Signed: Damion Barber
WHAT HE DID Harrisburg High enjoyed one of the best seasons in school history, and Barber’s performance was a big reason for the Cougars’ success. Bouncing back from injuries to his MCL and ACL in 2015, he excelled at defensive end. According to PennLive.com, Barber compiled 67 tackles, including 27 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. In doing so, he helped guide Harrisburg to a 7-3 regular-season finish and a spot in the PIAA 5A championship game against Archbishop Wood. Although the Cougars weren’t able to claim the state title, they finished the season with an 11-4 overall record. Barber finished his high school career with 38 sacks.
WHAT HE WON A first-team All-Conference and All-State selection, Barber was also named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year for the Mid-Penn Commonwealth Division. Additionally, he was named PennLive.com’s Defensive Player of the Year. According to Rivals.com’s rankings, Barber is the No. 33 weakside defensive end in the country, and the 10th-best prospect in Pennsylvania for the Class of 2017. He has a three-star evaluation from Rivals.
WHERE HE VISITED Barber gave the Lions a verbal commitment in February 2016 and went on to take only one official visit. That trip was to Penn State on the weekend of Jan. 20, as he joined his 2017 classmates at PSU.
QUOTABLE Barber, on his mother’s visit to Penn State, and his subsequent commitment: “Once she got there and got to see everything and meet everyone, she fell in love with it. She loved the coaches and she likes how much they care about their players. The education that I’ll receive there is great, so [the commitment] was really about her.”
PHIL’S TAKE Barber has the potential to play either the strongside or weakside defensive end position at Penn State. He has an exceptional first step that gives him an explosive outside pass rush and he uses his hands well to shed blocks. Barber will most likely be redshirted as a freshman, but I believe he has the potential to add 20 to 25 pounds and could be a three-year contributor at either defensive end position. He improved substantially between his junior and senior seasons.