'14 TN OT Alex Bars (Notre Dame Signee)

[irishff1014]

I know it is early but Michigan has a much better vibe in the recruiting world right now then we do.

 

[aubeirish]

I know it is early but Michigan has a much better vibe in the recruiting world right now then we do.

This is last year all over again. I don't mind it

 

[yankeeND]

Thanks GB, I forgot that his brother played there. I hope he gets sentimental and decides to follow in his fathers footsteps.

 

[GBdomer]

Did some diggin

Michigan scout site says we lead
Tunnel Vision thinks we lead
TJ hinted at us leading
Michigan rivals site says we lead
24.7 100% Michigan

Pete Sampson says he will be on campus again soon, hopefully give his verbal in person. But this one is down to Michigan and ND and will be over sooner than later.

 

[STLDomer]

FWIW 247 crystal ball is only Lorenz (Michigan) and Simmons (National) right now. Sapp, Wiltfong, and JC I imagine will make predictions before he announces

Don't know why Sapp hasn't made any predictions like the other guys

 

[GBdomer]

FWIW 247 crystal ball is only Lorenz (Michigan) and Simmons (National) right now. Sapp, Wiltfong, and JC I imagine will make predictions before he announces

Don't know why Sapp hasn't made any predictions like the other guys

Sapp never makes predictions

 

[Irish Man3]

Really like this kid. I would love the next two commits to be Bars and Nelson and then wait for Braden Smith. Crazy good OL class.

 

[rtrn2glory]

Really like this kid. I would love the next two commits to be Bars and Nelson and then wait for Braden Smith. Crazy good OL class.

^absolutely

couldn't agree more

 

[Irish#1]

This is last year all over again. I don't mind it

You're right they started hot then sputtered. We were fairly even throughout then finished strong.

Alex Bars, come on down.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Really like this kid. I would love the next two commits to be Bars and Nelson and then wait for Braden Smith. Crazy good OL class.

Would they want five OL?

.9906 #1 OG (Smith)
.9491 #9 OT (Nelson)
.9424 #7 OG (Mustipher)
.9386 #11 OT (Bars)
.9201 #13 OG (Bryne)

It'd actually be a better haul than last season. Wow.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Would they want five OL?

I think the only way they would is if the fifth would be Smith or McDermott

 

[connect the dots]

Did some diggin

Michigan scout site says we lead
Tunnel Vision thinks we lead
TJ hinted at us leading
Michigan rivals site says we lead
24.7 100% Michigan

Pete Sampson says he will be on campus again soon, hopefully give his verbal in person. But this one is down to Michigan and ND and will be over sooner than later.

This offensive line class, like last year's, will require early interest from the targets. There are four spaces available, two taken, better get a ticket, and get on board. Harry Hiestand was such a wise coaching decision for this staff!

 

[Ironman8]

I think the only way they would is if the fifth would be Smith or McDermott

Agreed. If we get both Nelson and Bars soonish, we will absolutely have a spot of Braden wants on board late in the cycle. I don't think McDermott flips unfortunately.

 

[IrishLax]

I posed the question on ISD and Christian said 4 is the magic number (i.e. Bars, Nelson, Byrne, Mustipher) with the staff willing to take 5 for someone like Smith.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

Agreed. If we get both Nelson and Bars soonish, we will absolutely have a spot of Braden wants on board late in the cycle. I don't think McDermott flips unfortunately.

I don't either but I think they will try and stay in touch until the Miami sanctions come out.

 

[koonja]

Who do you guys like between Nelson and Bars? I know Nelson is rated higher, but I think Bars has the best tape I've seen, spare maybe Smith's.

 

[clashmore_mike]

Sapp never makes predictions

Yeah Sapp does the opposite of making predictions, almost goes into hiding especially when he thinks someone will be Irish.

 

[Old Man Mike]

It would be really unusual, barring unforeseen injury or other loss of an incoming frosh 2013, for us to accept Five Oline, but four is essentially mandatory. We don't want to bend roster management out of shape even on something like Oline.

 

[clashmore_mike]

I don't either but I think they will try and stay in touch until the Miami sanctions come out.

I saw this somewhere today, must have been TV??

 

[clashmore_mike]

Who do you guys like between Nelson and Bars? I know Nelson is rated higher, but I think Bars has the best tape I've seen, spare maybe Smith's.

Both.

 

[stlnd01]

It would be really unusual, barring unforeseen injury or other loss of an incoming frosh 2013, for us to accept Five Oline, but four is essentially mandatory. We don't want to bend roster management out of shape even on something like Oline.

It is possible one could wind up on the D Line, no?
I know we can't really carry 5 O Linemen per class, but we need four and if we landed Smith later, it'd be silly not to take him.

