College Football Recruiting: Cal gets commitment of 2021 Athlete Hunter Barth

Another for the Takers

Apr 24, 2020

The Bears got another commitment from 2021 Athlete Hunter Barth. Barth hails from Queen Creek High School in Queen Creek, Arizona. The 6-foot-2 and 200lbs is a 3-star prospect but held an impressive offer list, from the likes of Oklahoma State, Oregon, Pitt, UCLA, UNLV, USC, Uta, Virginia, Washington State, Arizona State, Arizona, Iowa State and Boise State. Barth is the 7th commit in the class of 2021 for the Bears and the second from the state of Arizona after QB Kai Millner committed a few weeks ago.

Hunter Barth @hunter_barth_

I’m excited to announce I am committed to the University of California, Berkeley! I would like to thank God, my family, teammates, and coaches for helping me reach my goals! Special thanks to @JGermaine7 & @TSchureman for all that you’ve done throughout this process! Go Bears!🐻

Welcome to Berkeley, Hunter Barth!

SGBearApr 24, 2020

Hunter Barth

Queen Creek HS, Queen Creek, AZ, Casteel HS

c/o 2021

6’2” 195 lbs

Strong Safety

3 star

If you fly into Phoenix and you head south rather than north into Scottsdale/Phoenix, you’ll hit Queen Creek – a bedroom community with parks, golf courses, and picturesque scenery desert scenery. It is also a place where some serious football is played at Casteel and Queen Creek High Schools.

Hunter Barth was an early bloomer, growing to 6’2” as a freshman at Casteel. Casteel steamrollered its opponents, so Barth was able to play in 8 games as a backup during mop-up time with 15 tackles. His sophomore year, he became a starter at strong safety and racked up 51 tackles over 12 games. He then gained 25 pounds, transferred to Queen Creek HS down the road, had to sit 5 games due to transfer rules, and then promptly racked up 51 tackles over 8 games.

If you look at his junior highlight tape (Hudl: http://www.hudl.com/v/2C1T3F), you’ll see him a common theme. Read. React. Come streaking in like a Great White Barth. Barth’s clearly has shown the ability to sniff out plays and come in to smash a receiver just as the ball arrives. His highlights are more aggressive top cover ball hawk – rather than a defender who plays his man. Very high grades. Tall for the secondary. And athletic enough to play WR. Check out the spin move he pulls AS A SAFETY at 4:26 of the tape. So sweet.

There isn’t enough in his highlight reel for me to really see how good he is in man-coverage, but he’s played 7-on-7 leagues/camps all over the West Coast – enough to garner 19 offers, including 7 Pac-12 offers. I also can’t really tell how fast he is. He gains so much ground by being early to react rather than being blazing fast. He didn’t have a lot of pass defended nor INTs also hints to me that he’s not a Ashtyn Davis type blazer. Also, he didn’t do track sprint events in high school.

He seems to be a physical tweener. He is 6’2” and close to 200 pounds. Despite that, he seems like he got a ton more room to beef up everywhere for another 15-20 pound. If his stats are anywhere close to being truthful, having a 220-plus pound safety without obvious burner speed might make him more of a natural “Star” position, the hybrid safety/linebacker. He reminds me of Daniel Scott, who I expect to be a starting safety if the 2020 season is played.

Another year of high school ball and two year of S&C – and I suspect you’ll see Great White Barth destroying Stanfurd’s tall receivers.