Peach State Standout is a Tiger, Barnes signs with Clemson

★★★ | Khalil Barnes 6'1, 185 | North Oconee High School, Bogart, Georgia

Khalil Barnes‍ is a two-time Georgia 8-4A Player of the Year who scored on offense, defense and special teams in 2022.

Rankings: Listed as No. 20 athlete in the country by Rivals, which also listed him as the No. 42 overall player in Georgia … On3 ranked him as No. 14 athlete and 53rd-best player in Georgia.

In High School: Helped North Oconee to a 13-1 record and a spot in the state semifinals in 2022 … team won its first 13 games of the year and helped coach Tyler Aurandt earn 4A Coach of the Year honors … earned Region 8-4A Player of the Year, as voted by the state’s coaches, in both 2021 and 2022 … 2021 all-state selection … played on both sides of the ball, seeing action at receiver and defensive back … in 2022, scored 18 total touchdowns, scoring on offense, defense and special teams … recorded 35 rushes for 442 yards (12.6 avg.) including a long run of 93 yards and seven rushing touchdowns … recorded 53 receptions for 879 yards (16.6 avg.) with eight touchdown receptions … registered 44 tackles, three tackles for loss, eight interceptions, seven pass breakups and a forced fumble defensively in 2022 … scored twice on defense … posted 13 kick returns for 231 yards, including a 57-yard punt return for a score … had a superlative all-purpose performance against Cedar Shoals in 2022 when he caught eight passes for 142 yards with two touchdowns at receiver in addition to recording a rushing touchdown and a pick-six, giving him four total touchdowns in that game … wore No. 1 at North Oconee High School.

Personal: Born Feb. 28, 2005 … committed to Clemson on Dec. 16, 2022 … originally committed to Wake Forest … later narrowed college decisions to Clemson, Oklahoma and Notre Dame, the first two of which recruited him as a defensive player and the latter of which pursued him as a receiver … expected to enroll at Clemson in January 2023 … first name pronounced “CUH-leel.”

Our Take:

Luke Winstel

Last week, Barnes became the fifth Peach State defensive back to commit to Clemson when he picked the Tigers over Notre Dame and Oklahoma. He told Clemson Sports Talk that the Tigers plan to use him as a nickel and safety.

Barnes could play sooner than his three-star rating would indicate. In high school, I don't think there was much that Barnes couldn't do. He fueled his team's run to the GHSA Class 4A semifinals and was bigger and faster than nearly all of his competition.

The three-star was a late-blooming prospect who used the momentum from a spectacular senior season to become a nationally known recruit. At Clemson, Barnes' size and versatility combine to make him another high-upside defensive back prospect in the 2023 class.

As a freshman, he could serve as Andrew Mukuba's backup at safety and push for extended playing time in his sophomore year in Death Valley.

Morgan Thomas - Was the star player for his team. Can defend, run, catch and pass. Is lefthanded, by the way. At the high school level, he has to be accounted for on every play and plays on both sides of the ball. He is very fast in space and just as talented as a receiver as he is a safety. He will need to transition to safety full and embrace development in a single position at the college level.

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