 

[NDWorld247]

We should take 5 OL in this cycle. The ideal number is 17/18 and in 2013 we will only have 14. After Martin, Watt and Heggie (likely not getting a 5th year, right?) leave, we will have 11. Adding 5 to the 2014 class will give us 16 heading into 2014.

The 2015 class will be even smaller than 2014 and we don't lose any OL after the 2014 season. We lose a lot after 2015, so stock up now, focus on other positions of need in 2015, and resume with 4-5 OL classes in 2016.

After all the talk of not being able to practice the way they wanted leading up to the NCG, I don't see the staff letting that happen again. Not to mention attrition on the OL has hit ND more than any other position the past few years.

 

[clashmore_mike]

can't argue with anything you said 247.

 

[IrishFaninTX]

We should take 5 OL in this cycle. The ideal number is 17/18 and in 2013 we will only have 14. After Martin, Watt and Heggie (likely not getting a 5th year, right?) leave, we will have 11. Adding 5 to the 2014 class will give us 16 heading into 2014.

The 2015 class will be even smaller than 2014 and we don't lose any OL after the 2014 season. We lose a lot after 2015, so stock up now, focus on other positions of need in 2015, and resume with 4-5 OL classes in 2016.

After all the talk of not being able to practice the way they wanted leading up to the NCG, I don't see the staff letting that happen again. Not to mention attrition on the OL has hit ND more than any other position the past few years.

I agree with this completely. With the recent transfers, I don't mind at all using at least one of those for an extra OL or DL. It all starts and ends in the trenches and I think that alone is why we got our a$$es beat in the NC game. Not that our OL and DL are not elite but without being able to go full 11v11 in practices leading up to the game, it's hard to compete at a high level. I think most of us can recall that was Weis' SOP and his teams always looked soft along the lines because of it.

 

[Luckylucci]

I agree with the taking of 5 thought process. We take bars and leave a spot for smith because why would u risk trying to get a lineman next year as good as him. So if he wants in, u take him. I've always thought in recruiting if u can get a guy of that caliber now, you take him regardless of position.

 

[CanadalovesND]

IMO, the magic number for scholarship OL is 15. That gives you three full "teams" worth of available OL. Granted, a few of them will be freshman, but they won't need to contribute.

Taking 4 OL every year will be suffice, a 5th OL every now and then to help with medicals and transfers, something we've experienced in quantity the last two seasons. In a typical 4 year span, that would mean 16-17 OL.

So, when is comes to this class, I think the number is 4 and shouldn't be pushed to 5, unless an OL recruit (let's say Mustipher) could play another position down the road, and that 5th guy just so happens to be the best OL on your board.

 

[dublinirish]

Could Jay Hayes potentially be a swing guy and move to the OL?

 

[Irish Man3]

Hindsight is always 20/20, but how many people will continue to second guess the staff not offering R Gibbons if we end up with Byrne, Mustipher, Nelson, Bars, and one of Braden/McDermott?

 

[BGIF]

IMO, the magic number for scholarship OL is 15. That gives you three full "teams" worth of available OL. Granted, a few of them will be freshman, but they won't need to contribute.

Taking 4 OL every year will be suffice, a 5th OL every now and then to help with medicals and transfers, something we've experienced in quantity the last two seasons. In a typical 4 year span, that would mean 16-17 OL.

....

That might work well at Alabama, FSU, USC, or any of the other schools that take plug in JUCOs to fill in a deficiency. ND doesn't.

When ND loses an upperclassmen, 20 or 21 year old OL, they have to replace him with an 18 year old - the following year. Then they have to build his body and technique over a couple of years before he'll be a viable competitor.

 

[CanadalovesND]

In my experience, that's the way it's usually been here. When have we ever really had more than 15 scholarship OL.? I think CW's last season we had 15 scholarship OL. Most of Weis' career we were around the 12-13 range, and last season we had 12.... 12 scholarship OL!

There's always been a depth concern, at least during the Kelly era, along the OL.

IMO, we can't overload on OL just to take into precaution injuries that might occur. Let's say we have 17-18 scholarship OL, I'm sure most fans would love this idea, as the old saying goes : "You win and lose games in the trenches", but is it viable at ND to have up to +20% of your total scholarship count awarded to the OL?

If the number can consistently stay around 15, give or take minus 1, (16-18% scholarship count), it would give a few extra scholarships to the skill positions and would still have a solid, reasonable amount of bodies along the OL. Freshman won't have to be forced or rushed into playing (i.e Ronnie Stanley) and assuming there's an injury that should be adequate backups there are ready to step in and play, instead of putting someone who's not on the field.

just my two cents.... sadly, I'm no OMM.