Interview: 2018 Hawaii QB Stephen Barber Breaks Down MWC and Pac-12 Camp Circuit

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

The college football camp circuit can be a brutal eye-opener for some Division-I hopefuls while the seemingly endless string of competitions can be a thing of beauty for others. For guys like Punahou High School’s Class of 2018 quarterback Stephen Barber, even when he is under the weather he can dazzle and delight with his skillset in the pocket catching the eye of offensive coordinators and next level quarterback coaches in the pressure cooker.

A certain amount of recruiting fervor is already setting in for Barber. He more than meets the physical requirements stretching the tape at 6-4, and tipping the scale at 220. Beyond the prototypical mold wanted for a quarterback at the next level, he has a gun for a right arm and wheels to execute a spread attack if needed. Offers are already on the table from Hawaii, Navy, and Air Force with interest stirred throughout the western region of the U.S. after a double-digit three-week college camp circuit in June that began with a Boise State, Oregon State, Utah State, and Stanford jointly held satellite camp and then showcased his skills to San Diego State, Arizona, Cal, Oregon State, San Jose State, Colorado, Air Force, UCLA, Oregon, and USC. Not surprising to find out, Barber turned in some of his best performances with a touch of the flu or a cold.

In a Recruiting News Guru exclusive interview, I sat down with Barber to breakdown his camp circuit and best performances while getting an update on his recruiting interests.

Interview

Stephen, you just wrapped up a whirlwind three-week camp circuit, overall, how did all the camps go for you?

“They went really well. I really liked going to all of them. I enjoyed all the competition at the camps and the corrections the coaches had to offer me.”

Which camps did you turn in your best performances?

“Arizona, Arizona State, Air Force, Cal, UCLA, and USC. I was sick the last few days of our trip. I’m not sure if I had altitude sickness or a cold or the flu.”

UCLA and USC were among your last couple of camps too, right?

“Yes, sir.”

Way to go out there and show them what you’ve got even if you’re not feeling it.

“Thank you.”

What did you do well at those camps to make those camps your best performances?

“My body was in-sync with my footwork. I have work to do with my footwork, but I felt better and more fluid at those camps with my motion and footwork.”

What were some of the suggestions you received to work on from the college coaches going forward?

“Mainly having more balance when I drop-back. At some camps, I was tighter than at others, especially off back-to-back camps.”

Which camps offered great instructional advice for you beyond the competition provided?

“Probably Arizona and USC. At Arizona, there were less quarterbacks there so I had more one-on-one time with the coaches. At USC, I really liked their energy and the coaching staff. They helped me a lot.”

You have received an amazing amount of instruction at the quarterback position from some of the top coaches in the nation. What is at least one technique point you’ve picked up that will help your game during your senior season?

“On my drop-back, my last two steps, making them smaller for better balance.”

What were some of the game tips you learned that will help you on the field during your senior season?

“More anticipation, knowing where my receiver will be. Throwing the ball ahead of him breaking not giving defense time to recover.”

What areas of your game improved the most during your three-week camp circuit?

“My footwork. At the beginning, I was more focused on my throwing. Through all the camps the coaches stressed footwork. I started focusing on that more than the other things.”

Did any coaches pull you aside for a one-on-one conversation?

“At most of the camps, most of the coaches did pull me aside to talk to me. Most of them said they have offers out, but if something opens up they will be watching me. USC seemed really interested in me after their camp.”

Did any of the coaches share with you what they are looking for from you during your senior season?

“The basics; touchdowns, passing yards, high completion rate, and no interceptions. We’ll see how it all goes.”

Where does your recruiting interest list stand now?

“At most of the camps, they said they want to see my film from the first three or four games. Arizona and USC were the biggest showing interest at the actual camps. Oregon State showed a lot of interest even though they have two quarterback commits.”

Do you have any camps lined up for the rest of the summer?

“I don’t think so. My school starts scrimmaging soon. For the first time ever we have several 7v7 and scrimmages lined up. We have all that coming up so I doubt I will make any more camps.”

Do you have any plans to take any official or unofficial visits?

“I want to take officials to the schools I have offers from now. Hopefully I will get more invites to see how I like other schools too.”

Was there a favorite moment during your camp circuit, on or off the field, that will stay with you going forward?

“I have two that I will remember. I had a lot of fun at Six Flags (Magic Mountain). That was my first time riding big roller coasters. The second one is Pier 39. That was such a cool environment. We had a lot of fun walking around and seeing San Francisco.”

What is your schedule like the rest of the summer into fall camp?

“I’m not too sure. I know we have two mainland teams we are playing. One of them is Serra (Gardena, CA). As mentioned, we have a lot of pre-season scrimmages and 7v7 events. This year is different from last year. Normally we have one scrimmage. I think Timpview (Provo, UT) is coming out, but I’m not sure. That could have changed.”

Stephen, thanks for your time today and good luck with all the scrimmages and 7v7 events.

“Thank you.”

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Photo credit: Barber family; Stephen Barber at USC with Coach Johnny Nansen (recruiting coordinator).

Photo credit: Barber family; Stephen Barber at CSU with head coach Mike MacIntyre.