by: Brandon Walker
On Saturday afternoon, Northern Illinois transfer tight end Grayson Barnes committed to West Virginia, adding a key piece at a position that needed depth. He announced his commitment on (X formerly Twitter).
Barnes (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) spent the last two seasons at Northern Illinois, where he caught 54 passes for 760 yards and nine touchdowns. Barnes spent his first two seasons at American River Junior College (CA), where he caught 61 passes for 907 yards and five touchdowns.
He was recruited heavily by tight ends coach Michael Nysewander, and he is the second player to land at West Virginia at the position. Jacksonville State transfer Jacob Barrick came to WVU during the winter transfer portal window.
Barnes is not only a good receiving target, but also a good blocking option. He has not allowed a sack in 261 blocking snaps at Northern Illinois, and he can play as an inline tight end and in the slot.
West Virginia now has four tight ends in the room with Barnes, Barrick, redshirt sophomore Gregory Genross, and redshirt sophomore Colin McBee. West Virginia would like to add more traditional tight ends before they start summer practices.
Find out more about Barnes, including his PFF grades, by watching this episode of Couz’s Corner.
You can follow Brandon on all social media platforms: @bwalkerdadon.
Photo credit: niuhuskies.com
