Slowly but surely, Utah State football’s rebuild under Bronco Mendenhall continues.
On Tuesday, that meant another addition through the NCAA transfer portal.
Utah State announced that former Nebraska safety D’Andre Barnes has transferred to USU ahead of the 2025 college football season.
Listed at 6-feet, 195 pounds, Barnes is the sixth transfer — out of eight — this spring to join the Aggies from a Power conference program.
A three-star recruit coming out of high school in 2022, with offers from BYU, Air Force, Wyoming and others, Barnes redshirted his freshman season in Lincoln and then in 2024 played in a single game, against UTEP.
With three years of eligibility remaining, Barnes remains something of an unknown at the collegiate level, as a result.
Barnes did have a great deal of success as a prep athlete, though, while playing on all sides of the ball in high school (Regis Jesuit).
He played as a defensive back, wide receiver and kick returner and his senior season he put up notable stats at every position:
- As a wide receiver he caught 37 passes for 785 yards and nine touchdowns.
- As a defensive back he recorded 55 tackles with six interceptions, one of which was a pick-six.
- As a returner Barnes averaged 27.4 yards on nine kickoff returns and had a 92-yard touchdown.
Barnes was also a track and field standout in high school, with a state championship win in the 200-meter dash (Colorado 5A) as a sophomore. That same year, he finished third (10.91) in the 100-meter dash.
Barnes is the third defensive back added by the Aggies this spring, along with former BYU safety Chika Ebunoha and former Elon cornerback Dylan Tucker.