"His ability to relate to the players and recruits is also going to be a strength of his. He has the ability to be hard and demanding on them in a way that they respect and can relate."
In his spring ball press conference, James Franklin covered depth at multiple positions, the hiring of a defensive line coach, and more.
Last offseason, the offense faced off against the defense in a uniquely scored scrimmage.
Barnes spent the last three seasons as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line.
National college football writer Bruce Feldman ranked Franklin above Ryan Day and Lincoln Riley.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. is widely projected as a first-round selection in many NFL mock drafts.