Today we meet someone who has become a defensive leader and an All-Big East candidate.
#36 LB Sam Barrington
Junior, 6'2", 210 lbs.
Stats In 2010: Sam was one of the leaders of an extremely young linebacker corps, playing in all 13 games last season and starting 12 of them. Barrington was third on the team with 65 tackles, 6.5 for loss, and half a sack. Sam also forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble himself.
Current Position On Depth Chart: Barrington is currently listed as the starter at middle linebacker on the post-spring depth chart.
How He Came To USF: Barrington came to USF from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville. Considered one of the best linebackers in the state, he racked up 109 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and an interception his senior year. Barrington also played running back and ran for 1188 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Braves his senior year. Sam chose USF over Miami, Florida, Clemson, and Illinois.
Recruiting Rankings: Barrington was listed as a three-star recruit by both Scout and Rivals. Scout listed him as the 18th-best MLB and Rivals ranked Sam as the 37th-best ILB in the class of 2009.
Projected Playing Time In 2011: Sam has emerged as the leader of a linebacker group that will be one of the best groups in the Big East. Barrington, DeDe Lattimore, Mike Lanaris, and Reshard Cliett will all have the opportunity to play together and hopefully wreak some havoc over the next couple of years. Already coming off a strong 2010, we think Sam will make the leap in 2011 and become a household name in the conference.