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PSU Lands Deion Barnes

Submitted by on January 20, 2011One Comment

Penn State’s recruiting class has, slowly but surely, continued to build up steam as we head towards LOI day just two weeks away. Despite a few bumps in the road,  and though this class won’t be anything to brag about, the impending destruction of the Nittany Lion program has at the least been staved off for another day. At 8 o’clock this morning, one more top prospect committed to Joe Paterno and crew, becoming the 14th commitment to a steadily improving recruiting class–so many of them players who will do the dirty work in the trenches at the next level.

Getting Deion Barnes is no small potatoes, even if the fact that he’s been considered a Penn State lock for months diminishes the impact of his commitment. Though there’s some disagreement between the recruiting services on his true skill level–Rivals ranks him as the #6 defensive end, the #158 prospect in the country, and the #2 prospect from Pennsylvania, while Scout’s sipping the haterade, slotting Barnes in as the the #31 player at his position–he’s still one of the likelier impact players of this recruiting class.

The 6’5, 225 Philadelphian had an impressive offer list–he had narrowed down his selection to Penn State and Georgia, but could’ve taken a scholarship from Michigan, Pitt, West Virginia, South Carolina, or pretty much any other school in the region. It’s not hard to see why he was so highly coveted–he’s got the kind of frame and athleticism that bode well for development into an elite pass rusher.

Barnes’ high school exploits landed him on the second-team all-state, though he was the Philly Public School player of the year, racking up 85 tackles–35 of them for a loss–along with 13 sacks. And he had a straight-out-of-the-movies moment in his final high school game:

He led Northeast to its first city title since 1983, blocking a punt that set up a touchdown and catching the eventual game-winner off of a fake field goal.

But for Penn State, character is often as important as talent, and in Barnes, they’ve got a great kid. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a great story over the summer, showcasing his heart and determination–he’ll be the first member of his family to go to college. But it’s gut-wrenching, too, chronicling his escape from one of the worst areas of a dangerous city:

Since 2007, the year Barnes entered high school, 130 people have been shot within a half-mile of his North Philadelphia home, and at least 20 have been slain. Tragedy has also darkened his family. Barnes’ uncle was shot and killed at 21. That uncle’s son was also shot and killed at 21, buried this summer. And Barnes and his brothers have friend after friend who have been killed in gun violence.

With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand why Barnes would choose Penn State. He gets to stay close enough to home so his parents–who’ve watched every football game he’s ever played–can keep seeing him in person. And he’s going to a school where he can do more than just play football, where the school is as committed to his education as he is. As he told Sean Fitz, at Lions247:

“I am making this decision because of academics and the comfort level. I am not going to be one of those guys that just stays three years, I want to be there for four. For those reasons, I am going to Penn State.”

For an effort that started as slowly as it did, to salvage respectability as the coaching staff has is nothing short of a significant accomplishment. But we need to remember that these recruits are kids, too, and the story of Deion Barnes may be even greater than the defensive end, himself.

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