Mishawaka Marian (Mishawaka, Ind.) Offensive lineman Kirk Barron is getting the reputation of being a bad, bad man on the football field. That is not to say that he does anything illegal during the game, but rather the 6-foot-3, 290-pound trench warrior can be seen dominating his opponent on almost every single exchange.
“I would say that I'm a really nasty player,” claimed Barron. “I play to the whistle and I play hard, but I also play smart. I try to base my play on being a very nasty blocker that plays to the whistle and puts the guy in front of me on their back every time.”
The Marian standout recently broke the school record for most knockdowns (pancakes) in a season for offensive linemen with over 110.
This type of ferocity has already started attracting the attention of a number of top college programs around the nation including Alabama, Auburn, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Oregon, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin.
“Recruiting is going very well right now,” claimed the dominant lineman. “I'm hearing from several schools from just about every conference and I think that's very positive. I don't have any offers currently, but I think with the season coming to a close, I should be getting a couple offers pretty soon.”
One school he has yet to hear from just happens to be a stone's throw away from his home, but he hopes that will change very soon.
“I'm definitely interested in Notre Dame and I like the whole tradition there,” he explained. “I really like the way the offensive line is playing this year and they’re a real dominating force. That's the kind of football I like to play personally.
“I really want to get in contact with them and see if they're interested in me. I'm pretty optimistic about them. I mean I'd like to hear from them, but being I'm only 6-foot-3, I'm not sure I'm the size of player they recruit for the offensive line. Who knows? I also play defensive line, so maybe they'll look at me there and I think I'm pretty good at that too. I'm hoping to visit there sometime soon.”
The talented junior is in the midst of leading his team towards a state championship in the playoffs, but at same time he can't help but think about what he'll be looking for when he's ready to move on to college, and it seems it will have a lot to do with the leadership of the institution’s football program.
“I think a big thing I'll consider, when choosing a school, will be the coaching staff,” shared Barron. “I'll see if I relate very well to the coaches and how long they're going to stay there. I want to see how consistently they get their players to the NFL because that's a very important aspect to me and my family.
“I really haven't made a decision, but I think distance will play a little bit of a factor. I'd really like to play close to home, but if I don't, I don't. I just want to play football at a very high and elite level, so wherever that might be, so be it.”
