Freddie Barnes, a redshirt freshmen out of Chicago Heights, Ill., will make his first career start on Saturday against the Wisconsin Badgers at Cleveland Browns Stadium as part of the “Clash in Cleveland.”
“I can’t wait to see how Freddie will do,” said coach Gregg Brandon. “He’s really stepped up and embraced the role of a starter. He’s a dynamic player. He’s fun to watch and he’s a great kid to be around. I’m excited for him.”
Barnes will start because of a one-game suspension handed to Anthony Turner over the summer. Turner is expected to return to starting after serving his game suspension against the Badgers.
Being thrown in the spotlight so quickly is no easy task to handle, but Barnes feels he is prepared.
“I’m nervous and excited. It’s a very wanted feeling. I’m just there to manage the offense as Omar and Josh did in the past just to keep us out of bad situations and don’t put the stress on our defense.” Barnes said
Barnes will go up against a very experienced Wisconsin defense. Although Wisconsin won last season’s game against BG, the Badgers will be looking to avenge their defense output where they gave up 42 points and 531 yards of offense.
“I’m just expecting us as a team to go out and play hard,” Barnes said. “We’re really getting tired of hitting each other like very single day and not being able to go as hard as we want to.”
Barnes will manage an offense that returns senior wide receivers Kenneth Brantley and Ruben Ruiz and redshirt junior Dan Macon at running back.
“Freddie is a great player – a great athlete,” Macon said. “He’s an exciting player to watch. I kind of compare him more to a Josh Harris type than Omar Jacobs. I played with both of them so I got to see a little bit of both of them. I think people are going to like watching him play.”
After redshirting last season, Macon is anxious to get back out on the field after his last carry was for a three-yard loss against Memphis in the 2004 GMAC Bowl. By all accounts, Macon is the fastest player on the team this year, so erasing the thought of that three-yard loss should not be hard.
Brantley, who is a fifth-year senior captain, believes Barnes can be a very special player on offense.
“We really expect Freddie to open up some things with his legs because he has that type of ability to open up things with his legs with the run game and maybe that can open up the passing game,” he said.
Barnes is only expected to start the game in Cleveland against Wisconsin with sophomore Anthony Turner returning when the Falcons return home against Buffalo, but Barnes expects to be doing something to do with the offense.
“It’s really up in the air right now,” Barnes said. “I’m pretty sure I can play a few positions, me being as athletic as I am. I’ll probably stay on the offensive side of the ball either at running back or wide receiver.”
Whether Barnes plays at quarterback, wide receiver or running back, it seems as if he will make things exciting for the Falcons this season.
With Barnes, Brantley and Macon on board, the Falcons hope to turn last season’s 6-5 record into a Mid-American Conference Championship and an appearance in a
bowl game.
