Signing Day capsule: Amare Barno
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Virginia Tech's newest pre-Signing Day commit is in ink: Junior college linebacker Amare Barno officially is a Hokie.
The 6-6, 220-pound product of Butler County (Kan.) Community college can fill a number of roles for the Lunch Pail Defense.
Rankings
Three-star, unranked positionally or within the junior college ranks.
Other suitors
UT-Chattanooga, FAU, Marshall, Nebraska, New Mexico, Old Dominion, UTEP
Recruitment story
Barno's recruitment happened in a snap of the fingers: one day he wasn't on the radar, then VT assistant head coach Adam Lechtenberg discovered him on a tour of the junior college circuit, inviting him on an official visit. After trips to Nebraska and, this weekend, Blacksburg, it didn't take him long to decide that Virginia Tech was in his future. He opted to commit to the Hokies Monday.
Game breakdown
He's comfortable splitting over a slot receiver from his days as a high school safety, but he likes to immediately head downhill from that position. He does a very good job bursting forward and making plays at or behind the line of scrimmage. He actually plays plenty in space, more so than he does as somebody who gets into the mix in the middle of the line of scrimmage, so playing off blocks of tight ends and linemen, rather than receivers, is a phase of the game he'll have to grow more comfortable with as time goes on, but the physical tools are there to be the sort of player who makes his hay closer to the ball.
Statistically speaking
Butler finished 8-4. Barno made 66 total tackles, 4.5 sacks. He also forced and recovered one fumble, which he returned for a touchdown.