Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/350567
"It's not that Penn State did any- thing wrong," Barajas said. "It's the fact that I'm from Indiana, and I'm an Indiana guy. My family is here. I wanted to be closer to home. They are my biggest fans, and that's most im- portant to me. They wanted to see me play, and I want them at my games. "Notre Dame is in my backyard, and that's really a perfect fit for me." Barajas played a variety of roles on Andrean High School's defense en route to a Class 3A state champion- ship as a junior. He finished the season with 92 tackles, five sacks and two in- terceptions. He made eight tackles and broke up four passes in the state title game, which helped catapult him on FILM ANALYSIS Strengths Josh Barajas is one of the nation's top linebackers … He plays smart, stays under control and is a techni- cian … Shows great explosion when making contact with the opposition … Very aggressive and physical with his opponents … A sound tackler and he reacts very well … Can slide over to the edge and rush the passer and can drop into coverage with ease … His overall athleticism is hard to match … Sheds blockers well and attacks the line of scrimmage … A plus is that he can play inside or outside linebacker and cross train comfortably. Areas For Improvement Needs to continue adding mass and strength … He's 210 pounds and looks lean … Has the frame to pack on the weight … His footwork when covering in space needs to improve … Has the plus speed to hang with the receivers and tight ends, but his overall technique is what he needs to continue developing. — Tom Loy