K-State running back Alex Barnes declares early for NFL Draft
The Kansas State football team will be without its top running back next season.
Alex Barnes announced plans to skip his senior year of college and declare for the NFL Draft on Friday after a tremendous junior campaign in which he rushed for a Big 12-best 1,355 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“I am officially declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft,” he said in a statement released on social media. “I’ll do my best to represent you (K-State fans), my family.”
The move is not a surprise. Barnes said he would evaluate his options before committing to a final year at K-State following the team’s final game of the season at Iowa State.
He appears ready to make the jump.
Barnes was arguably the top running back in the Big 12 last season and earned first-team all-conference honors from the Associated Press. He was the focal point of K-State’s offense all season and rushed for 250 yards and three touchdowns during a game against Baylor.
He made sure to thank K-State fans in his announcement.
“Through the highs and the lows, you have always remained faithful to my teammates and I,” Barnes said. “Coming out of that tunnel and seeing 50,000 fans wearing purple is a special feeling and one that I will never forget.”
Barnes also thanked retired coach Bill Snyder for “his consistency in my time at Kansas State. His goals and expectations were the same for each and every day of practice or workouts, to see improvement from the previous day. This is a valuable skill that I will continue to use to help me achieve my future goals.”
He went on to say that playing in the NFL is his dream.
His departure leaves new K-State football coach Chris Klieman with an obvious hole to fill on the roster.
The Wildcats are losing their top three running backs (Dalvin Warmack, Justin Silmon and Barnes) and their fourth (Mike McCoy) has an uncertain future, because of injuries.