The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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PREP PROFILES from the class of 2014, and there's a long list of candidates from which to choose. The Wolverines landed an in-state signal-caller from the 2013 crop in five-star Shane Morris ,and its coaches are eyeing other state of Michigan possibilities in 2014, as well. One, Detroit Country Day's Tyler Michigan will take a quarterback Wiegers, has been through Ann Arbor a number of times, most recently for U-M's 12-10 win over Michigan State. U-M's big win left a lasting impression. "The atmosphere was intense," he re- Local Junior Quarterback Is Picking Up Offers Tyler Wiegers Country Day High School Detroit Position: Quarterback Ht.: 6-4 • Wt.: 197 Class: 2014 ported. "At the end of the game it got so loud, and I was jumping around and screaming. The atmosphere was a lot of fun to be in, and I had a great time." He was also at this summer's Bar- beque at The Big House recruiting event, where he got to know the Michigan coaches and players. Wiegers had already seen a game at Michigan State this year in addition to games at Northwestern and West- ern Michigan. He kept an eye on both teams' quarterbacks in U-M's victory over the Spartans. "It was a little slow for most of the game," he said. "The offenses weren't really doing a whole lot. The defenses looked like they had a pretty good bead on what the other team was do- ing. At the end, it got pretty interest- ing with both offenses trying to find a way to move the ball. "I watched the warm-ups, and I got "looked like a college quarterback prospect physically," said Helmholdt, who also reported that he showed off "a strong arm and solid mechanics." That's already translated into offers to see all the different quarterbacks Michigan had. I got to see the differ- ent type of quarterbacks they have there and what they're kind of look- ing for in the future. Other than De- nard Robinson, it looks like they have tall, pro-style quarterbacks with Rus- sell Bellomy and a couple of the other guys they had there. I definitely feel like I'd fit in." Rivals.com analyst Josh Helmholdt caught the junior signal caller in ac- tion at one of the many camps Wieg- ers attended this summer, the adidas Invitational in Ann Arbor. Wiegers from WMU and Toledo and increas- ing interest from Big Ten schools, in- cluding Michigan. He's had several big games this year after sharing time at the quarterback position last year, part of the reason colleges have been slower to notice him. He's hopeful U-M's interest continues to pick up, noting he continued to develop the relationship with the U-M coaches af- ter the MSU win. "We were mostly just talking about the game, but they said that they liked me a lot and just to keep work- ing hard," he said. "Hopefully I just keep staying in contact with them and at the end of the season, if they like what they see, they'll offer me." Wiegers won't take other visits until after his team's playoff run ends. The Yellow Jackets were slated to start their trek toward the Michigan Divi- sion-4 state championship at Clinton Township Clintondale Oct. 26. — Chris Balas to NCAA Division I programs over the years. Not many, however, have boasted a trio of talents worthy of high major scholarships the way the Bars family of Nashville, Tenn., has. Oldest brother Brad is at Penn State, while Michigan fans know Blake as a freshman offensive lineman at U-M. A third, Alex, is soon to join his Several families have sent two sons brothers in the Division I ranks, hav- ing received offers from Michigan, Ne- braska, Tennessee and several others in only his junior season. Alabama, Florida and LSU are a few that have maintained regular contact. The Bars' boys father, Joe, played at Another Bars Is Interested In Michigan great program football-wise, and the coaching staff is one of the best. "I really got to know them, and I know they're awesome. That's what stuck out the most." Michigan offered Bars as an of- Notre Dame in the 1980s. The youngest Bars got a chance to see how Brady Hoke and his staff op- erated on the recruiting trail by sitting in his living room during Blake's re- cruitment. He was excited when Hoke extended an offer in June. "They told me they see how I play and move," he said. "They liked what they saw. … The school's definitely a 94 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2012 fensive tackle despite the fact that he'd played strictly on defense as a sophomore. Other teams have since followed suit, with Bars proving this season he's up to the task. "I'm feeling pretty comfortable," Bars said. "I'm still learning, and I'm still getting better. It's pretty differ- ent than defense. You have to contain yourself a little bit. You can't just go out there and go wild." Bars has taken visits to Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan and Vanderbilt, and also attended several camps dur- ing the summer. He also visited for U-M's win over Ohio State last year, noting the atmosphere at The Big House stood out. "They all had a pretty good atmo- sphere, but Michigan and Tennessee … they were sweet," Bars said. "They Alex Bars Montgomery Bell Academy Nashville, Tenn. Position: Offensive Tackle Ht.: 6-6 • Wt.: 275 Class: 2014 can really cram a lot of fans in those stadiums, and the noise level was crazy." right combination of academics, ath- letics, coaching staff and location, but he notes his recruitment is just getting started. He doesn't plan on focusing on recruiting until after his junior season and has no plans to de- cide early. "I'm completely wide open right Bars is like many in looking for the now," he said. "I'm keeping all my op- tions open and just enjoying it for now. I'll probably wait until after my football season, and then start really looking. Maybe I can make a decision by January or February." — Chris Balas