Grayson LB finds new home in Knoxville 

ATLANTA -- Last season was the first time Zach Barnes (Loganville, Ga./Grayson) had played football at the varsity level. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect was part of a team that fielded double-digit FBS prospects and won its first AAAAA state championship in football. But unlike some of the other heralded recruits, Barnes did not see his recruitment take off early.

"The recruiting process was a lot different for me, because I did not have a lot of offers," Barnes said. "There are a bunch of D-1 commits here, so it is hard to get on the field sometimes. But I knew if I just keep working hard everyday, good things will happen. But I went to a few camps this summer and showed out, and it just turned up for me."

One school that Barnes, whose father played in the NFL for the Chargers and Falcons, was able to camp at during the summer was Tennessee. The under-the-radar prospect impressed the Vols' coaching staff, and he earned a return invite for the next camp. After once again showing out, Tennessee extended an offer at outside linebacker, to which Barnes almost immediately accepted.

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