You may not be aware of it but BGSU has the top Wide Receiver in the nation statistically. Senior Freddie Barnes is leading the nation in both receiving yards(1285) and receptons(117) and is leading by a landslide. This leads me to believe Mr. Barnes will likely be drafted when April rolls along. Originally, Freddie came to BG as a quarterback but switched to wide receiver once Tyler Sheehan began taking all the snaps under center. My question is how can you value Freddie's draft stock since he plays in the MAC? At 6 feet tall 210 lbs Freddie is certainly considered a little undersized, however his ability to run routes and get open is underrated. Unfortunatly for Freddie, he may be overlooked by some teams because of the conference he plays in. Still, Barnes has been turning heads this season and has been interviewed on ESPN's morning show First Take. He has also received recognition from NFL draft guru Todd McShay after BG's win over Buffalo last Thursday saying." Barnes draft stock is going up every week". All in all, the NFL combine will determine where Barnes will place in the draft. If Barnes' 40 time and strength impress NFL executives, I can see him going as early as the 4th round this coming April.
I agree Sean. I think that Freddy Barnes is improving his draft stock every week. If you look at previous collegiate receivers you would see that those who have a lot of receptions end up doing pretty well if they make it to the NFL. Look at Wes Welker. He is Tom Brady's biggest weapon when it comes to those 3rd and 3 type plays. I think if Freddy Barnes keeps it up and performs well in the combine, he will be possibly even a 3rd round pick.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is great that we have such a great player in Freddie and someone to cheer for. It will give Bowling Green a good name. Also if he does go high in the draft more it will put Bowling Green’s name out there, which could increase enrollment. This idea goes back to the idea we talked about in class awhile back. As for his value in the draft because he plays in the MAC should not be considered because there has been great players that have came out of the MAC. A few being Ben Roethlisberger with whom played with Miami and Byron Leftwich who played with Marshall, who then was in the MAC. I hope all the best for Freddie and I am glad that our campus has formed a support system behind him.
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing Freddie Barnes play QB in the BGSU game vs. Wisconsin. It was when BG and Wisconsin played at Browns' Stadium, so of course it was a huge game. I thought he was very poised and I was disappointed when he was switched to receiver. Since he is also a Sport Management student, I asked him about the switch of positions and wondered if it was a reflection of a phenomenon we will talk about, known as "stacking."
ReplyDeleteI definitely think Freddie Barnes will get drafted come April. It's been a couple games since this post, but Freddie still leads the nation in receptions (139) and TDs (16), but has since fallen to 3rd in yards (1,551). All very impressive numbers. Currently, he needs 4 receptions to tie the NCAA record for receptions in a season, and if BG is awarded a bowl game, that goal is very likely of happening. Last week, there was an article about Freddie on Yahoo! Sports. The article addressed how he was recruited as a quarterback and has only recently switched to receiver. It also stated how Freddie had been suffering from injuries the past couple offseasons. Therefore, Freddie hasn't done many "speed" increasing drills that wide receivers normally do, which is a result in his lack of speed. But Freddie is healthier this year, and if he fully commits to a receiver training program this offseason, I truly think Freddie could be drafted in the 4th round and possibly squeak into the late 3rd round.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed to see that Freddie did not win the Biletnikoff Award, but he has had a great career, and I hope we get to see him in the NFL next year!
ReplyDelete