Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Seemingly not too long ago, then-Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema made it known he was not a fan of new Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer‘s recruiting tactics, which included recruiting prospects who were already committed to other Big Ten schools. He thought the Big Ten was above that, and it broke the unwritten gentleman’s agreement within the conference.
Fast forward and now Bielema is the top dog (or perhaps Hog?) for the Arkansas Razorbacks, and he’s clearly embraced the recruiting tactics he previously had frowned upon. This is made particularly clear regarding the recruitment of four-star offensive tackle Andy Bauer, from St. Louis, Mo.
Bauer has been committed to the Ole Miss Rebels since early April, but he’s clearly still getting recruited hard by many other SEC schools, including Bielema’s Razorbacks. Bielema even committed a social media gaffe by accidentally tweeting Bauer’s name on his Twitter, unintentionally giving the world a clear indication that the 6-foot-6, 300-pounder is on “Boss Hog’s” mind.
Can Arkansas pull into the drivers seat for Bauer? Or will Ole Miss hold on?
Let’s just say it’s going to be hard to pry him away from the Rebels. Really hard. His travel schedule corroborates that feeling as he’s only planning on taking one official visit: to Oxford, Miss. He could take other visits, but between his senior season at DeSmet High School, the Under Armour All-American Game after the season, and the fact that he’ll be an early-enrollee in January, he’s going to be a busy guy.
One thing working in Arkansas’ favor, at least, is the fact he’s still willing to talk to Bielema, even though still committed to the Rebs. Bauer has been recruited by Bielema ever since the latter was still with the Badgers, and has been in regular contact with him since.
Who knows, maybe Bielema can lure him away with such persistence. We see everyday where a prospect says he “guarantees” he’s going to University-X, only to change his mind and head over to University-Y the next day. Nothing is certain until they sign the damning National Letter of Intent, which totally locks the prospect into that school’s scholarship.
Bauer is considered one of the top 100 players in the country by rivals, and has offers from all over, but he still seems pretty locked-in to the Rebels. It’s going to be tough for the Razorbacks to pull this one off.
Rick Stavig is a National Recruiting Columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickstavig or add him to your network on google.
