Published: 5:38 PM, 08/16/2010
Last updated: 5:40 PM, 08/16/2010
By: Steve Behr Sports Editor
It's not like Kalik Barnes wants to go through Appalachian State's fall workout unnoticed. Often times, that's just the way things go for freshmen.
Barnes, a 6-foot, 190-pound freshman originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., but most recently from Atlanta, is one of two quarterbacks on the Appalachian State not wearing a red jersey. Those are reserved for junior DeAndre Presley and redshirt (pardon the accidental pun) freshman Jamal Jackson, who are competing for the starting job.
Barnes, a biology major because partly he likes the challenge, is the third-stringer. Until Wednesday, he was relatively anonymous - except for one thing that stuck out like a red shirt. His jersey number.
Barnes said he did not ask for the No. 14 that for the past four years, Armanti Edwards, turned into an Appalachian institution. It's not known just how long Barnes will get to wear the number since it's likely just a matter of time before Edwards' No. 14 is retired.
Barnes is very aware of what No. 14, and what the player who wore it before he, means to the Appalachian State program. Barnes takes it in stride. "He's one of the greatest players to come through ASU, so I hear about him all the time," Barnes said. "I'm going to try to do my best to uphold the number. It's an honor to even have it."
It would be very premature to compare the two quarterbacks just yet, but the two have one thing in common: neither was at the top of the depth chart when fall camp began. Edwards was as deep as fourth on the ASU depth chart before he climbed up to No. 2 by the season opener. By the third game, he was the starter and the rest - as the clich� goes - is history.
It looks like Barnes has climbed to No. 3 on the 2010 chart. ASU's other quarterback, Jay Yokeley, did not play in the scrimmage Wednesday, but saw some action late Saturday. Now I'm not here to say that Barnes is ready to rocket into the starting lineup just yet. But he showed poise in the pocket, some explosion when running the ball and a strong and accurate arm during both scrimmages.
Edwards also showed all three of those things in his fall freshman camp. True, Barnes didn't face a defense made up of preseason All-Americans, like Presley did when the ASU starters squared off against each other. But it was hard to miss that there is something there with the outgoing and personable Barnes. It was there with Richie Williams and it was there with Edwards. Both were also buried deep in the depth chart at the start of their freshmen fall workouts. Both rose to the top of the FCS division.
Will history repeat itself? It's way, way too early to tell and unfair to put those expectations on Barnes. But after two scrimmages, Barnes is off to a good start.
