Trieu: ‘Tenacious’ OL Barnhart commits to Michigan
Michigan received a commitment from Paw Paw junior offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart on Monday.
Barnhart (6-4, 282 pounds) was nearing a decision earlier this month but decided to delay his announcement until he was more certain. He chose Michigan over Michigan State and Indiana — two other schools atop his list — but he also held offers from Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa State, Arizona State, Kentucky and more.
Area recruiter Greg Mattison took the point position in this recruitment, but once Barnhart took several unofficial visits to Ann Arbor in the winter and spring, he got to know the rest of the coaches and that solidified Michigan’s standing with him.
“It started off with Coach Mattison because he is the recruiter for the area,” Barnhart said. “I just love his personality. He is just a really good guy. I’ve connected with Coach (Ed) Warinner and Coach (Patrick) Kugler a lot, too. Coach Warinner recruited me when he was at Minnesota. I just love his coaching style and how he coaches. And also (recruiting coordinator) Matt Dudek. I love Coach (Jim) Harbaugh, too. He is all over the place. I love him. He is a good guy. A real good guy.”
Barnhart has been a varsity player since his freshman season. He played offensive line for two seasons and then played tight end a year ago. The athleticism he showed as a tight end and also on the basketball court led many schools to offer him. That coupled with his strength (he holds the school record in the deadlift with 555 pounds) made him a sought after recruit.
“(He is an) athletic prospect who has played some tight end and shows good agility and foot speed for a big man,” 247Sports says of Barnhart. “He is tenacious, plays the game competitively and blocks to the whistle. Has the feet and base tools for pass protection. He does not have a ton of reps in pass pro yet, but has flashed ability there and is further along in that department than might be expected from a kid who played tight end in more of a run-oriented scheme as a junior.”
Barnhart did finish with 120 yards receiving and one touchdown from his tight end spot.
He becomes Michigan’s 10th commitment in the 2019 recruiting class and he is their first from inside the state.
4-star DB to visit Wolverines
The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich reports Michigan will receive a June official visit from Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian School safety Lewis Cine.
Cine (6-2, 180 pounds) is a top target of the Wolverines, and is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 41 overall prospect in the country.
Penn State is believed to be the team to beat. Cine has 35 scholarship offers.
UM offers 4-star Alabama DB
Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville sophomore cornerback Malachi Moore recently was offered by Michigan.
Moore (6-0, 170 pounds) is ranked by 247Sports as one of the top 100 prospects in the country in the 2020 class.
He has 18 offers total, including Arkansas, Auburn, Florida and Tennessee.
He finished his junior season with 30 tackles, one interception, ten pass breakups, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
More information
Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for 247Sports. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.