There are very few players whose recruitment really takes off during their senior season. Thanks to a position change and some excellent coaching, Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann-Goretti defensive tackle Christian Barmore has seen his offer sheet explode over the last few weeks and he now has an opportunity to play for some of the top programs in the nation.

IN HIS OWN WORDS…

“I’m up to 16 offers now,” said Barmore, a former Temple commit. “Alabama, LSU, Florida, and Georgia are the biggest offers that I’ve gotten recently.

“I took a visit to Maryland last week,” he said. “It was good. I liked it. (Star receiver for the Terps) D.J. Moore is from Philly. We visited everywhere, saw the practice, and saw how they played. It was good to see how they did everything. I went to their camp in the offseason. They liked my athleticism and my energy. They said they could use me at defensive end of defensive tackle. They told me about how much they need me. I’ve watched a couple of their games. The defense is really good.

“Alabama is the big boys in the SEC,” said Barmore. “Georgia is the same way. I love those two and the Florida Gators, along with LSU. I’ve been watching all of these teams a lot this year.

“All the coaches have been great,” he said. “I talked to coach Dunbar a lot at Alabama. He talks to my parents a lot too. He’s telling me to keep doing what I’m doing and keep grinding. He wants me to keep working hard in school and doing what I’m doing on the field. Coach Rumph at Florida is someone I talk to a lot also.

“At Georgia, I’ve been talking to Tray Scott, their defensive line coach,” Barmore said. “He’s a really good guy. I’ve been talking to him a lot.

“I’ve been talking to Austin Thomas, the general manager at LSU,” he said. “He’s been telling me a lot of the same stuff as Georgia and Alabama.

“I’m going to take official visits to all of them,” said Barmore. “I’m going to take them after the season. I don’t have any dates but my coaches and my family are trying to figure that out. My coaches, my family, and I are talking about whether I should sign in December of February.”

RIVALS’ REACTION…

It’s amazing what a position change and different coaches can do for a talented player. Barmore is a fantastic athlete for an interior lineman and isn’t close to reaching his ceiling, technically and physically. He showed a natural ability to get off blocks and flows to the ball very well. In fact, there was rarely a play last night in his game at Springfield (Pa.) Cardinal O’Hara where he didn’t affect the play if he was able to get off his block. Barmore’s speed for a prospect his size is pretty outstanding. Playing with leverage and holding strong at the point of attack aren’t big issues against his regular competition but, like most high school defensive linemen, there will be a steep learning curve for him at the college level.

As far as Barmore’s recruitment goes, there are a lot of unknowns, not just for the media but also him, his family, and his coaches. Maryland was the first team to get Barmore on campus since his recruitment really started to take off and that’s a good sign for the Terps but a lot will be sorted out after he takes these official visits. Barmore will find out where he really feels comfortable and where he actually stands with many of these teams. Coaching staffs have taken clear aim at developing strong relationships with Barmore’s family and the coaching staff at Neumann-Goretti will help guide the Barmore family through the end of the process.