Just talked with Lakewood DL Todd Barr, and what a good kid. Solid head on his shoulders, smart, engaging, seasoned. He’s absorbing the recruiting process slowly, because quite frankly, he didn’t expect it.
Check out what he has to say after the jump, but first, his profile:
Barr
Jon Gold: Todd, how’s your recruiting situation going?
Todd Barr: “I’m doing well – I just received an offer from Stanford last week, and that’s the most recent thing. Coach told me Colorado will be offering real soon. Since I last talked to anyone, I’ve gotten offers from Minnesota, Northern Arizona, Stanford and then Colorado.”
JG: A lot of kids grow frustrated by the recruiting process; how are you handling it?
TB: “It’s a great experience, I’m not going to lie. Four years ago, I never thought I would be a prospect, maybe going to a school like UCLA, a big-time school, period. I don’t want to make it such of a burden on myself. I want to enjoy it until the day it comes that I make my decision. I’m always thinking about things – where I could go, how I could fit in there- and it’s a serious thing, but I have fun with it.”
JG: What’s most important to you when picking a college?
TB: “Education is very important, because football doesn’t last forever. Relationship with the coach is a big, big thing for me. I’m going to be with him for four years, I need to be able to talk to him. Location is a big part – I want my family to attend my games. Also, can this coach get me to the next level? That’s every kid’s dream, and I want to play for someone who will help achieve that dream.”
JG: Does UCLA’s recent history scare or impress you?
TB: “People ask me this all the time – I never base a decision on a team’s past. I’m going to base it on how the team is preparing to come up on the uprise. What they’ve achieved is already in the books. I don’t care about the past.”
JG: What would you bring to UCLA?
TB: “I bring the attitude of wanting to win. I don’t care if I play now. I want to play to make the team win. If I don’t play in a game, I’ll practice 110 percent. I might not play as much as I want, but I’ll play for the guys in front of me. I bring great character. I bring some talent for the game, yeah, but I don’t want to be conceited.”
JG: Were you impressed by UCLA’s last recruiting class?
TB: “I was impresed by the class – but it didn’t affect me. It kind of does, yes of course, with them coming in, when I pick a school, I have to look. But it doesn’t affect my decision.”
JG: What are your thoughts on redshirting?
TB: “I’m thinking about redshirting to get the full college experience. People see it as a negative thing – if I have to redshirt, that’s fine for me. I can go in, get ready, get adjusted to college life – nothing is wrong with it. It’s a hard situation because of course playing your first year would be great, but there’s nothing wrong with redshirting.”