WSU Football Recruiting: Robert Barber, DT From American Samoa, Makes It Two In A Row From The Islands

“Just FYI: Every player who isn’t highly rated isn’t automatically a “sleeper” or a “diamond in the rough”

But being a sleeper doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to be great. Just means he’s under the radar a bit, possibly with some upside. I think he might have more upside than you indicate. Obviously both Samoans are raw. They only started football prior to high school in the past few years in Samoa. But if they are as big and athletic as some reports indicate, there is potential to coach both up to be more than just helpful depth down the road. I doubt either makes an impact this year. But don’t rule Barber out from being a starter or impact player 4-5 years down the road.

Weight is a difficult thing to judge. When I weighed 175, people thought I weighed 150. When I weighed 200, people thought I weighed 170. Because of work, I haven’t went to the gym in about a year. I gained about 25 pounds and weigh 240. I have stood next to people who weigh around 200 pounds and people still think that person weighs more.

It is probably our genetics, so I am guessing that his weight is fairly close. I have also read that he has actually lost weight and that is when he started showing more potential. When the S&C coach gets a hold of him and he gets into a great conditioning program for the first time, you may see a better player than you think you are getting.

I certainly don’t believe that every player with a low rating is a sleeper, but honestly, this kid wasn’t rated by scout or rivals at all. Neither was Vaeao.

They didn’t have scout or rivals profiles because they weren’t evaluated. And while they wouldn’t be 4 or 5 star recruits regardless of if they had been evaluated, that isn’t where their value lies. These guys are exciting commitments because of their potential, not because of what they would be doing this coming fall.

that every single kid is the next big thing or that everyone on the roster is awesome. Maybe i don’t hang around on cougfan.com enough. I hear they are bit too rosy there. But just calling someone a sleeper, even, doesn’t mean they are great or anywhere near a sure thing. It means, they may be under the radar or raw, and definitely risky (especially to rely on very many of your recruits to be like that). But they may have more potential to develop into more than just depth. And potential doesn’t mean they will either. Not all players around 2 stars or unranked are the same. Not the same upside, not the same downside, not the same risk, not the same degree of really knowing what you’re getting.

I know of some Husky fans who were high on Barber before the Cougs were in on him. I think he has more upside than some of the other recruits who are more under the radar. He may not reach it. I think it’s legitimate to think he may develop more in a few years than someone who’s had great coaching for the past 8 years or so and much more development already. I wouldn’t want to build much of a roster this way, but worth a shot, i think especially at DT, a position where there just isn’t usually as much depth as other positions.

This kid is raw and because of his size and mobility, he’s being compared to other Samoan greats without playing a down of college football instead of being looked at like he should be, as a raw player who is going to sit for at least one year, his redshirt, to learn the intricacies of the position and the college game and then provide depth. A year or two of strength and conditioning could be what allows someone like Barber to get some minutes on a defensive line rotation a year or two from now, depending on development.

I watched the 60 Minutes special and it was amazing watching these kids play in ‘70s athletic gear and terrible fields. It was even more amazing to see the total number of players in the NFL and in college in regards to their small population. Obviously the players from Samoa that are coming are raw, but you would have to assume Joe Salava’e has enough connections to note the players who he is reaching out to have the athletic ability and are known well enough for it to be given scholarships based on their potential.

For all we know, Salava’e could be on to something and Barber and Destiny Vaeao are players with a ton of natural athletic ability who are crude and unrefined, but with some solid coaching could become more than just depth and become solid players.

It’s like pretty far.