Penn State Assistant Makes Surprising Decision to Leave Alma Mater

Deion Barnes, the Nittany Lions' highly regarded defensive line coach, reportedly is leaving for South Carolina.

Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes greets defensive end Zuriah Fisher before the start of a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Penn State reportedly is losing one of its young coaching standouts, as defensive line coach Deion Barnes is poised to accept the same position at South Carolina, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Barnes' departure represents a twist in Matt Campbell's staff-building process at Penn State.

Barnes, a Penn State defensive end who was the Big Ten freshman of the year in 2012, spent three seasons as the Nittany Lions' defensive line coach. He mentored NFL draft picks Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and Arnold Ebiketie and helped 11 players get to the NFL.

Last season, Barnes guided Carter through his move from linebacker to defensive end, where he became a consensus All-American. Barnes also helped Robinson make the move from linebacker to end and become a first-round pick in 2024. Since 2020, when Barnes became a graduate assistant, Penn State has had seven defensive ends drafted, most in the nation.

Barnes, 32, had been expected to remain on Campbell's first Penn State staff, which still is looking for a defensive coordinator. Instead, Barnes will join former Penn State running backs coach Stan Drayton on Shane Beamer's staff at South Carolina. Both are scheduled to coach the Nittany Lions for the Pinstripe Bowl against Clemson on Saturday.

Sources: South Carolina is expected to hire Penn State defensive line coach Deion Barnes as the DE/OLB coach. He’s been Penn State’s defensive line coach the past three years and worked with the line there since 2020. He coached Abdul Carter, Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac. pic.twitter.com/K2GD2W60EV

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 23, 2025

Barnes, a three-year starter at Penn State, made a quick climb in former coach James Franklin's coaching staff. Franklin hired Barnes as a defensive graduate assistant in 2020 and promoted him to position coach in 2023.

"We interviewed him, we interviewed a bunch of established college coaches and we interviewed a bunch of NFL coaches, and he blew them all away," Franklin said in 2023. "He dominated the interview, and from that point on I started looking at Deion as a legitimate candidate for the position."

Barnes' defensive linemen raved about his technical approach and commitment to their improvement. Among the players who benefited most was Robinson, who played linebacker as a freshman at Maryland before transferring to Penn State.

Upon transferring in 2022, Robinson needed to re-learn the position. Barnes facilitated that, starting with Robinson's hands. The two worked diligently after practice on handfighting, turning Robinson into one of the Big Ten's most-feared pass rushers. Robinson was the 21st overall pick of the 2024 draft.

"When I first got here, and we'd work on my hands technique, I felt like I wasn’t good at it. I was getting frustrated, but he told me, if you work on something every single day and you do something 1 percent better, you’ll eventually get there," Robinson said. "He’s very intentional with those things. Being with him last year, staying after practice and doing all those things, it really paid off. I’m very thankful for coach Barnes."

Barnes appeared set on remaining at Penn State. In a 2023 interview, Barnes explained how he had been pitching himself to Franklin during his time as a graduate assistant.

"I’m passionate as an alumnus to make sure we’re the best we can possibly be," Barnes said then. "It’s always been that way since I stepped in the door. … I've been loving this job ever since I got here."

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Former Penn State Nittany Lions coach James Franklin and defensive line coach Deion Barnes on the sideline for a high school game in Delaware. | Benjamin Chambers/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images