Been gathering some information on the former Alabama signal caller who left the Crimson Tide four games into the 2016 season.
As you may recall, Blake Barnett chose to leave that program at what some would call an odd time. However, to ensure that he would be able to play in 2017 and have three years of eligibility he had to enroll in a junior college, and the Southern California native is attending (but not playing) at Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, Calif.
According to NCAA rules Barnett could play at another FBS school after the fourth game of the 2017 season as long as he graduates from a junior college. Barnett, who is a redshirt freshman that enrolled early at Alabama, has accumulated enough credits to graduate from a junior college in December. Thus, he will be a spring enrollee at the school of his choice and have three years of eligibility.
Barnett did visit ASU during the Utah game, and as disappointing as the result was that night; it did nothing to adversely impact Barnett and his family who were on the visit. According to a source close his recruitment they left Tempe very impressed with the coaching staff and the overall opportunity to play for ASU which is certainly a serious option for him.
Barnett who prepped at Santiago High School in Corona, Calif. is all but a guarantee to continue his college career in the Pac-12. Washington State, Cal, Oregon, and Washington are the conference schools that are pursuing him. With very young and established quarterbacks at Oregon and Washington, Washington State and Cal are in reality ASU’s toughest competition for Barnett’s services. There is no way he will be transferring to a school where he would not be the clear leader for any quarterback competition to start the 2017 season.
So let’s take a look at all the suitors here.
Even though Washington State’s Luke Falk is only a junior the consensus is that he would enter the NFL draft following the 2016 season. There doesn’t seem to be a clear heir apparent that could be a challenge to Barnett if he decided to go there, although Tyler Hilinski was the no. 10 quarterback in his class and is the only signal-caller to play when Falk wasn’t on the field. Hilinski is just a redshirt freshman though so he’s not an established veteran that has been patiently waiting his turn, etc.
Needless to say that the Air Raid system is one that can help a potent quarterback put up incredible stats that would be appealing to the NFL scouts, so that is a major attraction there. Aside from the sacrifice, you have to make to live in Pullman, the Cougars along with Falk will lose their two best wideouts in Gabe Marks and River Cracraft. So that is another aspect that could be less appealing to Barnett.
When looking at Cal in comparison, there seems to be a more established candidate to start in 2017 for the departing Davis Webb, in Max Gilliam a freshman who redshirted this year. Gilliam was ranked 6th among signal callers in his class and on paper could be a stiffer challenge to Barnett. On the other hand, much like Tyler Hilinski, Gilliam is a very young player so that can help Barnett’s chances. Cal’s own version of the Air Raid, being closer to home and having a pair of talented freshmen wideouts in Demetris Robertson and Melquise Stovall are other advantages here.
So that brings us to ASU’s quarterback situation and the level of competition for Barnett.
In theory, the Sun Devils may offer him the easiest path to start. There are questions over Manny Wilkins’ abilities and his security as a starter next year. True freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole is still a big unknown, Brady White will probably not be able to practice full contact until fall camp, and Bryce Perkins will have a lot of rust to knock off in the spring after not practicing for the majority of fall camp and the entire season. Ryan Kelley as an incoming true freshman is a virtual lock to redshirt.
I don’t think anyone including the ASU coaches is, in essence, giving up on any of those signal-callers I mentioned. Yet, when a prospect of the caliber of Barnett comes your way there is no reason to turn him down and the competition will sort everything out like it always does.
Seeing the exploits of N’Keal Harry and recently Jay Jay Wilson, as well as the promise transfers such as Ryan Newsome and John Humphrey pack, are aspects that haven’t gone unnoticed by Barnett. Chip Lindsey has had a ridiculous number of challenges presented to him and overall had done an admirable job navigating the rough waters. That along with being an astute quarterback coach is appealing to Barnett.
I would expect Barnett to make a decision in the first part of December. I know he visited Cal, and I’m not aware of any other visits he took. My read right now is that ASU is situated in a very good place. I wouldn’t call them the favorite, but they are very much in the thick of things with Barnett.
