Steelers 2014 NFL Draft Player Profiles – UCLA OLB Anthony Barr

Good friend Dave-Te’ Thomas of Scouting Services has finished his player profiles of several of the top 2014 NFL Draft prospects and over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting the ones that the Pittsburgh Steelers will more than likely have interest in. Being as UCLA outside linebacker Anthony Barr is in Pittsburgh On Monday for a pre draft visit, now is a good time to post his profile. Thomas has done these profiles for the NFL for several years and I know that many of you enjoy reading them.

ANTHONY BARR
Outside Linebacker
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins
#11
6:04.7-255
San Pedro, California
Loyola High School

OVERVIEW

Much of the talk leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft on the defensive side of the ball is likely to include South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and Buffalo’s hybrid rush end/linebacker Khalil Mack, and rightfully so, but when professionals talk about the most athletic defensive player, Anthony Barr shines through above all the rest.

Usually, when a player is asked to change positions midway through a college career, it does not bode well for his professional aspirations, especially when being moved to the opposite side of the ball. However, in Barr’s case, a consummate team player who performed admirably as a blocking fullback was suddenly transformed into one of the most dominant players in the game.

Among the elite trio of defensive players headlining this year’s draft, Barr matches up well vs. the rest of the competition. During his two seasons as an outside linebacker, he made 149 tackles, compared to Mack’s 194 and Clowney’s 94 during that same span. His nine forced fumbles equaled the total that Mack compiled during his last two seasons, while Clowney produced four turnovers.

Barr recorded 40.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, just inching past the forty stops accrued by Mack and thirty five tackles in the backfield by Clowney. The UCLA Bruin also produced 23.5 sacks, with Clowney next with sixteen and Mack trailing with 13.5. Barr recorded 102 solo tackles on defense, just shy of Mack’s total of 108, with Clowney registering 104 initial hits. His four fumble recoveries tied Clowney, with Mack checking in with three recoveries.

Among active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players, Barr tied Mack and Jonathan Dowling of Western Kentucky for the national lead in forced fumbles per game (0.33). He is third in that group with an average of 1.5 tackles-for-loss per game, while his lost yardage figure of 214 is 11^th-best. He is tied with Demarcus Lawrence of Boise State for second, as both averaged 0.87 quarterback sacks per game. His 23.5 total sacks rank tenth and his sack lost yardage total of 136 is 21^st, attaining those numbers in half of the games performed by others ahead of him in both of those categories.

The Los Angeles native attended Loyola High School in the Pico-Union neighborhood, where he was an All-State running back after rushing for 1,890 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. He then, however, missed virtually all of his senior season with a broken ankle. He was also unable to participate in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, to which he was invited. Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Barr was listed as the eighth-best prospect out of the state of California.

The Tom Lemming 2008 All-American was rated the best athlete in the nation by Tom Lemming/Max Preps. Rivals.com regarded him as the nation’s fifth-best athlete and Scout.com placed him tenth on their national linebacker list. The Super Prep All-American was considered the 22nd-best overall prospect in the West by that recruiting service. The consensus four-star football product also lettered four seasons in track.

With offers from dozens of schools, Barr narrowed his decision down to Notre Dame and UCLA, before choosing the Bruins on January 21st, 2010. Many had thought he would join the Fighting Irish program, where his father, Tony Brooks, was a standout tailback and a fourth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1992 draft.

Perhaps keeping up the “family business,” Barr was considered to be more valuable to the UCLA program as a running back when he joined the team in 2010. He would go on to start four of the twelve games he appeared in, winning the John Boncheff, Jr. Memorial Award as UCLA’s Rookie of the Year. Used mostly for his blocking ability, the then 228-pound fullback gained 29 yards on six carries, as he also caught nine balls for 66 yards coming out of the backfield.

Barr added ten pounds to his frame prior to his sophomore season. He started seven times at fullback, compiling 25 yards with a touchdown on nine rushing attempts. He also scored and gained 16 yards after pulling down three tosses, but right knee arthroscopic surgery would sideline for three October clashes vs. Stanford, Washington State and Arizona.

Barr’s shift to outside linebacker in 2012 was an immediate success, as he received All-American and All-Pac-12 Conference honors. Starting all fourteen games on the right side, he recorded a career-high 83 tackles, second-best on the team. He led the squad with 13.5 sacks and 21.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage, as both figures were third-best in the league. He also broke up five passes and caused four fumbles.

The following season, Barr was a finalist for the Butkus, Lombardi and Bednarik Awards, along with being named a consensus All-American and unanimous All-Pac 12 Conference choice. He led the league with four fumble recoveries, placing second with five forced fumbles, as he was in on 65 tackles. He again led the Bruins with ten sacks and produced twenty stops behind the line of scrimmage, which ranked second in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation.

