OT Ben Bartch, a rare Division-III invite to the Senior Bowl
| January 24, 2020 12:31PM |
[www.nfl.com]
From the scouts. Multiple scouts have been impressed with OT Ben Bartch, a rare Division-III invite to the Senior Bowl from Saint John's. Bartch, on the South squad, has largely held his own in practice reps against a strong group of pass rushers who are vastly more physical than the competition he faced at St. John's. An area scout for an NFC team said Bartch shares some similar traits to the Senior Bowl's last D-III success story on the offensive line, Ali Marpet of Hobart College, although Marpet played guard rather than tackle. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Marpet in the second round in 2018. ... South Carolina State OL Alex Taylor, whose length is like no other prospect in Mobile at 6-foot-8 with arms of 36-plus inches, has struggled with some of the South's top defensive linemen. According to an area scout for an AFC team, Taylor lacks the necessary anchor strength in pass protection, but is more of a project as a draft prospect, one who could develop nicely in a year or two but wouldn't likely be a ready-made NFL starter. ... A scout for an AFC team noted Lenoir-Rhyne's Kyle Dugger struggled to catch punts on Tuesday in windy conditions, looking rusty in that role after missing the latter half of the season with an injury. Dugger looked more comfortable catching punts on Wednesday in dealing with several offerings of 50-plus yards from South Carolina's Joseph Charlton. ... Texas Tech OT Terence Steele, on the South squad, has struggled with the quickness the South pass rushers have displayed this week, according to a personnel executive for an AFC team. Alabama's Terrell Lewis, who is working with defensive linemen in Mobile, beat Steele for a strip of Colorado QB Steven Montez late in Wednesday's team drills.
video: [twitter.com]
[www.inforum.com]
FOOTBALL
St. John's offensive lineman vying to become first NFL Draft pick from the MIAC in nearly two decades
Written By: Eric Peterson | Jan 23rd 2020 - 1pm.
South team defensive lineman Terrell Lewis of Alabama (24) spars with South offensive guard Ben Bartch of St. John's (75) during Senior Bowl practice earlier this week in Mobile, Ala. Vasha Hunt / USA TODAY Sports
FARGO — St. John's offensive lineman Ben Bartch is holding his own against some of the top college football players in the country this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Bartch has created a buzz during practice for the all-star game, which features the top NFL Draft prospects for players who have completed college eligibility.
Bartch has performed well against players from the top NCAA Division I FBS schools during practices, according to multiple draft analysts covering the event. Bartch plays in the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the same league as the Concordia Cobbers.
"He was a kid that we certainly noticed," Cobbers head coach Terry Horan said. "He has good feet, he's a big, strong kid."
The Senior Bowl is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25., at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, and is being televised on NFL Network.
Bartch first played tight end for the Johnnies before he became an offensive lineman. Bartch, from Dayton, Ore., played left tackle for St. John's this past season and helped the Johnnies advance to the Division III semifinals, losing 35-32 against Wisconsin-Whitewater.
"It speaks volumes for Division III," Horan said. "We are seeing more and more great athletes coming to play at our level. There's been a lot of great athletes in our league."
Horan added "that makes us all proud" to see a player from the MIAC making a bid to play in the NFL.
Could Bartch be playing his way into being selected in April's draft? Below is a sampling of the reactions to Bartch's performance during Senior Bowl practices:
Jordan Reid
@JReidNFL
OL Ben Bartch (St. John’s - MN) is the only Division III player here in Mobile, but he started out as a TE.
There was a secret milkshake that he used to gain 70+ lbs in one summer. I asked him what went into that and how it feels to be at the Senior Bowl:
2:12 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Paul Alexander
@CoachPaulAlex
Top 5 Tackles:
1. Josh Jones (Hou)
2. Ben Bartch (St John's)*
3. Matt Peart (Conn)
4. Tyre Phillips (Miss St)
5. Alex Taylor (S Car St)
*disclosure (I've had coaching sessions with Bartch)
4:02 AM - Jan 24, 2020
Paul Alexander
@CoachPaulAlex
BEN BARTCH (St John’s) was IMO the best offensive lineman on the South Team at Tuesday’s @seniorbowl practice. Poised, technical and smooth. Proud of him as we trained together ... and no, that’s not the reason for my high opinion of his his performance ...
