Nearly a month after announcing his intentions to transfer from Texas Christian University, running back Darwin Barlow has found a new team for next season.
The former Newton High School standout verbally committed to Southern California on Monday night. Barlow comes off his best collegiate season in 2020, running for 428 yards and four touchdowns as a redshirt freshman.
“I have the same dream, I’m just headed in a new direction,” Barlow said when announcing his decision to transfer. “I’m so excited to enter this next journey of my life.”
Barlow’s decision creates what figures to be a formidable rushing duo in the Trojans backfield. In January, former University of Texas running back Keaontay Ingram, a Carthage graduate, also transferred to USC.
Ingram appeared in 32 games over three seasons at Texas, rushing for 1,811 yards and 11 touchdowns over that span.
“Let’s eat,” Ingram said while responding to Barlow’s announcement.
Before arriving at TCU in 2019, Barlow had a historic high school career at Newton. He won two state championships with the Eagles, rushing for over 5,000 yards in four seasons.
As a senior in 2018, he ran for 2,366 yards and scored 43 touchdowns as Newton defeated Canadian for its second straight championship.
Barlow then chose TCU over offers from across the country, including USC. He took an official visit to Los Angeles, but ended up joining the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth.
Once there, Barlow redshirted as a true freshman, then enjoyed a breakout year last season. He appeared in all 10 of TCU’s games last fall and made four starts. His best performance came during a 33-23 win at Baylor when he rushed for 117 yards.
But Barlow was relegated to backup duty as former 5-star running back Zach Evans, who graduated from North Shore, came onto the scene at TCU. With Evans taking over the starting role late in the year, Barlow only carried the ball 23 times over TCU’s last four games.
“I wish nothing but the best for coach (Gary Patterson), his staff, my teammates and the entire Horn Frog nation,” Barlow said. “They welcomed me wholeheartedly and I will forever be grateful.”
USC went 5-1 in 2020 while playing a shortened schedule. The Trojans’ only loss came to Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game.
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