Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 17, 1995 TAG: 9511170044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Virginia has received football commitments from 6-foot-7, 280-pound Brad Barnes, considered the state's top offensive line prospect, and one of his Tabb High School teammates.
UVa's decision to offer a grant-in-aid to 6-5, 245-pound Dustin Keith, who plays nose guard for Tabb, was the final selling point for Barnes.
``That's where [Barnes] was leaning anyway,'' said Tabb athletic director Willard Hunt, also the offensive coordinator for the Tigers' football team. ``He could have gone anywhere he wanted, but, basically, he wanted to stay close to home.''
Hunt said Barnes tentatively had agreed to visit North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech and East Carolina. North Carolina State had offered a visit to Keith, who, according to Hunt, had scholarship offers from East Carolina, Vanderbilt and James Madison.
``We sent out about 30 tapes of Brad before the season and coaches kept coming back to us and asking, `Who's that No.77 [Keith] at nose guard?''' Hunt said.
``It was a shock to me when he told me Virginia had offered him, but he can play there. He's a diamond in the rough.''
Barnes was named to the preseason All-America team chosen by SuperPrep magazine, which rated him the No.4 offensive lineman in the country.
``He's the first real big-time offensive lineman we've had,'' said Hunt, who was at Tabb when running back Terry Kirby and defensive end Chris Slade played there in the late 1980s.
Kirby and Slade signed with UVa, as did tackle Frank Bjoring, rated one of the top five prospects in the state by the Roanoke Times & World-News in 1991. Bjoring hardly played before injuries caused him to give up football.
``Bjoring was selected basically because he was 6-8, 300 and had good feet,'' Hunt said. ``Nobody stopped to check his track record. He never got through a full season with us.
``He's [Barnes] a much better athlete. He's strong as a bull.''
by CNB