Taking Off The Redshirt: Brandon Barnes

Brandon Barnes is a lethal weapon on the football field. He can truly do it all. In High School he was just as comfortable lining up as a Running Back as he was lining up as a Wide Receiver. And on the other side of the ball you could throw Barnes in at any position in the secondary and he would be just fine. Not to mention the fact that Barnes was something to be feared returning kicks. You might be sitting there thinking 'A lot of players play both ways in high school, but they are normally better at one position.' Well I guess that Brandon Barnes just defies the odds then. He was a consensus 4 Star prospect out of High School, yet Scout an Rivals gave him 4 Stars for different reasons. Scout ranked him the #14 Safety in his class and therefore donned him with 4 Stars. Rivals on the other hand did not know what to label Barnes, but rated him as the #33 Athlete in the class, and donned him with 4 Stars as well. ESPN went the same route as Rivals, but they must have seen something more, placing him as the #8 Athlete in the class.
So you might be wondering what type of numbers Barnes put up on both sides of the ball to garner so much attention? As a Junior Barnes totaled 518 yards rushing (7.5 yards per carry) and 259 yards receiving (25.9 yards per catch) with 9 TD's. He also had 77 tackles (20 in the last game!) and 5 interceptions on the Defensive side of the ball. Barnes showed that he was a model of consistency his Senior season when he averaged 7.3 yards per carry, totaling 539 yards and 8 TD's. He also collected 15 receptions for 207 yards and 3 TD's. On the defensive side of the ball, he tallied 53 tackles and three interceptions. Oh yeah, he also took to kickoff's to the house as well.
Brandon finished his high school career ranked 5th in the 2008 North Carolina class. As a result he represented North Carolina in the annual Shrine Bowl and he went on to play in the Under Armor High School All-American Game with Mike Glennon.
While many recruiting analysts weren't sure what position to classify Barnes as, it looks like the Pack will be using him as a Running Back. Don't think for a second that Barnes will just be used as a prototype Running Back. He is to talented and versatile to be kept in a box. Expect the Pack to use him in many ways.
Barnes has incredible speed (4.4 40 time) and he uses it to his advantage. He is a long strider that likes to run in wide opens paces. Brandon shows great balance and the ability to change direction on a dime. While he seems to be patient in waiting for a hole to open, he explodes through every seam that opens up to him. If Barnes can get the ball in the open he is extremely dangerous, when you combine his speed with his shifty running style. When he runs he is always looking up field, possessing incredible Field vision. When it comes to receiving the ball, he has really good hands, catching the ball away from his body. When he runs routes, he looks like a natural Wide Out, not a Running Back being forced to play the position.
Pack fans should understand that Barnes chose to run with the Pack when he had 40 scholarship offers from schools all over the country including: Florida, USC, Michigan, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Penn State, Tennessee, UNC and South Carolina.
Expect the Pack to use Barnes in a variety of different ways. In the Spring Game you saw him running the ball, catching the ball in the flats, and returning kicks. This young man made the most of his Redshirt season, adding 20 pounds of bulk, standing 6'0 and a solid 200 pounds. Even though Barnes might the 4th Running Back on the Depth Chart, you have to believe that the Pack will find a way to get Barnes on the field. He has to much talent to not make an impact in '09.