Notre Dame Football Recruiting: Top 10 Recruiting Misses of the Brian Kelly Era
By Andrew Hall
No. 4. Anthony Barr – Linebacker – Class of 2010 (UCLA)
One of Brian Kelly’s earliest opportunities to land a marquee, blue-chip recruit occurred immediately after he took the helm in South Bend. That elite prospect was future first round pick and Irish legacy Anthony Barr. Barr, the son of former Notre Dame Running Back Tony Brooks, attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles, California. He is also the nephew of former Notre Dame tailback Reggie Brooks and Linebacker Cedric Figaro. Barr was born in South Bend. It was safe to say Notre Dame was in his blood.
Former and current Notre Dame assistant Brian Polian recently stated in an interview with Harrison Smith during the “ND Minute” that Barr was almost apart of the class. Part of the reason that Barr was not was the transition from Charlie Weis to Kelly. Polian was not retained by Kelly. In fact, only Tony Alford was retained. This is not unusual but it ultimately sank Notre Dame’s chances with Barr. He narrowed his decision to the Bruins and Irish before committing on January 21st.
Barr played offense until moving to the defensive side of the ball. His move to defense was a revelation. In 2012, Barr tallied 83 tackles, 13.5 sacks and 21.5 total tackles for loss. In 2013, he put a similar production with 73 tackles and 10.5 sacks. Barr became a first-team All-American.
Why is Barr ranked here: It is unclear how Barr would have fit on the Notre Dame team. However, he would have been another elite playmaker on an incredible 2012 defense. His body type and playing style would have fit well with the CAT Linebacker in Bob Diaco’s defense. He ranked 61st in the class of 2010. Barr was selected 9th overall in the NFL Draft. Having Barr in Blue-Gold would have made a huge impact on the Irish.