Rochester DE Poncho Barnwell Hopes To Be Orange, Eventually

Back in June of 2011, Rochester DE Poncho Barnwell verbally-committed to play for the Syracuse Orange. He had recovered from some injuries to put together a career worthy enough for Syracuse and mighty Akron to offer him a scholarship.

While Poncho will play for the Upstate team in the New York State High School Football Classic this weekend, he will not be joining the Orange in 2012 due to poor grades and SAT scores.

Nolan Weidner caught up with the Section V defensive player of the year in Class AA who still hopes to play for the Orange someday.

"I was really disappointed," said Barnwell, a 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end/linebacker prospect who would have been part of SU’s incoming recruiting class this year had his academics worked out.

Instead, the All-Greater Rochester first-team selection plans to attend Nassau Community College on Long Island. He hopes to do well enough in the classroom to be able to enroll at SU in January of 2014.

Nassau is a good choice given the John Anselmo ties. He says that Syracuse told him their offer will remain on the table for 2014, so here's to hoping he gets those grades up and keeps working hard.