Letter of intent No. 9: Brody Barnhardt
The ninth letter of intent comes from safety Brody Barnhardt of Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day.
Here is a full bio on Barnhardt.
Stats
• Senior year: He finished 109 tackles, three interceptions, two passes defended, eight quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and five tackles for loss. He had 22 carries for 277 yards and five scores, plus four catches for 34 yards. Barnhardt had 17 kickoff returns for 500 yards and one touchdown, and 14 punt returns for 147 yards.
• Junior year: He caught 20 passes for 343 yards and five touchdowns, and added 102 tackles and four interceptions. He averaged 32.3 yards on 10 kickoff returns and one touchdown, and 21.9 yards on 15 punt returns and three scores.
• Sophomore year: Barnhardt tallied 100 tackles, six interceptions and 12 passes defended in 11 games. He also had 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and 31 receiving yards.
Ratings
• Rivals.com: Three stars, No. 68 safety in the country, No. 23 overall in North Carolina.
• 247Sports: Three stars, No. 95 safety in the country, No. 27 overall in North Carolina.
• ESPN: Three stars, No. 34 safety in the country, No. 11 overall in North Carolina.
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day coach Chad Grier
Some players appear to be the perfect mix of style and school.
Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day safety Brody Barnhardt is the prototype player for coach Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack. The NC State signee is a gamer and played safety, running back, slot receiver, punt returner and kick returner in helping the Chargers win three-straight NCISAA Division I state titles.
Providence Day coach Chad Grier has long been impressed with defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Tony Gibson. Grier’s son, former star quarterback Will Grier, played for West Virginia when Gibson was there. Grier is also full of praise for NCSU safety coach Joe DeForest, who will coach Barnhardt in college.
“It’s such a great fit for him,” Coach Grier said. “I think the connection he’ll have with Gibby will be special. He’s a Gibby kind of guy.”
Grier said Barnhardt has some traits that former NCSU safety Tanner Ingle had, but also current outside linebacker Payton Wilson, though he is not built similar to the latter.
“[Brody] was a key foundation in building the program that we’ve built,” Grier said. “To play as well as he did as a ninth grader, and he just kept getting better every year. It has been cool to watch him develop and grow. I’m really proud of Brody.”
Barnhardt caught two touchdowns, had two interceptions and recovered a fumble in a 55-13 win over Charlotte Christian in the 2022 NCISAA state title game. He caught a touchdown, got an interception, returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and a punt 49 yards for a score in a 51-14 win over Arden (N.C.) Christ School in the NCISAA state semifinals.
With so many weapons surrounding Michigan-bound quarterback Jadyn Davis, Grier didn’t have to play Barnhardt as much offensively this past season.
“He is electric with the ball in his hands,” Grier said. “He’s clearly a big-time hitter and he loves contact. He had 3,000 all-purpose yards in his career. He is such a competitor.”
Providence Day went 12-1 with its lone loss to Rabun Gap (Ga.) Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 42-27 on Oct. 20. The Chargers got revenge by defeating Rabun Gap-Nacoochee 34-27 in the title game. Barnhardt had eight tackles and averaged 30.3 yards on three kick returns in the win.
“I never felt more satisfied with that win,” Grier said. “Our defensive staff did such a good job preparing for that second game. Our kids responded.”
— Jacey Zembal
Honors/Accomplishments
• Barnhardt earned NCISAA All-State.
• He was first-team all-conference.
• Providence Day won three straight NCISAA Division I state titles.
Recruitment
NC State prioritized Barnhardt since June 2022, and while some other schools were in the mix, it always felt like the Wolfpack would get him. NC State landed him April 5.
West Virginia, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Virginia Tech were in the mix, and he unofficially visited all of them, but he knew NC State was the right place for him.
Recruiter of Record
NC State safety coach Joe DeForest.
Quotable
“Between going to the game and hanging out, they really separated themselves by constantly hitting me up. There was no up or down. It wasn’t one week they recruited me hard and then were inconsistent.
“Coach [Dave] Doeren made it a priority to meet me every time I went there. Other schools, the head coaches didn’t make that as much of an effort at Coach Doeren.” — Brody Barnhardt
2023 Projection
It wouldn’t be surprising if Barnhardt finds a niche in a dime coverage and special teams, but redshirting would be good for his long-term projections.
Highlights
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