Oklahoma State wide receiver Chris Barnes spoke on Apr. 7 about his decision to join the Cowboys, his experiences with the transfer portal, and adapting to a new environment in Stillwater.
Barnes addressed why he chose Oklahoma State over staying in his hometown of Houston. “Being in your hometown, there could be a lot of distractions and all that kind of stuff. You got family, people around leeching and stuff like that. I feel like being away was best and being around the staff that I’m with is more people that care about you outside of football, not just what you can do for them on the field. I feel like Stillwater and the coaching staff were the best option, in my opinion,” Barnes said.
He described how quickly things changed for him during the transfer process: “The process is definitely crazy. Who would have thought I’d be in Oklahoma playing ball? Everything happens for a reason. I’m happy with my decision for sure and ready to display what I can do for the team.”
Barnes also talked about how his speed has impacted his play throughout his career: “I was 10.2 [in the 100 meters] in high school, senior in high school… I pretty much always knew that I was the fastest in the group. When I really knew, once I started seeing times, I started seeing who I was running against. Even in football, even on the tape, you’ll see nothing but speed.”
Reflecting on head coach Eric Morris’s influence on team unity, Barnes said: “I feel like it’s just how he is. He does everything he wants to be together. I feel like it just carries over from his family all the way to us in football.” He also shared thoughts on overcoming perceptions about size: “I’ve always been, up until middle school, average…I chose to not let that affect me and just use what I got, like my God-given speed and quickness.”
Comparing Oklahoma State University (OSU) with Wake Forest University where he previously played football—Barnes noted differences both academically and athletically: “Everything is a bit different…As far as football…moving more towards the air raid side [at OSU]. At Wake Forest it was more RPO-ish.” Concluding on life at OSU he added: “I’m a little closer to home…Definitely blessed to be here.”
