Woahhhh... Huge difference between saying that a guy is going to the NFL vs talking about a guy in the same breath as the first OT taken in the NFL draft with a top 10 pick a year ago. As I said, I like Bars. He has a chance to be a really good one. That said, do I ever picture him being a top 10 NFL draft pick like Ronnie Stanley was? Not if he doesn't do a better job against edge rushers.
If Bars is the best OL Kelly and Hiestand have ever coached, he's a lock to become a 5 time Pro Bowler like 1st round pick Joe Staley. Or when he goes in the top 10 and is the first lineman off the board like Stanley was last year because he was so coveted, or when he goes 16th overall like Martin, despite being an interior OL and is All Pro in the NFL as a rookie.
Until then, we can argue circles around each other, and the only evidence we have is a single year of starting as a junior, when his team went 4-8, ND's running game regressed significantly, sack totals increased after Stanley's graduation and McGlinchey's move from right tackle to left tackle.
I only care about results. Based on your narrative about something Kelly said 3 years ago, you believe that Alex Bars is the best OL ND has had since Kelly's arrival. Also better than Joe Staley, a 5 time Pro Bowler and better than Olin Kreutz, the Chicago Bears 6 time pro bowl center who Hiestand coached with the Bears.
I sincerely hope you're correct on this one. Because If Alex Bars has as good of a senior season as Zack Martin (one in which he was borderline perfect), or out plays Joe Staley and Olin Kreutz, with 11 combined Pro Bowls, the right edge of ND's offensive line is likely in the hands of the best O lineman in all of college football. That would be awesome!