Without his practice jersey and standing in at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Barnes was able to blend in with the crew responsible for his protection.
"We had a pretty good first day," said Barnes, displaying the arm strength during practice that prompted Alabama to offer a scholarship. "We had good tempo and good emotion."
The emotion was evident as sophomore receiver Bryant Eteuati and junior corner Craig North found themselves in a brief tussle before being separated. But even the defense was marveling at Barnes' ability to throw the ball on a line.
By the time Weber State opens its season Aug. 30 at Boise State, the arms of Barnes' receivers might be the same purple as their jerseys due to the bruises from catching his lasers.
"You have to be ready for it," freshman receiver Tim Toone said.
Barnes, who spent the 2005 season as a redshirt at Alabama, tore his right ACL in December of 2006 and missed spring practice. When Nick Saban was hired as Tide head coach, Barnes slipped in the depth chart and decided to leave for more playing time.
As a senior season at Los Alamitos (Calif.) High School, Barnes threw for 2,615 yards and 37 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. Barnes continues to wear a brace, but for security, "I don't need to wear it."
In 2006, Weber State's lackluster passing attack - 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions - allowed opponents to key on the Wildcats' running game. Despite that, freshman Trevyn Smith led the conference with 1,129 rushing yards.
With a veteran offensive line and the conference's top runner returning, Barnes might be WSU's missing link. In 2006, the Wildcats were 4-7, including losing three straight by 12 total points.
"Its easy to see his ability," said McBride, who calls Barnes a football junkie. "During the summertime he had guys watching film.
"He upgrades everybody."
During the summer, Barnes watched film from last season and organized his own get-to-know-you sessions with Wildcat receivers.
"I did a lot of research, I didn't want to go into a situation I didn't know about," Barnes said about the move to WSU. He also talked with high school pal and current Wildcat lineman Kevin Linehan.
"God put me here for a reason," Barnes said. "There are 50 guys here who could play at Alabama and 50 guys at Alabama who should be here. Our goal is to win a national championship this year."
martyr@sltrib.com
