North Carolina State University basketball big man DJ Burns on Thursday denied rumors that he might transfer to the NFL after college.
Barnes answered “zero” to a question about his interest in playing football during the locker room press scrum.
North Carolina State star DJ Barnes said he has “absolutely” no interest in playing football despite reported interest from NFL teams. pic.twitter.com/wEbOXBRdu3
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 4, 2024
Oh, great man, you are tearing my heart out!
Rumors the 6-foot-9, 275-pound center might make it in the NFL when multiple league experts and scouts claimed he could be a future offensive guard. began to emerge.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager tweeted Monday morning, “If he shows up for pro day/workout the week after the Final Four, there could be a huge turnout and prize money.”
Over the past 24 hours, I’ve talked and emailed multiple scouts/GMs about NC State big man DJ Barnes as an NFL OT candidate. His height is listed as 6’9, but he is probably 6’7. A+ footwork. If he participated in the pro day/workout the week after the Final Four, he would get a big turnout and potentially win $1. pic.twitter.com/zxyufktHeC
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 1, 2024
Joining Schrager in that theory was Jim Nagy, a prominent Senior Bowl scout. (Related: America is finally talking about women’s basketball, but some shrews aren’t satisfied yet)
“The NFL’s interest in DJ Barnes is real,” he revealed on Monday.
Within an hour of posting this on Friday night, I received text messages from the GM, assistant GM, and university director. The NFL’s interest in DJ Barnes is real. https://t.co/lqk77d0Kx1
— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) April 1, 2024
But unfortunately, that wasn’t the intention. But I’d like to see him change his mind. The Philadelphia Eagles just handed a big chunk of cash to another convert, giving left tackle Jordan Mailata a $66 million contract extension six years after switching from rugby to football. If Barnes follows the same path, he could become a millionaire.
But you can’t hate a kid who follows his passion. If he wants to take down the big boys in the paint in the NBA, who can stop him?
