Kansas freshman cornerback Noah Barber signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals recently, the team announced on their Twitter page on Friday afternoon. Check out the tweet that Kansas football posted, congratulating their former class of 2023 signee.
He played his high school football at Blue Valley North High School, where he was named All-League honorable mention. He finished the 2022 campaign with four interceptions, including a 75-yard interception return for touchdown, four pass breakups, and a fumble recovery.
He was going to be a freshman this season with the KU football team, but it looks like he’s decided to try his hand at pro baseball for now.
According to his online profiles, Barber’s fastball velocity has been clocked at 82 miles per hour. His curveball has been clocked at 65-69 miles per hour. His father, Sean Barber, played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kansas football has many reasons to be excited for the upcoming season
On the field, the Jayhawks will look to make yet another statement during head coach Lance Leipold’s third season in Lawrence. He led the team to their best season in over a decade last year. Kansas hosted College GameDay after they got off to one of the best starts in school history (5-0). But their electrifying signal-caller, Jalon Daniels, suffered a shoulder injury and the Jayhawks lost six of their last seven games.
Kansas still earned a berth to the Liberty Bowl, their first bowl game appearance in over 10 years. And it ended up being one of the better games of the college football season.
Daniels has been named the Big 12 Preseason Offensive POY ahead of the 2023-2024 season and rightfully so. Even with his shoulder injury last year, he threw for 2,014 passing yards, tossing in 18 touchdowns while throwing just four interceptions.
As a runner, he had 77 carries for 419 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Simply put, he’s one of the most dynamic players in the country and he’s the straw that stirs the drink for the Jayhawks’ football program. They’ll only go as far as he takes them.
During Big 12 media days recently, Jayhawks’ head football coach Lance Leipold explained that KU needs to keep Daniels healthy and that he’s a special person.
“Again, keeping Jalon where he’s in a position staying healthy,” Leipold said. “He’s making all the throws, everything that we need him to be. I’ve started to say this a little bit more today on the back half of the day. I think the one thing we sometimes forget about Jalon and everything he brings to our program, he’s an Academic All-American.”
On3’s Dan Morrison also contributed to this article.
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