On Wednesday, Nashville (Tenn.) Montgomery Bell Academy senior Brad Bars signed with Penn State after a whirlwind recruitment that saw him get offered — and accept on the spot — last Thursday.
A lot of questions and debate have surrounded the off-the-radar recruit: Was he overlooked? How much success did he have at MBA? What type of player is he? How did opposing offenses prepare for him?
Nittany Network went straight to the source to find those answers, speaking with a handful of high school coaches who had to square off against the defensive end this past season.
Here's what those coaches had to say about him:
Tim Johnson, Battle Ground Academy coach
Won Week 7 against MBA, 26-14; Lost Week 11 to MBA, 45-10
Bars' stat line: (Defense, Game 1) 6 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble. (Defense, Game 2) 1 solo tackle, 0 assisted tackles, 1 sack.
On what separates Bars from other defensive ends:
"He was explosive off the snap and a pretty versatile kid. Looked like he might be a kid who could play either up or down. Smart player — you could tell he understood his assignment because he wasn't overaggressive.
"And coming from that program, they do a good job coaching their kids up, so I'd say he'll make an easy transition."
On whether he was surprised at the commitment to Penn State:
"It doesn't shock me too much. ... He's a kid you certainly could forecast a pretty high ceiling with."
On game-planning around Bars:
"They had several pretty good players that we focused on and not him in particular. I just remember as far as an edge player, he was someone we were concerned about as far as being able to block him in the pass rush.
"I'd say the first thing that jumps off the page to me is he had a pretty good takeoff. You have to worry about his explosion."
Bruce Lussier, Father Ryan coach
Lost Week 8 to MBA, 7-3
Bars' stat line: (Defense) 1 solo tackle, 1 assisted tackle, 1 sack
On what stood out about Bars:
"Well, the thing we saw in Brad ... was his intensity. I think each and every play, he came to play. He went all out regardless if the play was coming to him or going away from him. I know we had a big concern going into them with him as a defensive end, as far as the pressure he can put on the quarterback."
On whom Bars reminds him of:
"He's very intense. His motor's always going. If there was a pro player he reminds me of, it's [Tennessee Titans defensive end] Kyle Vanden Bosch, who's always going."
On game-planning around Bars:
"Well, we wanted to make sure we knew where he was so we had somebody assigned to him. We weren't going to let him come untouched. ... He is very athletic, quick off the ball, good explosion. I think he does a good job of chasing the ball and takes care of a lot of cutback lanes. And when you try to run at him, he's very active with his feet.
"As far as game-planning, you're going to try to run away from him, but you got to make sure you get somebody to slow him down."
On why Bars might have been overlooked:
"We thought he was a good ball player. I think, in today's game, we get hung up on numbers a lot and everyone is looking for a defensive lineman or a linebacker to be a 6-4, 6-5 guy who's 250 and has outstanding strength. A lot of times we overlook those 6-2, 6-3 guys who can do the same things."
Jeff Brothers, Pope John Paul II coach
Lost Week 10 to MBA, 35-7
Bars' stat line: (Defense) 2 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle.
Overall thoughts on Bars:
"He's a very physical player, which I think fits in the Penn State mold. He's a long, rangy type of guy. He's got a great frame to put on some weight.
"From what I recall, he was pretty versatile. He can cover ground well, and he can close distances against some pretty quick tailbacks in our league."
On Bars' performance in the game:
"We played that game in an absolute downpour so it was pretty sloppy, so it came down to a physical contest. There was not a lot of passing going on; it was a pretty predictable big man-against-big man thing. And I remember him being very difficult for us to handle in those conditions.
"I know we had a tough time running directly at him. He was standing his ground pretty well."
On his run-stopping skills:
"I wish I could explain how wet it was. It was a lot like that bowl game Penn State played in; it was really, really sloppy. And he was at the end; he was a guy who could kind of set the edge for them really well. We ran a lot of zone schemes and off-tackle schemes, and he pretty much stopped that.
"We squeezed down the edge. If we did try to get to him, he closed the ground. He's got long strides, and he uses his hands really well. Just a solid performer."
On whether he was surprised to see Bars land in Happy Valley:
"I think he's certainly capable of playing at that level. The one thing I would say about him is he's got the frame and ability to put on weight and play much bigger than he is right now.
"So, I think, you look two years down the road and I don't think there'll be any question he fits in. I don't know if 'overlook' would be the word because the recruiting process is inexact, and I think with the right strength gain and weight gain, he's going to be a really good defensive end in that scheme."
Bobby Alston, Memphis University High coach
Won in Week 14 championship game against MBA, 27-17
Bars' stat line: (Defense) 6 solo tackles, 1 assisted tackle, 1 sack; (Offense) 2 receptions, 14 yards
On Bars' reputation:
"I know Brad. I've seen Brad in track; he's a big kid that can run. I'm surprised Brad was off the radar as much as he was because he's a good athlete and a good player, and their team struggled a little bit early because of some injuries but they got on a roll — and a lot of that was Brad."
On his strengths:
"Well, he's strong and he's got good feet. He's played smart, and he doesn't put himself out of position much, and he's just got that kind of good all-around athletic ability you expect from a decathlete guy."
On game-planning against him:
"You got to know where he is and work that way. We had a pretty good team, so it wasn't like we were afraid of too many people, but we definitely knew where he was.
"We watched him on film before the game, and I've known him before the game. We kind of knew he was a good player. You got to account for him; he can sometimes mess something up even if you block perfectly. I think he'll be a solid player up there [at Penn State]."
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