Having already impressed teams with his two seasons on the defensive side of the ball, Barr further cemented his place among the elite draft prospects with a solid overall performance at the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine. Feeling that he had to validate himself further, he opened quite a few eyes during UCLA’s March Pro Day event, running a scorching 4.44-second 40-yard dash.

CAREER NOTES

Barr started 37-of-51 games at UCLA that included his first ten starting assignments as a fullback and his final twenty-seven appearances as the right outside linebacker…Made 151 tackles (103 solos) with 23.5 sacks for minus 136 yards, 40.5 stops for losses of 214 yards and six quarterback pressures…Caused nine fumbles, recovered four others and deflected.

Six passes…Gained 54 yards with a touchdown on fifteen carries (3.6 ypc), 82 yards with another score on twelve receptions (6.83 ypc) and ten yards on one punt return…NCAA Career-Record Results…Among active NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision players, Barr ranks third with an average of 1.5 tackles-for-loss per game, as his lost yardage total (214) placed 11^th…Tied for the title with an average of 0.33 fumbles caused per game and is tied for second with an average of 0.87 sacks per game…His sack lost-yardage total ranks 21^st in that group…School Career-Record Results…Barr’s 40.5 tackles-for-loss rank seventh in school history, as he joined Carnell Lake (45.5; 1985-88), Brian Price (44.5; 2007-09), Dave Ball (43.5; 2000-03), Bruce Davis (42.5; 2004-07), Spencer Havner (42.0; 2002-05) and Robert Thomas (41.0; 1998-2001) as the only Bruins to ever record at least forty stops behind the line of scrimmage during a career…His 23.5 sacks tied Jamir Miller (1991-93) for sixth in UCLA annals, surpassed by Dave Ball (30.5), Bruce Davis (29.0), Eric Smith (26.5; 1984-86), Carnell Lake (25.5) and Terry Tumey (25.0; 1984-87).

SEASON NOTES

Barr is the first player in school history to record at least twenty tackles-for-loss in multiple seasons…His 20.0 stops behind the line of scrimmage in 2013 is the seventh-best season total by a Bruin and just Robert Thomas (26.0 in 2001), Brian Price (23.5 in 2009) and Marvcus Patton (22.0 in 1989) had more tackles for loss in a season than Barr’s 21.5 in 2012…His 21.5 stops as a junior also placed 25^th on the Pac-12 Conference annual record chart…Joined Dave Ball (16.5 in 2003 and 11.0 in 2002) and Bruce Davis (12.5 in 2006 and 12.0 in 2007) as the only Bruins ever to register at least ten sacks in multiple seasons, as his ten sacks as a senior is the 12^th-best annual figure at UCLA…His 13.5 sacks in 2012 are topped by only Ball’s 16.5 in 2003 for the school record…His 13.5 sacks as a junior are good for 19^th in Pac-12 Conference history.

SEASON ANALYSIS

2013 SEASON

The Lott IMPACT Trophy winner earned All-American first-team honors from The NFL Draft Report, USA Today, Walter Camp, Athlon Sports, Sports Illustrated, the American Football Coaches Association and NFL.com…The first-team All-Pac-12 Conference selection was also a finalist for the Butkus, Lombardi and Bednarik Awards…Presented with Donn Moomaw Award for Outstanding Player Against USC (defense), Henry R. “Red” Sanders Award for Most Valuable Player (defense), UCLA Captains Award and Bruin Force Award at the annual team banquet…Barr started all thirteen games at right outside linebacker, ranking second in the nation with four fumbles recovered, finishing fifth with a team-high five forced fumbles, ninth with 20.0 stops for losses totaling 109 yards and 18th with ten sacks for minus 66 yards…He also placed second in the league in tackles-for-loss and third in sacks…Recorded 65 tackles (42 solos) with one pass deflection, two quarterback pressures and a 10-yard punt return (vs. Washington State)…Began the season with two stops-for-loss among five tacklers vs. Nevada, adding eleven tackles (7 solos) with a school game-record three forced fumbles and 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in the Nebraska clash…Caused a fumble on a sack vs. New Mexico State and had two more sacks among five solo tackles vs. UCLA…Delivered eight hits at Stanford and added two more sacks, causing a fumble on one of those drops vs. Oregon…Posted seven tackles and a sack vs. Washington and made seven more hits that included 2.5 stops-for-loss and a sack vs. Arizona State…Caused a fumble among his three stops behind the line of scrimmage that included one sack, along with delivering five solo tackles at Southern California.

