right away, but most guys are going to contribute primarily in their upperclassmen years.
DeleteWhere's your in-depth analysis of the ramifications of the announcement of the 5th string RS Freshman safety moving positions to the spot many thought he would move to anyway?!?
ReplyDeleteIt's coming up at noon. Not all that groundbreaking, obviously.
DeleteI was being sarcastic but ummm...OK. My analysis - it changes nothing.
DeleteI figured you were being sarcastic, but I had written up a post today, anyway.
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