Drew Barker is a true dual-threat quarterback and has the numbers to back it up.
“I’ll go to these camps and some people see me and say, ‘Oh, he’s pro-style all of the way,’” the 6-foot-3, 211-pound junior quarterback from Burlington, Ky. (Conner High School) said.
“But then you turn on the film and they’re like, ‘Oh wow. He can really run it too.’ I think it’s kind of rare and that’s what piques the colleges’ interest in me.”
Barker’s junior season ended with a tough 62-59 loss to Franklin County in the second round of the playoffs.
Barker finished the season with 2,072 passing yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions while adding another 1,455 rushing yards and 18 scores.
Barker compares his offense at Conner to what Oregon and Kansas State run and says his head coach Dave Trosper gets a lot of plays from both programs.
“I basically just do whatever Coach says; throw it, run it, whatever they ask me to do,” said Barker.
And Trosper asks him to do a lot.
“It’s really awesome, especially when Coach Trosper gives me full capability of audibling the plays at the line and calling my own play,” the 2014 quarterback said. “It’s really cool to be the leader and be the one out there who is controlling the team and the offense.
Barker has already grabbed offers from South Carolina, Louisville, Illinois, Purdue, Cincinnati, Indiana, Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Lafayette.
“It’s really awesome,” he said of the early offers. “Playing college football was always a dream and to see those dreams start to come true, it’s definitely a very humbling experience. I just have to thank God and thank my parents for allowing me to take visits and everything I do. I have to thank my coaches. It’s definitely a great experience and it’s an honor to be going through it.”
One school is sticking out among the ones who have already offered.
“Of my offers, South Carolina is the top school right now,” he said. “I like the coaching staff. (Quarterback) Coach (G.A.) Mangus, he definitely seems very genuine and a good guy. I like the offense they run and I like the location. I was there for a visit a couple weeks ago and I really like it.
“I won’t be basing my decision just on the football program, but who I’m going to be around the four years I’m at the university. I’ll have to make sure that I’m the right fit and I feel comfortable with the people.”
In addition to the schools that have offered, Barker says he talks with Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Notre Dame the most. The contact with Notre Dame is recent, but Barker will be making the trip to South Bend this weekend for the Irish’s final home game against Wake Forest.
“In the past couple of weeks, they started sending me letters,” he said. “I talked to Coach (Tony) Alford, I’ve been e-mailing him. We’ve been talking and I’m looking forward to getting down there and meeting him and the rest of the staff face-to-face. They just want me to come down and check everything out and get to meet one another and take it from there.”
Barker is excited about the chance to experience Notre Dame.
“I’ve always wanted to see the tradition,” he said. “I think it’s one of those things all college football fans have on their to-do list, get to a game at Notre Dame. I’m looking forward to the atmosphere, I heard it’s like no other. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the coaches and the staff. Like I said, you have to like the people you’re around. I’ll be looking forward to checking out the campus and taking everything in.”
Barker plans to make a relatively early decision.
“I think I’m going to make it sometime between January and March, maybe even a little more into the spring. I’m not sure yet, but it’ll definitely be before my senior year and probably before the summer going into my senior year.”