9:13 AM - Jan 22, 2020
Scott Pioli
✔
@scottpioli51
Very encouraging and impressive first day of practice for 2 ‘small school’ OL @seniorbowl - @Tall_inc from & Ben Bartch @SJUJohnnies. Terrific job handling FBS DL-Love seeing @CoachNGodd @CBSSportsHQ @CBSSportsNet @CBSSports
12:49 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Nick Farabaugh
@FarabaughFB
St John's LT Ben Bartch is here to show that pass pro isn't passive. Phenomenal footwork from him every play. Reports are glowing today about him from the Senior Bowl. He looks like he's on another level down in D3.
7:51 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Scott Wright
✔
@DraftCountdown
I think we can officially drop the level of competition concerns with St. John’s (MN) OL Ben Bartch. More than held his own at left tackle against top SEC pass rushers like Terrell Lewis of Alabama and Jabari Zuniga of Florida in the first Senior Bowl practice.
7:49 AM - Jan 22, 2020 · Mobile
Carmen Vitali
✔
@CarmieV
Nagy comps Division III St. John’s OT Ben Bartch to #Bucs Ali Marpet - not necessarily from a skill set perspective but for how big this week could be for the small school product.
Marpet ended up going in the second round out of D-III Hobart after playing in Mobile.
3:41 PM - Jan 20, 2020 · Mobile, AL
Alex Kozora
@Alex_Kozora
South weigh in complete. Impressed with D3's Ben Bartch, OL from Saint John's. 6'5 308 pounds with decent length and well put together frame. Trying to follow Ali Marpet's footsteps. #SeniorBowl
5:53 AM - Jan 21, 2020
Steve Shoup
@Steveospeak
Ben Bartch is not only showing that he belongs here at the Senior Bowl, but that he is one of the better players down here. He keeps this up he could be a Day 2 pick for sure. #SeniorBowl
12:41 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Lorin Cox
@CoxSports1
Another strong day for OT Ben Bartch from @SJUFootball at the #SeniorBowl in one-on-one pass blocking drills
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2020 12:31PM by Rams Junkie.
From the scouts. Multiple scouts have been impressed with OT Ben Bartch, a rare Division-III invite to the Senior Bowl from Saint John's. Bartch, on the South squad, has largely held his own in practice reps against a strong group of pass rushers who are vastly more physical than the competition he faced at St. John's. An area scout for an NFC team said Bartch shares some similar traits to the Senior Bowl's last D-III success story on the offensive line, Ali Marpet of Hobart College, although Marpet played guard rather than tackle. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Marpet in the second round in 2018. ... South Carolina State OL Alex Taylor, whose length is like no other prospect in Mobile at 6-foot-8 with arms of 36-plus inches, has struggled with some of the South's top defensive linemen. According to an area scout for an AFC team, Taylor lacks the necessary anchor strength in pass protection, but is more of a project as a draft prospect, one who could develop nicely in a year or two but wouldn't likely be a ready-made NFL starter. ... A scout for an AFC team noted Lenoir-Rhyne's Kyle Dugger struggled to catch punts on Tuesday in windy conditions, looking rusty in that role after missing the latter half of the season with an injury. Dugger looked more comfortable catching punts on Wednesday in dealing with several offerings of 50-plus yards from South Carolina's Joseph Charlton. ... Texas Tech OT Terence Steele, on the South squad, has struggled with the quickness the South pass rushers have displayed this week, according to a personnel executive for an AFC team. Alabama's Terrell Lewis, who is working with defensive linemen in Mobile, beat Steele for a strip of Colorado QB Steven Montez late in Wednesday's team drills.
video: [twitter.com]
[www.inforum.com]
FOOTBALL
St. John's offensive lineman vying to become first NFL Draft pick from the MIAC in nearly two decades
Written By: Eric Peterson | Jan 23rd 2020 - 1pm.
South team defensive lineman Terrell Lewis of Alabama (24) spars with South offensive guard Ben Bartch of St. John's (75) during Senior Bowl practice earlier this week in Mobile, Ala. Vasha Hunt / USA TODAY Sports
FARGO — St. John's offensive lineman Ben Bartch is holding his own against some of the top college football players in the country this week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The 6-foot-6, 305-pound Bartch has created a buzz during practice for the all-star game, which features the top NFL Draft prospects for players who have completed college eligibility.
