A presumed Kansas football walk-on for the 2023 season announced he was decommitting from the Jayhawks after signing an MLB free-agent deal with the Kansas City Royals.
The Kansas Jayhawks have had their fair share of two-sport athletes in the past. Look no further than star football running back Devin Neal, who played KU baseball for part of his freshman year, or former walk-on basketball and football player James Sosinski.
While many players at the college level have been able to balance playing two sports, it does not make it any less impressive. Now, a cornerback who was supposed to be one of head coach Lance Leipold’s PWOs in 2023 is deviating from the gridiron to the diamond.
Noah Barber, a defensive back who recently graduated from Blue Valley North in Overland Park, will receive a crack at Minor League baseball with his hometown KC Royals. The organization signed him to an undrafted free-agent contract after he did not hear his name called in this year’s MLB Draft. He’s leaving the Kansas football team, effective immediately.
In baseball, he primarily sees time in the outfield, though he did receive reps on the mound when he played in high school. According to Perfect Game, Barber stands 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, and is 18 years and two months old. He hits and throws right-handed.
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MaxPreps has him appearing in 13 games as a senior, hitting for a .289 average and knocking five extra-base hits. The move does come as a bit of a surprise considering Barber had not seen much national attention on most recruiting outlets, but it’s a high-risk, low-reward acquisition for the struggling Royals and GM JJ Picollo.
If baseball doesn’t work out for Barber, he can enroll back at Kansas to play football again. Regardless, we wish the best for him as he embarks on his new journey.
Multi-sport star: Blue Valley North’s Noah Barber, a 6’3 180 pound DB who was committed to KU football, will sign a free agent deal with the Kansas City Royals ⚾️
— Sports in Kansas (@sportsinkansas) July 14, 2023
Barber, an outfielder with nice speed and strength, will begin his professional baseball career pending a physical.… pic.twitter.com/oiwdRKRK7u
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