Last January, Marcellus Barnes Jr. confirmed his commitment to Syracuse at the All-American Bowl. The four-star cornerback chose Syracuse over finalists, including Ole Miss and Georgia.
A few months later, experts and Orange fans are eyeing Barnes to be the next Syracuse football rising star, following the steps of Duce Chestnut in his former position.
The Making of Barnes
Barnes played for McCallie High School. He helped McCallie achieve a Tennessee Division II 3A state championship and a 12-1 record. Last year, he finished with 56 tackles, 11 pass break up and 5 interceptions.
Many recruiting scouts see Barnes playing as a nickel corner and as an off-ball safety in the deep third. According to 247Sports National Recruiting Analyst Cooper Petagna, Barnes possesses the growth potential to add additional weight to his frame. He was 6-1 170 pounds entering 2024.
Besides Barnes’ versatility on the field, he was a two-time state qualifier in the 100-meter dash. Given that lateral quickness and track-like speed, experts expect Barnes can play special teams and back up more veteran secondary players in Syracuse. If you know the exacta bet meaning in horse racing, you can probably bet on Barnes to come second in Oranges’ top 4 cornerbacks.
Who Led Him to Syracuse?
Barnes was originally committed to Virginia Tech before eventually choosing to play for Syracuse University. He chose Syracuse over Ole Miss, Baylor, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Florida State, Mississippi State, and Michigan State, among others.
Fran Brown was Barne’s lead recruiter to Georgia before settling as the head coach at Syracuse. He was the key person who helped Syracuse secure Barnes’ commitment.
“Coach Fran is one of the first coaches I was able to connect with early on in my recruitment,” Barnes shared with 247Sports. “We built our relationship ever since the spring and heading into my senior year. Everything is great,” he added.
More than Brown’s consistency, Barnes praised him and said he was genuine and had a lot of integrity. “He hasn’t lied about anything that he told me since I got here. As hard as the practices would be and how tough it would be in the classroom, too,” Barnes added.
In Tennessee, Barnes was the 12th-ranked prospect and 41st-ranked cornerback. So, he’s definitely a huge addition to Syracuse this year.
On Being the Next Duce Chestnut
“You’re a great football player,” Chestnut candidly tells Barnes. “Everybody’s gonna have something to say or try and push you or stuff, just be yourself. It’s gonna come to you easy.”
This was the genuine and simple advice of Duce Chestnut to Marcellus Barnes Jr. It was three years ago when Chestnut became a Freshman All-American and the runner-up for Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year. Currently, Barnes is enjoying the hype from Ornage’s fans and replicating Chestnut’s success three years back.
Among four cornerbacks near locks for the Orange’s depth chart, the four-star cornerback is the youngest. He stands beside former Buffalo player Devin Grant, returner Jayden Bellamy and Notre Dame transfer Clarence Lewis.
Upon his return from LSU, Chestnut will assume the safety position and was projected to start alongside Alijah Clark and Justin Barron. Meanwhile, Barnes is currently among the most talked about young players by his veteran peers and coaches on both sides of the ball.
In fact, he is likely to leave 2024 as a true freshman with the most game reps. Based on the recent practice with a media viewing period Thursday, Bellamy and Barnes were the first to run the defence. Meanwhile, earlier in the week, it was Lewis and Barnes.
According to defensive backs coach Joe Schaefer, Barnes is probably the youngest player on the team, but he’s extremely professional on the field. He also added that Barnes is about his business and shows up every day like an upperclassman.
Remarks from Veteran Peers
Veteran peers Bellamy, Lewis, and Grant said that Barnes consistently challenges them during practice. Last year, Bellamy started six games in the back half of the season and appeared in four at the start. Lewis appeared in 12 games last year though he didn’t start last season in Notre Dame as a senior. He has a pick-six, nine tackles, and three pass breakups. Over four seasons, he’s played 1,476 snaps.
Meanwhile, Grant shifted from safety to cornerback upon his transfer to Syracuse. He is currently the tallest of Orange’s top four cornerbacks at 6-foot-4.
“You can tell he’s a guy who wants it, and as a freshman coming in, that’s great to see because those are guys that can play right now and will be great in the future,” Grant said.
With all praises from his team, Barnes is ready, however he sees the field.
To show his commitment, Barnes said that he will be just that young guy who’ll go out there, and that fans and his team will be able to depend on him to go out there and compete.
Takeaway
Coach Fran Brown upgraded Syracuse’s team recruiting rankings with the addition of four-star defensive back Marcellus Barnes Jr. It was a major boost for the team as Barnes was the third four-star to commit to Syracuse, solidifying Brown’s reputation in building positive relationships with his recruits. This also led to Barnes’ name being hailed as Syracuse rising star, following Duce Chestnut.
