Football: Barrett is big man on campus at Notre Dame

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Jordan Barrett will be one of the first players to arrive at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Thursday for the team's first official practice, and one of the last guys to leave. Mind you, the senior has a reputation for being one of the hardest workers around, so I feel safe with my prediction.

Establishing his presence as a leader from Day 1 will be key for Barrett, who is expected to assume a bigger, perhaps more vocal role this season for the Knights since the graduation of several key players from last year. And all signs point to the three-year starter being a more than capable replacement.

"Jordan has an unmatched work ethic. Naturally, his teammates look up to him,'' Notre Dame Coach Kevin Rooney said. "There's no reason for me not to expect him to come to camp and set the tone for us right from the get-go. We're counting on him to step up. If anyone is capable of doing that, it's Jordan Barrett.''

He's not as well known as other Southland inside linebackers such as USC-bound Vontaze Burfict from Corona Centennial, UCLA-bound Todd Golper from Arcadia and Arizona-bound Trevor Erno from Lakewood. That, however, doesn't mean the 6-foot-3 225-pounder doesn't have fans among the Division I scouts.

Notre Dame, UNLV and Washington have scholarship offers on the table. Boston College, Georgia Tech and Virginia have expressed interest recently as well. With a productive final season on the high school gridiron, my guess is that plenty of other schools from across the country will come calling.

"Jordan is talented,'' Rooney said. "He has the size plus the speed colleges look for in a recruit. He has all the measurables and some of the immeasurables. If he plays like we think he can, he's going to have plenty of offers.''

-- Sean Ceglinsky