2025 Football Roster
Jersey Number 80
Grayson Barnes
- Position:
- Tight End
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 223
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Rocklin, Calif.
- High School:
- Rocklin
- Prev School:
- Northern Illinois
2024 (Jr.) - Northern Illinois
- Played tight end for coach Thomas Hammock at Northern Illinois
- Second on the team with 31 catches and led NIU with four touchdown grabs
- Averaged 10.9 yards per catch with 338 receiving yards
- Made at least one catch in every game
- Recorded four catches of 25 yards or longer to lead NIU
- Caught six passes, two for touchdowns, for 57 yards in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl win over Fresno State
- In the bowl game, made an impossible one-handed grab over a defender for a 26-yard touchdown that ended up on SportsCenter Top 10 Plays
- Second touchdown reception – for three yards - tied the game in the first overtime
- Tallied four catches against both Buffalo and Ball State
- Recorded a 32-yard touchdown catch from Ethan Hampton in the Huskies’ win over Akron
- Completed a pass to long snapper Isaac Hatfield for a two-point conversion in NIU’s win at Bowling Green
- Led NIU with five receptions against Western Illinois for season-best 95 yards
- Scored on a 60-yard touchdown reception, the longest catch of his NIU career, in the Western Illinois game
2023 (So.) - Northern Illinois
- Second on the team with 422 receiving yards on 23 catches
- His 18.3 yards per catch average led the Huskies as did his five touchdown receptions
- Made at least one grab in each of the first nine games of the season
- Top performance came in the Camellia Bowl win over Arkansas State with five catches for 105 yards
- Gave NIU a 6-0 lead on the opening drive of the game with an 18-yard over the shoulder touchdown catch
- Had three catches for 65 yards on the opening drive and a 35-yard grab in the third quarter
- Closed out the game by recovering ASU’s onside kick attempt to preserve the 21-19 win
- Caught a 16-yard touchdown pass in NIU win at Kent State
- Scored on a 22-yard touchdown reception at Central Michigan
- Had three catches for 44 yards in win over Eastern Michigan
- Caught a season-long 58-yard pass for a touchdown against Ohio, finishing the game with two catches and 66 yards
- Lone catch at Akron was a 34-yard touchdown
- Made three catches for 40 yards against Tulsa
- Had two grabs for 31 yards in NIU debut at Boston College
2021-22 (JUCO) - American River
- Attended American River College his first two years of school
- Earned All-America Community College honors in 2022 and was a two-time All-California Community College Athletic Association performer
- Finished with 38 catches for 526 yards and four touchdowns in 11 games in 2022 and had 23 receptions for 381 yards and a touchdown in 10 games played in 2021
High School
- Two-year letterwinner for coach Jason Adams at Rocklin High
- Earned all-conference second-team honors in 2019 and earned a spot in the Optimist All-Star Game
- Finished with 19 catches for 285 yards and three touchdowns as a senior, helping lead Rocklin to a 7-4 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Sierra Foothill League
Personal
- Son of Bob and Brenda Barnes
- One of two children (1 brother)
- Graduated with his bachelor’s degree in sport management from Northern Illinois
- Currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport management
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