Nick Barrett

● Outstanding size with long arms and thickness in his lower half ● Powerful hands to bruise blocker in front of him and work off contact ● Takes advantage of his extension to press blockers off his frame or drive them backward ● Good athlete with balance through contact ● Upper-body flexibility to swim and maneuver through bodies ● Flashes lateral movements to mirror zone blocks ● Holds ground against single blocks and tackles runners in his gap ● Received strength and conditioning MVP award in 2025 ● Team captain in 2025 and had a good reputation in the program 418 Back to table of contents -- 422 of 629 --

● Only one season as a full-time player (fewer than 1,000 career snaps over five years) ● Average snap anticipation — often the last to spring out of his stance ● Underdeveloped pass-rush instincts (14 pressures over 51 games played) ● Straight-legged and often goes the long way to the pocket ● Can be uprooted, especially by doubles, when pads get upright ● Stiffness in core and ankles, which restricts his reactions to shifty runners ● Left tackle production on the field (see 2025 Clemson tape)

A one-year starter at South Carolina, Barrett played the one-/2i-technique position in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s scheme. He spent his first four seasons with the Gamecocks as a backup and rotational player before finally cracking the starting lineup in 2025. His defensive snap count increased from 16 per game in 2023 to 17 in 2024 and then to 42.3 last season. His first career sack came against Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. Barrett is stout in stopping the run and shows promise with his pass-rush effort. He neutralizes base blocks and uses full extension and contact balance to shed. He plays with elevated pads at times, which hurts his effectiveness versus double teams. He also hasn’t yet developed a plan for pass-rush moves and counters, but his quickness and upper-body flexibility suggest he can be more than just a block-eater. Overall, Barrett lacks sudden twitch in his movements, but his motor has a full tank, and he uses his length and power to stay detached from blocks. He is in the Alfred Collins mold as an early-down rotational lineman who can develop into more.