When he learned he was upgraded to the No. 1 prospect in the Orlando Sentinel’s 2022 Central Florida Super60 recruiting rankings, Apopka linebacker Travion Barnes was happy yet not content.
“I feel pretty excited. I don’t even know what to say,” said Barnes, who led Apopka this past season with eight tackles per game and nine tackles for a loss. “But then again, I feel like there’s more I can do. I feel like I haven’t reached my full potential yet.
“I’m just trying to remain humble and keep working to become better.”
The 6-foot, 230-pound Barnes, who put on extra weight during the team’s downtime created by the COVID-19 shutdown, said the No. 1 ranking doesn’t come with added pressure.
“I think it will put more eyes on me, but not necessarily pressure,” Barnes said. “It just makes me want to work harder to stay and stay humble and treat life like chess — think before I make a move.”
Barnes has eight Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers, with the first one coming from West Virginia in January 2020.
“When the coach [Chad Scott] told me [on Twitter] that they were offering me, I started jumping around the house and screaming,” Barnes recalled with a laugh. “It’s always been my dream and it was finally becoming true.”
His other offers are from Auburn, Cincinnati, Coastal Carolina, FIU, Kentucky, Tennessee and USF.
“I’m proud to have just one offer, because I know there are plenty of people out there who don’t get a chance to get an offer,” Barnes said. “So I’m just happy and blessed that I even got an offer from any school.”
Barnes said he’s become a much better leader with experience.
“I want to help other players learn and just have fun,” Barnes said. “When I first came to high school, I was mostly an example leader, but now I’ve become both [leading vocally and by example].”
He’s had the luxury of playing with a solid defense, surrounded by cornerback Nikai Martinez, defensive end Kaven Call and linebacker Josiah Robinson the past two seasons.
“It helps a lot because I trust each one of my brothers that I’m playing next to … that they’re going to do their job,” Barnes said. “So like, if Kaven does his job and I do my job, then Nikai’s job will be easier and vice versa.
The defense led Apopka all the way to the state title game in 2019, and the Darters fell one game shy of that goal this past season. At Apopka, a state title is the only goal and nothing less will be accepted.
“It drives us a lot and I want to see all of my brothers happy, with a ring,” Barnes said. “We want to be able to say that we won the ring and just have memories to talk about when we get older. With the Apopka tradition, you have no other choice but to give your all and just be great.”
He lauded his coach Jeff Rolson as a players’ coach who is always there for his guys.
“He’s helped me through a lot and just talked to be and he’s been there for me through all of this [COVID]. He will talk to me about life things, grades, making sure your grades stay up,” Barnes said. “You can talk to him about anything, not just only football. He’s going to be there for you.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Chris Hays at chays@orlandosentinel.com.