As you may recall, Blake Barnett chose to leave that program at what some would call an odd time. However, to ensure that he would be able to play in 2017 and have three years of eligibility he had to enroll in a junior college, and the Southern California native is attending (but not playing) at Palomar Junior College in San Marcos, Calif.
According to NCAA rules Barnett could play at another FBS school after the fourth game of the 2017 season as long as he graduates from a junior college. Barnett, who is a redshirt freshman that enrolled early at Alabama, has accumulated enough credits to graduate from a junior college in December. Thus, he will be a spring enrollee at the school of his choice and have three years of eligibility.
Barnett did visit ASU during the Utah game, and as disappointing as the result was that night; it did nothing to adversely impact Barnett and his family who were on the visit. According to a source close his recruitment they left Tempe very impressed with the coaching staff and the overall opportunity to play for ASU which is certainly a serious option for him.
Barnett who prepped at Santiago High School in Corona, Calif. is all but a guarantee to continue his college career in the Pac-12. Washington State, Cal, Oregon, and Washington are the conference schools that are pursuing him. With very young and established quarterbacks at Oregon and Washington, Washington State and Cal are in reality ASU’s toughest competition for Barnett’s services. There is no way he will be transferring to a school where he would not be the clear leader for any quarterback competition to start the 2017 season.
So let’s take a look at all the suitors here.
Even though Washington State’s Luke Falk is only a junior the consensus is that he would enter the NFL draft following the 2016 season. There doesn’t seem to be a clear heir apparent that could be a challenge to Barnett if he decided to go there, although Tyler Hilinski was the no. 10 quarterback in his class and is the only signal-caller to play when Falk wasn’t on the field. Hilinski is just a redshirt freshman though so he’s not an established veteran that has been patiently waiting his turn, etc.
Needless to say that the Air Raid system is one that can help a potent quarterback put up incredible stats that would be appealing to the NFL scouts, so that is a major attraction there. Aside from the sacrifice, you have to make to live in Pullman, the Cougars along with Falk will lose their two best wideouts in Gabe Marks and River Cracraft. So that is another aspect that could be less appealing to Barnett.
When looking at Cal in comparison, there seems to be a more established candidate to start in 2017 for the departing Davis Webb, in Max Gilliam a freshman who redshirted this year. Gilliam was ranked 6th among signal callers in his class and on paper could be a stiffer challenge to Barnett. On the other hand, much like Tyler Hilinski, Gilliam is a very young player so that can help Barnett’s chances. Cal’s own version of the Air Raid, being closer to home and having a pair of talented freshmen wideouts in Demetris Robertson and Melquise Stovall are other advantages here.
So that brings us to ASU’s quarterback situation and the level of competition for Barnett.
In theory, the Sun Devils may offer him the easiest path to start. There are questions over Manny Wilkins’ abilities and his security as a starter next year. True freshman Dillon Sterling-Cole is still a big unknown, Brady White will probably not be able to practice full contact until fall camp, and Bryce Perkins will have a lot of rust to knock off in the spring after not practicing for the majority of fall camp and the entire season. Ryan Kelley as an incoming true freshman is a virtual lock to redshirt.
I don’t think anyone including the ASU coaches is, in essence, giving up on any of those signal-callers I mentioned. Yet, when a prospect of the caliber of Barnett comes your way there is no reason to turn him down and the competition will sort everything out like it always does.
Seeing the exploits of N’Keal Harry and recently Jay Jay Wilson, as well as the promise transfers such as Ryan Newsome and John Humphrey pack, are aspects that haven’t gone unnoticed by Barnett. Chip Lindsey has had a ridiculous number of challenges presented to him and overall had done an admirable job navigating the rough waters. That along with being an astute quarterback coach is appealing to Barnett.
I would expect Barnett to make a decision in the first part of December. I know he visited Cal, and I’m not aware of any other visits he took. My read right now is that ASU is situated in a very good place. I wouldn’t call them the favorite, but they are very much in the thick of things with Barnett.
