Recruiting on the South Plains | 2013 OLB Zach Barnes Commits to Texas Tech

PLAYER: Zach Barnes

POSITION: Outside Linebacker
HEIGHT: 6'3"
WEIGHT: 225
FORTY: 4.78
HIGH SCHOOL: Grayson (Loganville, GA)
VIDEO: Clip 1 | Clip 2
RECRUITING SERVICES: Rivals 5.4 | Scout | ESPN 75 | 24/7 Sports 80
CUMULATIVE RANKING: 63.57
VTM PROFILE DATE: January 29, 2013

OFFERS | BYU, Cincinnati, Furman, Indiana, Southern Miss, Tennessee and Texas Tech

STATS | Nothing that I can find.

THE PLAYER SPEAKS | Via 24/7 Sports, we hear from Barnes about his trip to Lubbock and his overall thoughts:

"It was a pretty difficult decision," Barnes said. "They're both great schools, great programs and they have great academics. It came down to the feel I got at Texas Tech. When I went over there, I loved the area, and how nice the facilities are. I loved the people out there. I loved that they have a history of winning. I just got hooked out there."

SCOUTING REPORT | I wasn't sure where to put this next part, but I thought the scouting report section was better than aboe as we get some insight into Barnes as a player and a person. Via the Gwinnett Daily Post, Barnes played one year in sixth grade and then didn't play until his sophomore year. Then, we also find out that Barnes' father played in the NFL and was drafted by the Chargers. And Barnes also plays on the same team as #1 recruit in the nation, Robert Nkemdiche. Here's Barnes:

"When I'm not playing football now, in the offseason, sometimes I can't go to sleep at night because I'll be thinking about it so much," Barnes said. "I just want to be playing. I want to be out there fighting with my brothers."

There's also this really good YouTube of being interviewed at some sort of NUC event which is like a combine.

In watching Barnes video, it certainly should help to know that he has a ton of help along the defensive line. Significant help. Still, Barnes at defensive tackle quite a bit. He's tireless, really works the line of scrimmage. He plays defensive tackle a ton in his video, probably because that other guy is a really good defensive end and him playing defensive end would be unfair. Knowing what I know now, that he doesn't have a ton of experience and that much of what Barnes is doing is just based off of natural ability, then this makes a ton of sense.

Zach, welcome to Texas Tech and Git Your Guns Up!

The 2013 Class | Soon.