Bartch has performed well against players from the top NCAA Division I FBS schools during practices, according to multiple draft analysts covering the event. Bartch plays in the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the same league as the Concordia Cobbers.
"He was a kid that we certainly noticed," Cobbers head coach Terry Horan said. "He has good feet, he's a big, strong kid."
The Senior Bowl is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25., at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, and is being televised on NFL Network.
Bartch first played tight end for the Johnnies before he became an offensive lineman. Bartch, from Dayton, Ore., played left tackle for St. John's this past season and helped the Johnnies advance to the Division III semifinals, losing 35-32 against Wisconsin-Whitewater.
"It speaks volumes for Division III," Horan said. "We are seeing more and more great athletes coming to play at our level. There's been a lot of great athletes in our league."
Horan added "that makes us all proud" to see a player from the MIAC making a bid to play in the NFL.
Could Bartch be playing his way into being selected in April's draft? Below is a sampling of the reactions to Bartch's performance during Senior Bowl practices:
Jordan Reid
@JReidNFL
OL Ben Bartch (St. John’s - MN) is the only Division III player here in Mobile, but he started out as a TE.
There was a secret milkshake that he used to gain 70+ lbs in one summer. I asked him what went into that and how it feels to be at the Senior Bowl:
2:12 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Paul Alexander
@CoachPaulAlex
Top 5 Tackles:
1. Josh Jones (Hou)
2. Ben Bartch (St John's)*
3. Matt Peart (Conn)
4. Tyre Phillips (Miss St)
5. Alex Taylor (S Car St)
*disclosure (I've had coaching sessions with Bartch)
4:02 AM - Jan 24, 2020
Paul Alexander
@CoachPaulAlex
BEN BARTCH (St John’s) was IMO the best offensive lineman on the South Team at Tuesday’s @seniorbowl practice. Poised, technical and smooth. Proud of him as we trained together ... and no, that’s not the reason for my high opinion of his his performance ...
9:13 AM - Jan 22, 2020
Scott Pioli
✔
@scottpioli51
Very encouraging and impressive first day of practice for 2 ‘small school’ OL @seniorbowl - @Tall_inc from & Ben Bartch @SJUJohnnies. Terrific job handling FBS DL-Love seeing @CoachNGodd @CBSSportsHQ @CBSSportsNet @CBSSports
12:49 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Nick Farabaugh
@FarabaughFB
St John's LT Ben Bartch is here to show that pass pro isn't passive. Phenomenal footwork from him every play. Reports are glowing today about him from the Senior Bowl. He looks like he's on another level down in D3.
7:51 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Scott Wright
✔
@DraftCountdown
I think we can officially drop the level of competition concerns with St. John’s (MN) OL Ben Bartch. More than held his own at left tackle against top SEC pass rushers like Terrell Lewis of Alabama and Jabari Zuniga of Florida in the first Senior Bowl practice.
7:49 AM - Jan 22, 2020 · Mobile
Carmen Vitali
✔
@CarmieV
Nagy comps Division III St. John’s OT Ben Bartch to #Bucs Ali Marpet - not necessarily from a skill set perspective but for how big this week could be for the small school product.
Marpet ended up going in the second round out of D-III Hobart after playing in Mobile.
3:41 PM - Jan 20, 2020 · Mobile, AL
Alex Kozora
@Alex_Kozora
South weigh in complete. Impressed with D3's Ben Bartch, OL from Saint John's. 6'5 308 pounds with decent length and well put together frame. Trying to follow Ali Marpet's footsteps. #SeniorBowl
5:53 AM - Jan 21, 2020
Steve Shoup
@Steveospeak
Ben Bartch is not only showing that he belongs here at the Senior Bowl, but that he is one of the better players down here. He keeps this up he could be a Day 2 pick for sure. #SeniorBowl
12:41 PM - Jan 21, 2020
Lorin Cox
@CoxSports1
Another strong day for OT Ben Bartch from @SJUFootball at the #SeniorBowl in one-on-one pass blocking drills
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/24/2020 12:31PM by Rams Junkie.
