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Philadelphia, PA – Redshirt freshman defensive tackle
Daevonte Barnett (Riviera Beach, FL / W.T Dwyer), who recorded 34 tackles while starting seven of 13 games for the Northeast Conference (NEC) Champion Wagner College Seahawks, has been selected to the
College Sports Journal NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) All-Freshman team.
The athletic 6-4, 270-pound Barnett helped spearhead a defense that ranked No. 1 in the NEC and No. 9 nationally in points allowed (17.54), a key ingredient in Wagner's 9-4 season. The Seahawks' march to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs propelled the Green & White to a
Top-25 ranking in both major FCS polls (No. 21 in The FCS Sports Network Poll and No. 22 in the FCS Coaches Poll).
A nose tackle in Wagner's aggressive 3-4 defense, Barnett is one of 63 players chosen to the FCS All-Freshman team. He is also one of just two NEC players named to the team along with Albany redshirt freshman offensive lineman Adam Pasnick.
“I'm excited for Daevonte that his hard work and productivity have been recognized by being named to the National All-Freshman Team,” said Wagner head coach
Walt Hameline, who has received
his share of postseason honors of late. “Daevonte worked his tail off during his redshirt year last year (2011) and certainly caught the attention of both our starting offense and coaches. "He has great size, is very strong for a young player, and obviously moves extremely well. When you add that to a tremendous work ethic and positive attitude, I'm excited about his future.”
At Saint Francis U (10/20), Barnett recorded a career-high six tackles in
helping Wagner to a 31-24 win. He also posted five-tackle efforts in the
31-30 come-from-behind victory over Holy Cross (11/10) and in
the 23-17 NEC-clinching victory over Duquesne (11/17). For the season, the Sunshine State native had four or more tackles in six games while recording 2.5 sacks, for minus 20 yards, which contributed to his 3.5 tackles for loss.
A tremendous two-way lineman in a powerhouse program at William T. Dwyer High School in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Barnett was one of nine players in his class who signed with college football programs. Following his senior year, he turned in an outstanding performance in the Palm Beach County/Treasure Coast All-Star game, posting four tackles for a loss, including a sack.
No stranger to the limelight, Barnett and his Panther teammates appeared on national television when Dwyer met Glenville High School of Cleveland in a game aired on ESPN and played in Ohio Stadium, home of the Ohio St. Buckeyes.
