Four Star Recruit Andy Bauer Snubs Ole Miss and Recommits to Missouri

Andy Bauer, offensive tackle from St. Louis, Missouri, committed to Missouri back in April of 2012, but later uncommitted in the fall of 2012. Bauer, in March, verbally committed to Ole Miss. This afternoon, with a written statement on Twitter, he recommitted to Missouri.

"“Through much prayer, discernment, and communication with my family I have decided to attend and play football for the University of Missouri. I want to thank Coach Freeze for the opportunity to play at Ole Miss. I want to thank Coach Luke as well for recruiting me and developing a very strong relationship with me, he is a great person and someone I look up to. I am disappointed that these relationships will end. This was a very tough decision and one that was not taken lightly. My relationships with Coach Gary Pinkel, Coach Josh Henson, Coach Cornell Ford, Coach Bruce Walker, Coach Alex Grinch and the rest of the staff at Mizzou have me very excited about my future there. I am very close with my family and the opportunity to be geographically close to them was too much to pass up. Almost my entire family has attended Mizzou and it is tradition for me, my heart has always been there. Mizzou has never stopped recruiting me. Coach Pinkel, Coach Henson, and Coach Ford have stuck with me through the entire process. I have had a relationship with Coach Henson since I was 14 years old. I am excited to be able to play for and represent my home state school. I want to be a part of bringing a championship to the state of Missouri and Mizzou. I am very thankful for the opportunity to study and play football at the University of Missouri.”"

This is an enormous commitment for the Missouri football program, as Bauer is rated as the number one recruit in the state and 105th in the nation. He missed his entire senior season after a hip injury, but still gets high praise as far as his recruiting rankings go. Bauer’s high school coach has said that Bauer is about 80-85 percent healthy after his August hip surgery. Obviously he has changed his mind before, so he could again, and nothing is set in stone until National Signing Day, but if Missouri pulls this off, that would be a huge pick-up for the future.