#71 Alex Bars 2017-18 Football Roster

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Captain (2018)
• Sporting News Preseason First-Team All-American (2018)
• Outland Trophy Watch List (2018)

GRADUATE SEASON (2018)

• Started the first five games of the season at left guard before suffering a knee injury that ended his season

SENIOR SEASON (2017)

• Started all 13 games at right guard
• Surrendered one sack, one QB hit and nine QB hurries in 830 offensive snaps
• 32nd highest-rated guard in terms of run blocking in the country by Pro Football Focus (8.3)
• Part of the offensive line that paved the way for the seventh-ranked rushing offense in the FBS (269.3 rush yards/game)–Notre Dame has not ranked higher in the FBS since 1995
• Helped Notre Dame set the modern single-game record for rush yards per carry vs. Boston College on Sept. 16, 2017 as the Irish averaged 10.1 yards per rush and totaled 515 yards against the Eagles (previous record of 10.0 yards per rush had stood for 75 years)
• Helped Notre Dame rush for a single-season school record 3,503 yards in 2017 (previous school record of 3,502 yards was set in 1973)
• Helped the Irish set the single-season record for rush yards per carry in 2017 as Notre Dame averaged 6.3 yards per rush, which not only bested the previous modern-day mark of 5.63—set just two years ago in 2015—but also topped the previous school record of 6.2, which was set in 1921 (96 years ago)
• Helped Notre Dame rush for 35 touchdowns in 2017, which was the most by the Irish since 1993
• Helped Notre Dame rank 27th in the FBS in total offense in 2017–the Irish have not ranked higher in the FBS since 2009
• Helped Notre Dame rank 24th in the FBS in scoring offense (34.2 points per game)–the Irish have not ranked higher in the FBS since 2006
• Blocked for an offensive line that helped Notre Dame lead the FBS with nine runs of at least 60 yards in 2017
• Leader of Notre Dame’s offensive line that won the Joe Moore Award–presented by the Foundation for Teamwork, the award is given annually the “toughest, most physical offensive line in the country”
• Helped Notre Dame run for over 300 yards seven times in 2017 (the Irish eclipsed 300 yards rushing seven times over the previous 17 years combined)
• Helped Notre Dame rank among the top three nationally in runs of at least 20 yards (third, 42), 30 yards (first 28), 40 yards (third, 15), 50 yards (third, 11), 60 yards (first, nine) and 70 yards (second, four)
• Helped Notre Dame rank third in the FBS in yards per carry (6.3) and second in the FBS in yards per carry vs. FBS teams with a winning record (6.1)
• Helped Notre Dame rank 15th in the FBS in rushing TDs (35), and tops in the FBS in both rushing TDs vs. ranked opponents (11) and rushing TDs vs. FBS teams with a winning record (28)
• Helped Notre Dame record seven different players register a rush of at least 30 yards
• Helped Notre Dame have four different players rush for at least 100 yards
• Helped Notre Dame record 13 separate 100-yard rushing games
• Helped Notre Dame register 22 carries that netted at least 35 yards
• Helped the Irish run for 318 yards, including 182 in the second half, against NC State, which entered the contest as the No. 6-ranked rushing defense in the country allowing just 91.3 yards/game (Notre Dame’s total almost tripled the previous high by a Wolfpack opponent, 133)

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2016)

• Started all 12 games at right tackle
• Helped running back Josh Adams run for over 100 yards four times (Nevada, Syracuse, Virginia Tech and USC), including a career-best 180 yards at rival USC (Nov. 26)
• Part of the offensive line that paved the way for 417.6 total yards per game

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2015)

• Appeared in six games and made two starts at left guard in place of an injured Quenton Nelson before an ankle injury suffered against rival USC ended his season
• Starts came against Navy (Oct. 10) and USC (Oct. 17)
• Part of an offensive line that helped the Irish average 5.63 rushing yards per carry (eighth-best in the FBS) — a modern (post WWII) school record
• Helped Notre Dame rank 27th nationally in total offense, averaging 466.4 yards per game, its third-best mark since setting a school record in 1970 by averaging 510.5 yards per game
• Notre Dame was one of 11 programs nationally to average 205 yards rushing and 250 yards passing per game in 2015 (Irish had not accomplished this feat since 1970)
• Helped Notre Dame average 207.6 rushing yards per game (28th in the FBS), the best rushing output since 2000, including six games with 200+ yards (Texas, Virginia, Georgia Tech, UMass, USC and Stanford)
• Paved the way for first-year RB C.J. Prosise, who rushed for 1,032 yards (second-fewest carries needed to reach 1,000 yards) and recorded the 18th 1,000-yard rushing season in school history, and freshman RB Josh Adams, who set a freshman single-season school record with 835 yards rushing
• Blocked for an Irish rushing attack that recorded 457 yards vs. UMass (Sept. 26) — the best single-game rushing total by Notre Dame in 23 years

FRESHMAN SEASON (2014)

• One of four freshman offensive linemen who spent the season on the scout team and did not see the field
• Joined Quenton Nelson, Jimmy Byrne and Sam Mustipher as rookies who helped the Irish on their offensive scout team

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL DATA

• Second-team offensive lineman on USA Today All-USA prep All-America squad for 2013
• Ranked as 76th best player nationally by ESPN, 98th by Rivals.com, 99th by Tom Lemming/CBS Sports, 154th by 247Sports and 202nd by Scout.com
• Won Rotary Lombardi Chip Off the Old Block Award for South region as nation’s top high school lineman in seven regions and states
• Led Montgomery Bell Academy to Tennessee Division II-AA semifinals in 2013 and 10-2 record
• First-team Tennessee Class II-AA all-state pick by Tennessee Sports Writers Association
• One of three Division II-AA lineman finalists for Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards presented to top 10 backs and linemen in five classifications of Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association
• Standout at offensive and defensive tackle for Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee
• First-team All-Midstate offensive linemen for 2013 by Nashville Tennessean
• Ranked number five on Nashville Tennessean Dandy Dozen 2013 preseason team
• Played in Under Armour High School All-America Game
• Played basketball, competed in shot put in track and played saxophone in band
• Father, Joe, played linebacker and made 29 career tackles for Irish from 1981-84 and was part of coach Gerry Faust’s first Notre Dame recruiting class
• Brother, Brad, played defensive end at Penn State (2010-14) and brother, Blake, played offensive line at Michigan (2012-15)
• Graduated in May 2018 with a degree in finance from the Mendoza College of Business