It didn’t take a brain surgeon to realize Liberty County High School stand out Cornelius Barham was a good football player. After all, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound defensive end was a leader for the Panthers on and off the football field during his four years at LCHS.
But Barham, who said he drew interest and scholarship offers from a handful of small schools, seemed to slip under the radar of many college scouts.
So Barham chose rebuilding Georgia Southern - taking the walk-on route in Statesboro.
“I’d rather be around this environment,” he said. “I heard Coach Hatcher was coming up from Valdosta and he was a pretty good coach, so I decided to come here.”
Barham said he’s happy with the decision, though he noted the transition from defensive end to strongside linebacker and the speed of the game have meant a learning curve.
“College is a lot faster on the football field,” he said. “It’s a lot faster and they’re a lot bigger and stronger.”
But Barham, who is a pre sports management major, has impressed GSU Defensive Coordinator Ashley Anders.
“Anytime a true freshman comes in in they’ve got to adust to the speed of the game,” Anders said. “But football is just football. You’ve still got to run, tackle and hit. He does a good job of that. Cornelius is going to be an exceptional player at GSU in the years to come. He’s got the size and he works. He’s got the intangibles to play at Georgia Southern.”
But Barham, who said he drew interest and scholarship offers from a handful of small schools, seemed to slip under the radar of many college scouts.
So Barham chose rebuilding Georgia Southern - taking the walk-on route in Statesboro.
“I’d rather be around this environment,” he said. “I heard Coach Hatcher was coming up from Valdosta and he was a pretty good coach, so I decided to come here.”
Barham said he’s happy with the decision, though he noted the transition from defensive end to strongside linebacker and the speed of the game have meant a learning curve.
“College is a lot faster on the football field,” he said. “It’s a lot faster and they’re a lot bigger and stronger.”
But Barham, who is a pre sports management major, has impressed GSU Defensive Coordinator Ashley Anders.
“Anytime a true freshman comes in in they’ve got to adust to the speed of the game,” Anders said. “But football is just football. You’ve still got to run, tackle and hit. He does a good job of that. Cornelius is going to be an exceptional player at GSU in the years to come. He’s got the size and he works. He’s got the intangibles to play at Georgia Southern.”