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According to 620 WDAE’s J.P. Peterson, former Alabama and most recently Arizona State quarterback Blake Barnett has indeed decided to transfer to USF.
Great source telling me Blake Barnett has decided to transfer to USF. @USFFootball hosted him on a visit. He will have 2 years of eligibility and be immediately eligible. He was a 5 star recruit started for Bama in opener replaced by Jalen Hurts then went to ASU. Huge for USF
— JP Peterson (@JPPetersonSprts) May 8, 2018
USF could not confirm the news and messages to Barnett’s dad have not been returned.
Barnett, who graduated over the weekend, will be immediately eligible and have two years left to play. It’s quite impressive that he was able to graduate in three years while transferring in the middle of it, get married, and have a kid.
Barnett was the number two pro-style quarterback behind Josh Rosen in the 2015 signing class per 247sports.
The Santiago High School (CA) product had a good debut in 2016 against Southern California, completing 5-of-6 passes for 100 yards and score. Unfortunately for Barnett, Jalen Hurts also has his way with the Trojan defense and eventually won the starting job for good. Barnett would appear in two more games for the Crimson Tide before transferring.
At ASU, Barnett was delcared immediately eligible for 2017 but couldn’t beat out Manny Wilkins for the job and only threw five passes. After this spring, he decided he would transfer again.
As for USF, they get a highly-touted quarterback who won the Elite 11 MVP in high school and who also has an affinity for photography. If you’re thinking that it sounds familiar, well that’s because it is. You remember Asiantii Woulard, right?
The Bulls will now have five (5) scholarship QB’s heading into the fall, assuming Brett Kean or Chris Oladokun don’t transfer after this news (which I don’t blame them). For a coaching staff that preached and touted continuity and familiarity with the offense for the two returning quarterbacks, to bring in another guy to compete for the starting job with less than four months in the program before the Elon game seems like a comment on their belief of the quarterbacks on the roster already.
This coaching staff, offensively at least, has not gained the benefit of the doubt for their decisions after the blatant mismanagement during games last season.
I hope I’m wrong, and this works out for everyone. But, color me skeptical that this doesn’t blow up in head coach Charlie Strong and offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert’s face.
Welcome aboard Blake.