Michigan State football won’t take 4-star commitment Julian Barnett for granted. The in state prospect is a huge potential addition for the Spartans.
Julian Barnett is a 6-foot-2, 200 pound defensive back/wide receiver from Bellville High School in Michigan. Barnett plays for defensive back guru Jermaine Crowell and committed to Michigan State on Dec. 22.
Barnett is No. 52 player in the country, the No. 7 corner and No. 3 overall in the state of Michigan using the 247 composite rankings. He’s rated a four star in both 247 and Rivals database.
Barnett, an elite level prospect has over twenty offers, some of the top ones being Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia, Clemson, Notre Dame and Oregon. He also had an offer from a lot of the other instate schools including Michigan. Michigan State was his choice based off of winning, relationships with the coaches, and the ability to develop the defensive back and wide receiver position. Another pull was being able to represent his home state and play with a lot of his friends and teammates.
As a wide receiver Barnett runs great routes and tracks the ball in the air well. He uses his frame to create separation and does a great job of high pointing the ball and catching with his hands. Barnett is a physical wide receiver both as a receiver to create separation and as a very good blocker opening up lanes for his teammates.
As a defensive back Barnett projects to both corner back or safety. Barnett shows great feet and ability to flip his hips while in his back pedal. He’s comfortable in press coverage using his strength and athleticism to have air tight coverage. His physicality enables to excel at making tackles in the run game, a necessity if you are going to play defensive back for Michigan State.
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Barnett suffered a leg injury in the winter but is healthy and dominating every camp he has attended. He was selected to The Opening finals later this summer after dominating the Ohio regional. He also earned an invite to the Rivals 5 Star Challenge after another dominating performance at the Rivals 3 Stripe camp in Chicago. Barnett has also been invited to play in the Under Armour All American game. Look for Barnett to continue to add more accolades along the way.