Freddie Barnes NFL Draft Prospects Raised from Humanitarian Bowl

With a record setting Division I NCAA season under his belt, Freddie Barnes' NFL draft prospects have been significantly enhanced. The wide receiver out of Bowling Green University put on an offensive display in Wednesday evening's Humanitarian Bowl against the Idaho Vandals.

For the game, Freddie Barnes finished with 17 receptions for 217 yards and 3 touchdown grabs. He gave the Falcons a 42-35 lead with a 51 yard touchdown reception with just 28 seconds remaining in the game. It would have been the winning play had Idaho not stormed down the field and completed a 2-point conversion to steal a 43-42 victory.

The huge numbers for Freddie Barnes in the Humanitarian Bowl for Bowling Green gave him mind-boggling stats on the season. He amassed 155 receptions and 19 touchdowns, and over 1,750 yards.

The Humanitarian Bowl was of course a nationally televised bowl game broadcast on ESPN. The nation was treated to not just the great game, but for many fans their first up-close look at Freddie Barnes. Needless to say, Bowling Green does not get the air time that a Notre Dame, Florida or Alabama might when you're flipping through the channels.

Standing at 6 feet and 1 inch and weighing about 205 lbs, Freddie Barnes certainly has the build to be an NFL wide receiver. However, in the NFL draft what matters more than what you did on the field for most collegiate players are the numbers you post in the combine.

Unfortunately for Freddie Barnes' NFL draft rankings, he runs a pedestrian 4.6 in the 40 yard dash, although he has posted a low of 4.45 according to NFLDraftScout.com. However, any NFL team would be wise to simply watch the tape of Freddie Barnes in the Humanitarian Bowl to see for themselves what the man can do.

After all, numbers don't tell the whole story. Terrell Owens for one, coming from a small school himself, was never known as a speedster, yet became one of the premier receivers of his generation. Many other prominent receivers cannot be quantified by a stop watch on a track.

Still, the prospects don't seem to be that high for the Bowling Green University wide receiver Freddie Barnes. NFL draft scouts are keen on those numbers and other physical tests, and Barnes will need to post some good times to raise his stock. Wherever he is drafted, he has the entire skill set required to be successful in the league, and you can easily envision him stepping in as a slot or third down receiver until he gets some experience under his belt and is ready to break out.

So when you're watching the 2010 NFL draft, keep a close eye on Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green University product. 155 receptions and 19 touchdowns in a season, and when the lights were brightest in the Humanitarian Bowl, Barnes was his best, torching Idaho for 3 TDs, 200 yards and 17 grabs.