Animated Lacrosse
Plays and Drills for
your Team

Few programs have made as big as splash when it comes to landing Class of 2015 commitments from players in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as Ohio State.

Make that the Ohio State University.

The Buckeyes, after all, have picked up  seven — count ’em, seven — of them.

The latest came over the weekend as midfielder Brandon Barker of Pittsford Mendon High School (N.Y.) verbally committed to the Buckeyes, as first reported at Twitter.com/Joe_Lombardi.

Barker was one of the leading performers at the Maverik Showtime National Lacrosse Recruiting Spotlight held earlier this month at Western Connecticut State University.

Showing lacrosse’s trend toward athleticism, Barker’s testing numbers would be impressive for a major D-I football recruit. He runs a 4.7 in the 40-yard dash, benches 235 and squats 300.

And Barker plays both football (as a safety/middle linebacker) as well as lacrosse.

But lacrosse is where his college future is, as is the case with most varsity standouts in both football and lacrosse.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Brandon on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
Size of school, style of offense and defense and the coaching staff.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I had 10 offers. I visited 15. My top five were OSU, Maryland, Cuse, Loyola and Towson.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I feel like I have a good defensive mindset because of playing defense for football since I was a little kid. I also think it’s easier for me to dodge be aide of my size and from the toughness that football has helped me build.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
Definitely my weak hand.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
When I was little most of my friends were playing so I decided to give it a try. I’ve played football, baseball, hockey, soccer and basketball.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play for the Sweetlax club.

Any final thoughts?
Definitely my parents for paying for me to go to tournaments and camps to get noticed and their support. My brother for playing with me in the yard. My teammates for allowing me to get better and my coaches from Pittsford lacrosse and football and Sweetlax for pushing me and making me a better player and person.