Following older brothers, St. Charles East’s Liam Barrett enters upcoming season with 6 Division I offers
It was probably inevitable for St. Charles East’s Liam Barrett.
Barrett finds himself at the end of an impressive family line with the Saints in football — line being the operative word. The 6-foot-7 junior, who is preparing for his second varsity season, will make the move from right to left tackle.
St. Charles East coach Nolan Possley is pumped up about the prospect of having Barrett, who already has six Division I scholarship offers, anchor the offensive line for two more seasons. And that sounds just fine to Barrett.
“I’ve always wanted to catch the ball and make a play, but my brothers tried to convince me offensive line was the path,” he said. “So when I hit high school and saw all the resources around me, I thought, ‘I have the frame and two older brothers who are role models who will help me with anything I ask.’
“It’s been working out really well.”
Liam is the youngest of Larry and Dena Barrett’s four sons. Two of Liam’s three older siblings — Dylan and Austin — blazed a trail on the offensive line, first at St. Charles East and then in the top levels of college football and, maybe soon, the NFL.
Oldest brother Dylan, a 6-4, 325-pound guard who started at Wisconsin and played the last two seasons at Iowa State, agreed to terms as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers.
Austin, a 6-5, 320-pound tackle, started at Indiana but joined Dylan last season at Iowa State and will be there again this fall for his redshirt senior season.
In between, brother Evan is preparing for his senior year at Illinois-Chicago, looking to go to medical school.
“The older three are 18 months apart, with Austin born in 2004,” said Dylan, who spent the past few weeks helping Possley with summer camp while he trains on his own before reporting to Green Bay’s preseason camp. “Then, in 2010, Liam came along.
“As we got older, he brought the younger kids out in us. He was the glue between us three and made us realize we had to set an example.”
Games in their big backyard were a staple, according to Liam.
“You could call it 7-on-7 but it was basically razzle-dazzle,” he said. “We were always tossing the ball around. They challenged and pushed me. Once I got older, they’d challenge me in the weight room, make sure I was eating right. And they’d get on me, which wasn’t a bad thing at all.”
Evan, whom Liam said is 6-3 and a little leaner, chose not to play football.
“They’ve been huge role models and I always looked up to all of them,” Liam said. “Even Evan. He does so much for my family. If I ever need anything for homework, I go right to that guy.”
Liam appears poised to make his own mark, with offers from Iowa State, Kansas, Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic and two MAC programs.
The tallest of the four brothers, he played last season at 230 pounds but is up to 260.
“I always thought of Dylan as a big dude who would maul guys,” said Possley, starting his 11th season with the program. “Austin was long and athletic. He gave up zero sacks his senior year.
“Right now, Liam is pretty long but it looks like he may pack more weight on, maybe a little bit easier than it was with Austin. Liam may be a hybrid of the other two.”
Liam also works with Naperville-based OL Mafia for position training with Nate Oquendo.
“I’ve gotten stronger and faster and focused on my footwork,” Liam said. “My bending has gotten better too. I’m going to get under guys more. O-line is more than brute strength — half of it is IQ.”
Possley pointed that Liam, who’s a nice kid, does have a mean streak on the field.
“Someone goes after my guy (quarterback) Cruz Herrera behind me and they do something dirty, I’ll flip a switch,” Liam said. “You can’t be a nice guy out there.”