| Name | Andy Bauer |
| Position | OL |
| Height, Weight | 6'6, 304 |
| City (School) | St. Louis, MO (DeSmet) |
| Rating (Rivals) | 4 stars (5.9, No. 137 overall) |
| Rating (247 Composite) | 4 stars (0.929, No. 155 overall) |
| Other Offers of Note | Everybody |
Really, it's hard to blame them. Bauer had offers from virtually everybody: Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Wisconsin. He really couldn't go wrong. And while he grew up loving Missouri, you know that he heard from every single recruiter a variation of the following: "Gosh, Gary's a really nice guy, but he's probably not going to make it another year there. You would be smart to keep your options open (and hey, when can we schedule a visit)." When you hear that from tens of coaches, from schools with really big names ... and when you see Pinkel's name on every single Hot Seat list in the offseason ... honestly, you'd be silly not to look around.
Commitments are basically reservations. In fact, we should really consider calling them just that. And if you have as many options as Bauer had, you might miss out on some interesting opportunities if you hold onto your Missouri reservation for too long and Gary Pinkel is fired. So Bauer opened things back up. It actually surprised me that he committed to Ole Miss as quickly as he did because he did have so many other possibilities. (Then again, committing to Ole Miss in March, after the Rebels signed one of the best classes in the nation a month early, probably does make some sense.)
Things came full-circle on Monday, of course. Missouri's 2013 performance has erased Pinkel from every Hot Seat list. He's going to be here for a while. And with that again certain, Bauer re-committed to Mizzou on Monday morning. And honestly, he needed to do so immediately; there might not have been a spot available for him if he waited much longer. There's also a downside to not claiming a reservation.
Bauer is the gem of Mizzou's 2014 signing class. With some senior-season injuries apparently in the rearview mirror, he will potentially have a chance to crack the two-deep as a true freshman.