Udynasty
Redshirt Freshman
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2012
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my take on Barrow
from my Transfer Portal wrapup
The Canes’ pursuit of Barrow Jr. was a rollercoaster. Initially, most pundits had him going to LSU, but after hitting the portal, Barrow left LSU without committing and eventually committed to the Canes. Barrow was seen as a top-three transfer DT in the Spring Transfer Portal, an SEC-caliber guy with proven production at Michigan State. However, things took a turn for the worse as it was reported that Missouri was still communicating with Barrow because of an error that showed Barrow was still in the transfer portal. After days of drama with Barrow’s status up in the air, it was confirmed that Simeon Barrow was, in fact, going to stay with the Canes. Some fans have been worried about Barrow’s production and if teammates will respect him after the initial high drama snafu. Let us remember that this is the NIL era, and Miami recently experienced a prolonged recruitment of Cam Ward that ended up with a video of Ward declaring for the NFL, only to rescind his commitment and commit to the Canes weeks later. If Barrow destroys Florida in game one, no one will remember this “controversy.”
With that being said, what are the Canes getting in Barrow?
The Canes are getting a guy who started 30 out of 34 games for his career with the Spartans, totaling 110 tackles with 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. For context, Leonard Taylor, who played 25 games for the University of Miami, recorded 65 tackles, four sacks, while Branson Deen, who had 37 total games in college, had 91 tackles, and eight sacks. That means that Barrow had superior stats to a fifth-year senior in Deen, who played two more games than him at the college level and almost doubled Leonard Taylor’s production in total tackles while doubling his sacks.
Barrow projects as an immediate starter and an upgrade over both of their starting tackles last year, and possibly the best DT the Canes have had since Gerald Willis III. Barrow is particularly strong in run defense, where he effectively uses his size and strength to disrupt running lanes. He demonstrates good leverage and the ability to shed blocks, making him a persistent threat in the tackle box. His PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade was 72.2 overall and a solid 72.3 PFF against the run. For context, Leonard Taylor’s PFF was 74.8 with a run defense score of 64.4 PFF. Likewise, Branson Deen’s total PFF was 68.3, while his run defense scored at 66.6 PFF. One of Miami’s weaknesses in these past five to six years has been their run defense, and Barrow provides immediate relief in that department for the Canes as he scores significantly higher than last year’s starting unit. His durability and his ability to stay on the field are also a plus, as he played in 469 defensive snaps last season compared to Taylor’s 340 snaps and Deen’s 334 snaps, respectively.
from my Transfer Portal wrapup
The Canes’ pursuit of Barrow Jr. was a rollercoaster. Initially, most pundits had him going to LSU, but after hitting the portal, Barrow left LSU without committing and eventually committed to the Canes. Barrow was seen as a top-three transfer DT in the Spring Transfer Portal, an SEC-caliber guy with proven production at Michigan State. However, things took a turn for the worse as it was reported that Missouri was still communicating with Barrow because of an error that showed Barrow was still in the transfer portal. After days of drama with Barrow’s status up in the air, it was confirmed that Simeon Barrow was, in fact, going to stay with the Canes. Some fans have been worried about Barrow’s production and if teammates will respect him after the initial high drama snafu. Let us remember that this is the NIL era, and Miami recently experienced a prolonged recruitment of Cam Ward that ended up with a video of Ward declaring for the NFL, only to rescind his commitment and commit to the Canes weeks later. If Barrow destroys Florida in game one, no one will remember this “controversy.”
With that being said, what are the Canes getting in Barrow?
The Canes are getting a guy who started 30 out of 34 games for his career with the Spartans, totaling 110 tackles with 18.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. For context, Leonard Taylor, who played 25 games for the University of Miami, recorded 65 tackles, four sacks, while Branson Deen, who had 37 total games in college, had 91 tackles, and eight sacks. That means that Barrow had superior stats to a fifth-year senior in Deen, who played two more games than him at the college level and almost doubled Leonard Taylor’s production in total tackles while doubling his sacks.
Barrow projects as an immediate starter and an upgrade over both of their starting tackles last year, and possibly the best DT the Canes have had since Gerald Willis III. Barrow is particularly strong in run defense, where he effectively uses his size and strength to disrupt running lanes. He demonstrates good leverage and the ability to shed blocks, making him a persistent threat in the tackle box. His PFF (Pro Football Focus) grade was 72.2 overall and a solid 72.3 PFF against the run. For context, Leonard Taylor’s PFF was 74.8 with a run defense score of 64.4 PFF. Likewise, Branson Deen’s total PFF was 68.3, while his run defense scored at 66.6 PFF. One of Miami’s weaknesses in these past five to six years has been their run defense, and Barrow provides immediate relief in that department for the Canes as he scores significantly higher than last year’s starting unit. His durability and his ability to stay on the field are also a plus, as he played in 469 defensive snaps last season compared to Taylor’s 340 snaps and Deen’s 334 snaps, respectively.
