Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1492675
2 4 M A R C H 2 0 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 3 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / M ega Barnwell lives up to his name. A 6-foot-6, 250-pound athlete from Fredericksburg, Va., he's the tallest member of Penn State's 2023 recruiting class, and he used that size to great effect in his three varsity seasons at Riverbend High. Barnwell averaged just over 21 yards per catch and scored 15 touchdowns dur- ing his career as a tight end with the Bears. "For our team, Mega was always a big play waiting to happen," Riverbend coach Nathan Yates said. "Our players fed off of that. His energy was very contagious." Penn State was happy to bring that sort of playmaking ability into its program. Barnwell already had a scholarship offer in hand after a freshman season at Spot- sylvania (Va.) High in which he totaled 250 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 8 re- ceptions. He quickly accepted the Nit- tany Lions' offer, and after transferring to Riverbend ahead of his sophomore year, he showed his debut was no fluke, scor- ing touchdowns on 8 of 12 receptions in a COVID-shortened 2020 campaign. It was after that second high school season that Barnwell began to feel as though he may have committed too early. In January 2021, he announced that he was reopening his recruitment. He went on to field scholarship offers from Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame and many others, but none were able to earn his pledge. He returned to Penn State's class the following fall, reaffirming his original commitment on the weekend of PSU's White Out game against Auburn. Since then, he's been back in his cus- tomary position at the front of the class. He was the first of Penn State's 2023 re- cruits to officially sign, inking his letter at 7:10 a.m. on Dec. 21. He was also the first player to be introduced during PSU's signing-day live stream, and he was part of the team's contingent of January en- rollees. Now that he's on campus, the biggest question concerning the On3 Consensus three-star athlete is where he fits into the Lions' plans. He's at tight end now but has expressed interest in the defensive line and could also develop into an offensive lineman. Coach James Franklin isn't sure how that will play out but is thrilled to have a player with Barnwell's size and athletic talent at his disposal. "At the end of the day, we want guys to play the position they want to play," Franklin said. "A lot of times, guys will see on their own that they need to move. But to be honest with you, we just wanted him in our program. He's a really good athlete, great family, really good student, with position flexibility." ■ TE | 6-6 | 250 Riverbend High Fredericksburg, Va. Rankings * Stars Nat. Pos. State On3 Consensus HHH 470 16 11 On3 HHH — 49 35 ESPN HHHH — 10 7 Rivals HHHH — 22 5 247Sports HHH — 26 12 * Barnwell is listed as an athlete by the four major recruiting sites Statistics • Caught 21 passes for 349 yards and 4 touch- downs as a senior • Finished his career at Riverbend High aver- aging 21.4 yards per reception Notable • Was named team MVP following his junior and senior seasons • Helped Riverbend compile a 22-8 record in his three seasons at the school • Was a first-team all-state choice as a tight end and earned a second-team nod as a de- fensive lineman Recruitment • Initially committed to Penn State on June 8, 2020 • Decommitted in January 2021 but rejoined Penn State's class on Sept. 25, 2021 • Picked the Lions over offers from Ohio State, Oregon, Notre Dame and Tennessee • Recruited by running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle • Officially visited Penn State on June 17, 2022 • Enrolled in January 2023 2023 Projection Barnwell has the skill set to fit in at tight end, his current position, but he could also grow out of that spot and find a home on the defensive or offensive line. No matter what the long-term fu- ture holds, a redshirt season this fall seems likely. They Said It BWI analyst Thomas Frank Carr: "Barnwell is a jumbo-sized skill position player. He's not just a big tight end. All of the skill position play you need, he brings to the table. At 6-foot-6 with long arms and gigantic hands, he's a guy who can just devour the football in the air. Defensive backs at the catch point really don't have a chance." After decommitting in January 2021, Barnwell rejoined Penn State's class eight months later. PHOTO COURTESY BARNWELL FAMILY Mega Barnwell Nittany Lions are hoping for big things from the Virginia athlete M AT T H E R B | M A T T. H E R B @ O N 3 . C O M T H E B A R N W E L L F I L E