Top-100 LB Elijah Barnes sets pair of in-state visits

Around 30 Power Five schools have already offered Dallas Skyline four-star linebacker Elijah Barnes.

The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2025 class. Barnes has had a local flavor to his recruitment thus far — and that’s set to continue across the next two weeks.

On3’s Gerry Hamilton reported on Monday that Barnes is set to visit Texas (Jan. 20) and Texas A&M (Jan. 27) to round out the first month of the new year. The Longhorns have already been a major player in Barnes’ recruitment and will have another opportunity to make an impact this weekend.

Barnes visited Austin last summer, made a pair of game visits and is now set to return in January. The UT staff continues to mold their relationships with the blue-chipper and figures to be firmly in the mix when the time comes for Barnes’ commitment.

“It was Coach (Jeff) Choate before he got the job at Nevada. I talked to Coach Sark after the Kansas game. He told me I’m a great talent, and we are going to treat you like family. And he said I’m a priority for Texas. They dominate,” Barnes told Hamilton in late December. “They went like 8-5 last year, and came back and are in the CFP. They are going for a NC. They haven’t won a National championship since Vince Young was there. Then they have all the big time recruits. They are going for a big year again next season.”

The upcoming weekend on The Forty Acres is set to be littered with talent. A slew of the top 2025 prospects are set to be in attendance, including the likes of New Iberia (La.) Westgate four-star safety Jaboree Antoine and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star running back Jordon Davison.

Texas A&M will hope to assert itself into the mix when Barnes arrives in College Station. The final weekend of the month is slated to be a big one for Mike Elko and the new Aggies staff as they look to make their own footprint on the recruiting trail.

Alabama, Florida State, Oklahoma and Oregon are other programs near the top for Barnes, the No. 84 overall prospect and No. 13 LB in the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Barnes higher than other recruiting services, as he checks in as the No. 76 recruit in the 2025 On300.