2012 SEASON

A first-team All-American selection by The NFL Draft Report, Barr added second-team honors from the Associated Press…All-Pac-12 Conference first-team choice…Started all fourteen games at right outside linebacker, not only changing positions from his 2011 campaign, but also jersey numbers (now wears #11, previously wore #2)…Led the league and ranks fourth on the school season-record list with 21.5 stops for losses totaling 105 yards…Led the team and ranked third in the league with 13.5 sacks for minus 70 yards, a figure that placed eighth nationally, as it also took over the second spot in that category in the school season-record book…Ranked second on the team with 83 tackles (60 solos), as he also caused four fumbles, deflected five passes and had four QB pressures…Named the Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year by College Football News, Barr began his defensive career with six solo tackles and a sack vs. Rice, adding another sack that caused a fumble vs. Nebraska…Posted a sack vs. Houston and two more among his three stops-for-loss, as he broke up a pass, caused a fumble and delivered seven solo tackles vs. Oregon State…Tallied 1.5 sacks with five tackles vs. Colorado and for the sixth consecutive game, he had a sack that caused a fumble, along with eight tackles (6 solos) vs. California…Produced five tackles and a sack vs. Arizona, adding eight tackles with 2.5 sacks in the Washington State clash…Posted nine tackles that included a stop-for-loss vs. Stanford and made eight hits (6 solos) with 1.5 sacks vs. Stanford, when the teams met again a week later in the Pac-12 Championship Game…Recorded nine tackles (6 solos) with a stop-for-loss vs. Baylor in the Holiday Bowl.

2011 SEASON

Barr appeared in twelve games, earning seven starting assignments at fullback, but missed action vs. Stanford and Washington State after injuring his right knee vs. Arizona, undergoing arthroscopic surgery in October…Finished with 25 yards and one touchdown on nine carries and 16 yards with a score on three receptions…Also saw action on special teams, posting a pair of tackles…Caught one pass at Houston for an 11-yard touchdown and ran twice vs. San Jose State for 12 yards…Went over the top for a 1-yard touchdown run in the Oregon State clash…Named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Academic second-team.

2010 SEASON

The offensive winner of UCLA’s John Boncheff, Jr. Memorial Award for Rookie of the Year, Barr started four of the twelve games he played in as a fullback, carrying the ball six times for 25 yards and catching nine tosses for 66 yards.

INJURY REPORT

2009 Season…Sat out his high school senior season due to an ankle fracture.

2010 Season…Missed most of the California game with a strained calf muscle.

2011 Season…Missed action vs. Stanford, Washington State and Arizona after undergoing arthroscopic right knee cartilage surgery in October.

AGILITY TESTS

4.44 in the 40-yard dash…1.54 10-yard dash…2.57 20-yard dash…4.19 20-yard shuttle…11.71 60-yard shuttle…6.82 three-cone drill…34 ½-inch vertical jump…9’-11” broad jump… Bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times…33 ½-inch arm length…8 5/8-inch right hand/9 3/8-inch left hand…80 5/8-inch wingspan.

HIGH SCHOOL

Barr attended Loyola (Los Angeles, Cal.) High School, lettering three times in football for coaches Jeff Kearin and Adam Guerra…Missed virtually all of his senior season with a broken ankle…Named an All-State running back after rushing for 1,890 yards and 20 touch-downs as a junior….Was also unable to participate in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, to which he was invited, due to his ankle injury…Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Barr was listed as the eighth-best prospect out of the state of California…The Tom Lemming 2008 All-American was rated the best athlete in the nation by Tom Lemming and Max Preps…Rivals.com regarded him as the nation’s fifth-best athlete and Scout.com placed him tenth on their national linebacker list…The Super Prep All-American was considered the 22nd-best overall prospect in the West by that recruiting service…The consensus four-star football product also lettered four seasons in track.

PERSONAL

Barr is a Business major and multiple Academic All-Pac 12 Conference selection…Son of Lori Barr and Tony Brooks…His father played fullback at Notre Dame before being selected in the fourth round of the 1992 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, spending just one season on an NFL roster…Tony’s younger brother and Barr’s uncle, Reggie Brooks, also played football at Notre Dame, where he rushed for 1,343 yards and thirteen touchdowns on 167 carries as a senior in 1992. He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft, gaining 1,063 rushing yards with a 4.8-yard average as a rookie, but was only with the team for three seasons, spending the 1996 schedule with Tampa Bay…Barr’s uncle, Cedric Figaro, was a linebacker at Notre Dame, who was selected in the sixth round of the 1988 draft by San Diego, playing with the Chargers until 1990. He spent the 1991 season with Indianapolis, was a member of the Cleveland Browns organization from 1991-92) and concluded his career with the St. Louis Rams (1995-96)…Born 3/18/92 in South Bend, Indiana…Resides in Los Angeles, California.

PLAYER STATISTICS