Running back Alex Barnes eyes larger role in K-State’s crowded backfield

Few Kansas State football players took the beginning of spring practice more seriously than Alex Barnes.

The sophomore running back counted down the days between his final play of the 2016 season and the first spring scrimmage of 2017. So much so that he lower his shoulder and hit a few teammates at full speed when they were expecting less.

“I was pretty hungry,” Barnes said. “I wanted to get back pretty bad. It took a while through spring workouts, being patient through all that stuff. But it’s here now. I’m thankful.”

Barnes gained perspective about himself and the sport he loves when it was briefly taken away from him months ago.

Just when it looked like he was ready to take off as a redshirt freshman last season, he was grounded. Fresh off 103 yards and a touchdown against Kansas and 129 yards and four touchdowns a week before that against Baylor, Barnes seemed poised to lead the Wildcats’ backfield in the final game of the regular season against TCU.

K-State football coach Bill Snyder said the plan was for him to start the game. But it didn’t happen. He didn’t play a single snap against TCU and later watched the Texas Bowl in sweats.

“It was tough,” Barnes said. “It was really frustrating, but I have had a lot of people that support me talk to me about it. I have been able to express those frustrations and come to terms with them. You have got to forget about it and move on and get ready for next season.”

Barnes said a neck injury sustained on an awkward tackle against Kansas prevented him from playing against the Horned Frogs, though his status was debated until kickoff. After some down time, he said he was deemed fit to play in the Texas Bowl but sustained a different injury while training for the postseason and once again had to sit out.

The experience was so frustrating that rumors circulated he may look to transfer schools. But Barnes said those fears were “completely unwarranted” and “not true at all.”

Though his promising season was cut short, and Justin Silmon played well in his absence, Barnes remains optimistic as he prepares for the future. As a freshman, Barnes averaged 7.9 yards per rush without being tackled for a loss on 56 carries. He finished with 442 yards and six touchdowns, at times looking like the future of the offense.

“Getting those physical reps, seeing that I am capable of playing at the Division I level and being dominant,” Barnes said, “it does help a lot going into season two. That mindset will be beneficial.”

Question is: Can he handle an expanded role?

K-State’s backfield, though effective, was unpredictable last season. Charles Jones led the way with 596 yards and two touchdowns as the starter, but he yielded considerable playing time to Silmon (464 yards, three touchdowns), Barnes and Dalvin Warmack (211 yards).

Even with Jones gone, the other three are likely to split carries in some fashion, unless Barnes or Silmon can clearly separate from the pack.

Not that that’s on Barnes’ mind, at the moment.

“One of the things we are taught here is, it’s not about how you start, it’s how you finish,” Barnes said. “Whether or not I start the game is irrelevant. To me, it’s how I perform throughout the entirety of the game.”

Snyder describes K-State’s running back position as “very, very competitive,” but he likes what he has seen from a healthy Barnes.

“He reads schemes quite well and he can pick his spots,” Snyder said. “He sees daylight, so to speak, the old adage. He’s an aggressive runner. He always runs as hard as he possibly can, which is a plus. He’s a physical back to go along with it.”

Sometimes, he’s too physical. Like on the first day of spring practice.

“I was itching for contact again,” Barnes said. “When you are away from it you don’t realize how much you are going to miss it until you don’t have it.”

This story was originally published April 10, 2017 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Running back Alex Barnes eyes larger role in K-State’s crowded backfield."