Where does UGA stand with the state’s top 2028 prospect? ‘I love it in Athens’

“Man, Georgia hits my phone like every day,” he said. “I love those guys. Man, shout out to T-Rob, Donte, coach Thacker and coach Smart. They know what they are doing up there in recruiting. I love everything at that place at Georgia.”

He noted that he’s been to Athens countless times.

“Every time I go there, I see there’s something better and new every day for me,” Barner said. “I love it in Athens, man.”

Barner said the Bulldogs see him in the same mold as KJ Bolden, who was a 2023 AJC Super 11 selection while at Buford.

“They’ve definitely said that for sure,” Barner said. “They say KJ is smart. He’s definitely a student of the game. I could come in and do the same thing he was doing his freshman year.”

He’s wired like a physical Georgia defender, even with all the explosive plays he’s made in the return game.

Barner will never forget being offered by UGA while in the eighth grade.

“When Georgia offered me man, I almost cried,” he said. “It was my first SEC offer and almost my first offer. I’m still a young guy and you know that’s (one of) my dream schools and getting offered by them, my whole family is Georgia fans, so you know how that goes.”

When he was asked about his relationship with Smart, he shared a specific message he’s heard from the UGA head coach.

“Just keep going,” Barner said. “It doesn’t matter where I go. Georgia will always be a place for me to go.”

Barner emphasized that Smart is the closest head coach relationship he has in the recruiting process.

Credit: Jeff Sentell

Credit: Jeff Sentell

Why Casey Barner is a national prospect

Barner is ranked as the nation’s No. 6 overall prospect by Rivals.

The 5-foot-11, 193-pound rising junior kicked off his sophomore year with what might have been the best individual performance in the 34-year history of the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic.

He scored two special teams touchdowns and added a 39-yard touchdown catch in about six minutes of game clock at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The signature clip was when he took a fake punt for a score and hurdled over a defender on a breakaway run. That effort made the Top 10 plays on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

The rising junior has been told by college coaches that they see him at safety. That’s even though he can throw the football, punt and also catch a touchdown pass to win a game.

“The word I use all the time is instinctive,” McEachern coach Kareem Reid said. “Really instinctive. He knows how to play football. He does some things on the field that make you say ‘Wow,’ the way he can time up blitzes and just finds the football. He has a knack for making plays and the football just finds him at times.”

Barner should play safety and at nickel on defense this fall. He might also line up at running back, slot receiver and as a wildcat quarterback. He will punt and return both kicks and punts on special teams.

Who’s after Casey Barner besides the Dawgs?

Barner visited Ohio State last weekend. He plans to be back in Athens this weekend for an important spring visit on the heels of seeing Columbus.

The McEachern star told DawgNation he gets at least 15 messages from college recruiters every day.

“I could throw a few schools out there,” Barner said. “Like LSU, Oregon, Georgia, Miami. We’ve got USC, Texas, Texas A&M and the list just keeps going on and on.”

The 2025 AJC 6A all-state pick has been called a “cheat code” by Reid at times. That’s why his discussions with college coaches are different

“I tell coaches that he’s a great kid and a lot of times you don’t want to say that as the lead-in for a talk when talking about a football player,” Reid said. “But his film speaks for itself. So I don’t have to sell them on the football piece. It’s about who he is as a person. I think he’s really humble, although he has a ton of accolades and every offer in America. He’s remained really grounded, and that’s the part I am most impressed by with him.”