Barkins Might Be Fastest Husky Corner, Ready for Speedy Recovery

The Oregon transfer lasted just 3 games in 2023 before getting injured.

Darren Barkins got an opportunity to show off his sprinter speed for the University of Washington football team, but it wasn't in the most ideal situation and then his season was over.

Rather than run the 40-yard dash, the cornerback covered 61 yards in an absolute hurry to bring down Michigan State wide receiver Christian Fitzpatrick from behind in a busted coverage, 13 yards short of the end zone in a game already decided at that point in East Lansing.

Making matters worse, the 5-foot-11, 184-pound Barkins, with a last name that makes him a natural to become a Husky, didn't get up and was attended to by the medical staff for the longest time.

He suffered a lower-body injury that wasn't specified and required surgery, limiting him to just the three opening games for the national runner-up and 14-1 UW team.

"It was definitely a year that taught me a lot, a lot of adversity," Barkins said at the CFP championship game. "It taught me a lot of patience."

While the new Jedd Fisch coaching staff has a lot of cornerbacks to choose from entering spring football — including previous full-time or part-time starters in Elijah Jackson, Esphesians Prysock (Arizona), Davon Banks and Jordan Shaw (Indiana) — Barkins' candidacy can't be discounted.

"I'm going to go back to work in the spring and see what I can do," he said.

Darren Barkins lasted just three games for the UW in 2023 / Dan Raley

Fisch's coaches will find Barkins is a former Oregon defensive back who not only got shut down medically, he had the misfortune of having to sit out a pair of victories over his former teammates. 

He's the only one-time Duck who's switched sides in the rivalry and transferred to the UW, at least in modern times, counter to fellow Husky cornerback Jabbar Muhammad joining Oregon this offseason, with former UW defensive tackle Taki Taimani transferring there two seasons earlier.

Speed is what really sets Barkins apart from most if not all of the cornerbacks in Montlake. He might be the fastest guy in the newly restocked secondary. If it's not him — he reportedly clocked a 4.46 in high school and could be faster when healthy now — it's Jackson, another 4.4 guy, while Prysock and Banks reportedly have turned in 4.5 times.

A San Diego product, Barkins played in a dozen games in a reserve role for Oregon, logging 3 tackles, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery, and he had to deal with a 37-34 loss to the Huskies in Eugene, all in 2022, before moving north.

Out of uniform, he watched this past season as the UW poured it on in the rivalry series with 36-33 and 34-31 victories over Oregon in Seattle and in the Pac-12 title game, respectively.

"Taking a win in both of those was definitely a good thing for me," Barkins said. "I do remember how it was on the other side, losing by just a little bit."

Speed is his game, so maybe he'll make a fast turnaround in getting back on the field in the Husky secondary and pushing everyone for game time. 

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