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OGDEN, UTAH - Weber State University head football coach, Ron McBride, has announced that Jimmy Barnes, a 6-5, 240 sophomore quarterback from the University of Alabama, is transferring to Weber State. Barnes will be immediately eligible to play and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
*Jimmy was a big time player on the high school level,* said McBride. *All the major schools in the country were after him. Not only does he have a strong arm, but he is a student of the game and makes intelligent decisions in the heat of battle. His father was his high school coach and is one of the most respected coaches in California. Los Alamitos is one of the top high school football programs in the country so he*s been around success most of his life. I have full confidence he will learn our system quickly and be ready to compete in Fall camp.*
Barnes spent the 2005 season as a red-shirt at Alabama. In 2006 he became the team*s backup midway through the season. He threw his first collegiate pass in a 38-3 win over Florida International completing 6-11 passes for 45 yards and one touchdown.
Barnes said he looked at several different schools but said he felt that Weber State would best suit both his academic and athletic endeavors.
*I was really impressed with the campus and the school,* said Barnes. *Coach McBride and Coach McGiven are both great football coaches and I look forward to learning a lot from them.*
In his senior season at Los Alamitos, Barnes threw for 2,615 yards and 37 touchdowns and had just 10 interceptions. He played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl completing 7-13 passes for 117 yards leading the West team to a 35-3 win over the East squad.
As a junior he passes Los Alamitos to a top ten national ranking by completing 155-265 passes for 2,246 yards and 20 touchdowns. His career numbers show over 4,800 yards passing, 57 touchdowns and only 20 interceptions.
Barnes was a high school teammate with current WSU defensive end Kevin Linehan. His father, John Barnes, played quarterback and was team captain at Nevada-Reno in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
