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Canton (IL) 2020 OL Micah Barnhart is a versatile DL/OL that should see his stock rise this spring/summer. Coach Cody Myers also gave me his thoughts on Barnhart on and off the field.

Micah Barnhart

Defensive Tackle/Offensive Tackle
Canton
Canton, IL
GPA: 3.80/4.00
Commitment status: Undecided
Twitter: @mbarnhart142325

Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 255 lbs
Class: 2020

LPI: What schools have you been in touch with? Any schools close to offering?

MB: I am fairly new in the recruiting process and have not had a significant number of schools contacting me yet. I am at the end of my sophomore year and started varsity last season and am hoping to make some contacts with schools as the spring and summer approaches. I was focused last season on becoming a varsity starter and accomplished that goal and now in addition to improving my skills and preparing for the upcoming season in the fall to help my team succeed, I have started to try and get some exposure to colleges.

LPI: Have you made any visits recently or do you have any visits coming up? If so, where at and when?

MB: I have not made any official visits, but I plan on attending the Lemming showcase in April and am planning on multiple camps and showcases this spring and summer. I hope this will allow me to show my skills and meet some coaches. I feel that it is sometimes more challenging for downstate players in Illinois to be recognized because of the vast amount of talent in the Chicago area. I play in the same conference as JJ Guedet, Charlie Mangieri, and Josiah Miamen and have learned from their experiences about using services such as yours to gain exposure.

LPI: What have you been doing this offseason to take your game to the next level. Also, do you play any other sports in the offseason?

MB: Our team has been working in the weight room at 6 am for the past 3 months. It has been great for us to get the work in and improve not only in our strength and conditioning, but in our growth as a cohesive team. I also have a strength training class in the afternoon, and often focus on speed and agility after school on my own. I have a personal trainer multiple days each week that works with me specifically on core, flexibility and speed. This is all in addition to pre-season baseball workouts as I have earned a spot on the varsity baseball team as a pitcher and first baseman. With all of these commitments, and trying to maintain my grades in honors classes, it has been a busy winter.

LPI: What are your greatest strengths on the field and do you consider yourself a leader?

MB: I feel that my greatest strength is my aggression and tenacity. I try to commit to make every play with effort and strive to be involved in every tackle no matter the location on the field. I only played on the defensive side of the ball last year, as our coach tried to keep the 3 starting sophomores playing only one way. Next year I plan on playing both the offensive and defensive line and hope to keep the same attitude of making every play my best on the offensive side. We had an amazing group of seniors last season and I feel that next season, I will need to step into more of a leadership role with many of our best seniors graduating.

LPI: What are your personal and team goals for this upcoming season?

MB: My personal goals start with making Captain. That would be a fantastic honor considering some of the players that have come before me in that position. I would also strive to make all-conference and ultimately all-area. Considering we are a 4A school, and 2 of the 2017 5A State semi-finalists came from our conference, getting an all-conference award would be a great accomplishment. The 2 goals to focus on as a team would be making the playoffs, and winning the conference. Those should be the team focus every year and will definitely be the first on our list as a team. I think it would also be rewarding to break the school single game rushing record as a team.

LPI: Who are some of your teammates or training partners that you think can play at the next level, but have gone overlooked by college coaches?

MB: My 2 fellow sophomores that started varsity last season are Jacob Waskow (2020 OT/DT) and Jake Smith (2020 QB) and I feel that they both have potential to be college football players. Jacob is 6’4” 225 lb athletic lineman that has good speed and technique. He is an excellent wrestler with a great work ethic. Jake is a 6’3” 205 lb QB who saw some time at several positions last season. He was the ultimate “utility” player on the offensive side of the ball. He will be our starter at QB. He is a 3 sport athlete as a basketball and baseball player as well. Overall, I feel that we have a good group of returning players and that many have the potential to be college athletes. I am proud to have them as teammates no matter what outcome we have next season.

Coach’s Corner

Canton coach Cody Myers on Barnhart on and off the field

“Micah not only has game changing talent on the field, but also is growing into his role as a team leader with the character to be one of the best we have had in my time at Canton.”