Pennsylvania LB Maurice Barnes Jr. Is "Hyped" Over Notre Dame Offer

Star 2026 linebacker Maurice Barnes Jr. talks about recent Notre Dame offer

Linebacker recruiting under Marcus Freeman has been on a whole other level. On Sunday, Notre Dame extended offers to some extremely talented linebacker recruits in the 2026 class as a part of their annual Pot of Gold offer event. Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt star Maurice Barnes Jr. is included, already being pursued by some very impressive programs.

Barnes has a high early opinion of Notre Dame, who has been forging a strong bond with him recently. The offer was the latest boost in that relationship, clearly understanding how fortunate he is.

“My first impression on Notre Dame was it had a good football program and that would be a good fit for me,” Barnes told Irish Breakdown. “They are a great program with great people.

“When I got offered I was so hyped,” Barnes continued. “I ran upstairs and told my mom and called my dad. Everyone was really excited. It was an honor to be a part of the Pot of Gold this year. I know everybody isn’t getting offered by Notre Dame and that is special.”

Barnes is busy finalizing visits for the spring, with one already set up to South Bend. Getting him on campus will be huge for the program.

“The relationship I have with the coaches is good,” said Barnes. “I just can’t wait to get up there. I might visit Pitt soon, but I'm coming up to Notre Dame on April 19th and 20th.”

Whether Barnes ends up with the Irish or not, he is just happy to have so many great options on the table. Recruiting has opened up a world of possibilities.

“Recruiting has been a cool experience,” Barnes explained. “It really has been great to hear from different schools and get to know the coaches.”

Barnes has been demanding the attention of several big programs so far. Some of his top offers included the Irish, Michigan, Penn State, Maryland, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Colorado, Syracuse, Duke, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Rutgers among others.

As a junior, Barnes was an important part of a very talented Bishop McDevitt defense. The 6-0, 185-pound defender collected 63 total tackles, eight tackles for loss and one sack. Barnes also had three quarterback hurries, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Barnes was also a standout on the offensive side of the football. He ran for 734 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. In the passing game, Barnes also hauled in another seven passes for 83 yards and another score.

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