The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/70101
2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE was born on Sept. 25, 1993 … Sports a maximum bench press of 330 pounds and a squat of 425 … Has run a ca- reer-best 5.0-second 40-yard dash … Son of former Notre Dame linebacker Joe Bars (1981-84) … His uncle, Mike Bars, played football and hockey at Notre Dame, and his brother, Brad, is a defensive end at Penn State … His grandfather, Douglas Eggleston, played football at U-M … Hails from the same high school as Indianapo- lis Colts tight end Tom Santi and pro- fessional golfer Brandt Snedeker … Enjoys hanging out with friends and working out. Rankings: Ranked as a four-star Personal: Blake Christopher Bars 6-5 • 275 • Offensive Line • Montgomery Bell Academy • Nashville, Tenn. Sophomore Season: Started half BLAKE BARS ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ the team's games on defense for a 9-5 team that finished No. 8 in the state according to MaxPreps.com. All-Star Games And Camps: At- an offensive guard for the Tennessee Titans. Other Schools Considered: Penn tended 2010 summer football camps at Vanderbilt and Kentucky … Attended the 2010 U.S. Army All-America Junior State, Florida, LSU and Vanderbilt. Date Of Official Visit To Michigan: Former NFL All-Pro Kevin Mawae on Bars "But he's got a little streak in him I think is indicative of most pretty good offensive linemen. He's not going to back down from anybody." prospect, the No. 9 player in Tennes- see and the No. 32 offensive tackle nationally by Rivals.com … Rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 54 of- fensive tackle in the country by ESPN. com … Listed as a three-star recruit, the No. 18 player in Tennessee and the No. 66 offensive tackle nationally by 247Sports.com … Tabbed as the No. 17 player in Tennessee by SuperPrep. Brady Hoke's Comments: "Blake Bars is a big offensive tackle. … He's a guy that we really liked early in the re- cruiting process, and he gives us more size up front in what we want to do. Tom Lemming of Prep Football Re- " port: "His dad was in my magazine 20-some years ago out of Detroit. Blake is a little bit bigger than his dad, who played at Notre Dame, and is a diamond-in-the-rough offensive line- man . He's got good athletic ability and a great frame. He just needs to add some weight and he'll do that, he'll be over 300 pounds in a couple of years. Career Totals: Started two years " on the Montgomery Bell varsity and started half the year on the defensive line as a sophomore. Senior Season: Started every game at right tackle for a 9-3 Montgomery Bell team that finished 4-1 in its confer- ence … Helped the team advance to the third round of the state AA playoffs. at left tackle for a team that finished 6-6 overall and 3-2 in the conference, notching 54 pancake blocks … Team advanced to the second round of the state AA playoffs. Junior Season: Started every game Bars said he chose Michigan because "It was a perfect fit. It had great academics, great social life and awesome football." PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM MARCH 2012 THE WOLVERINE 37 Combine in San Antonio … Invited to the 2012 International Bowl, the Ten- nessee East-West All-Star game, the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, but didn't participate in any of them. Other Sports: Played basketball through his sophomore year … Earned three letters in track and field throwing shot put … Best shot throw last year was 50 feet, 1 inch, making him a state finalist … Will throw discus for the first time this year. High School GPA: 3.4. ACT Score: 26. Planned Major: Business or finance. Favorite Michigan Athlete: Tom Brady. Favorite Pro Player: Michael Roos, great social life and awesome foot- ball. I could tell it was a whole package deal with the coaches, because they were very honest with me when I went there. All of those factors keyed into my decision." Montgomery Bell Head Coach Dec. 9, 2011. Why Bars Chose Michigan: "It was a perfect fit. It had great academics, Marty Euverard's Comments: "He did a tremendous job for us. He's a big kid with a lot of upside. He's got good feet and comes from a pretty good stock of family. His drive blocking one on one is his best asset, and he's going to have to work on pass protection. "Blake is going to play to the whis- tle. I wouldn't call him mean just yet, but he's learning that aspect. He also has the room to put on some more weight. "