Quince Orchard Cornerback Bryce Barnes Ready for Larger Role as Junior

Maryland prioritized Quince Orchard (MD) cornerback Ryan Barnes during the 2021 cycle before he committed to Notre Dame one month ago today. The recruiting process for Ryan helped his younger brother, Bryce Barnes, get a closer look at the process as the 6-foot, 165-pound cornerback already holds a pair of offers from East Carolina and Michigan. It helped that the brothers were able to workout and train together this offseason as they’ll join a loaded Cougar defense this fall.

“I’ve been doing position training, watching film & lifting weights to get myself ready for my junior year,” Barnes told All Terrapins. “It’s amazing having someone like my brother who knows the game really well, that can help push me as we get ready for next season.” That competitiveness between the brothers helped Bryce get a stronger grasp of his offseason development ahead of a larger role as a junior.

“Definitely my coverage skills overall improved a lot. My open field tackling ability & my football IQ are areas that I’m proud of.”

His potential in the secondary has earned him a growing profile on the recruiting trail as he gained exposure during the offseason. “I visited Maryland, Tennessee, Duke and Clemson during my brother’s (Ryan’s) recruitment process. I received my offers after the quarantine started so I look forward to visiting Michigan & East Carolina when I can. It’s truly a blessing to be able to have opportunities to fulfill my dreams on the next level.”

With the focus on Ryan during his visits, Bryce got a chance to sit back and take in each school as he enjoyed the experience of getting to visit new places. “They are great football programs that are dedicated to their student athletes on & off the field.” While Bryce enjoyed Ryan taking him under his older brother’s wings, the early visits gave him a chance to better understand his interests and desires.

“Those were a few schools that were high on his list & my parents, so the focus was to find a well-balanced opportunity for my brother as a student-athlete on the next level. Each place is different but honestly I wasn’t focused on the detailed differences per school because I didn’t have any offers from those schools & it was part of my brother’s process. Now that I do have offers, when I visit, my focus will be different.”

“I’m thankful that my brother wanted me to be involved with his recruiting process so I would be ready for mine.”