TCU commit Darwin Barlow just won Offensive MVP at state. Is he still solid with Frogs?

TCU commit Darwin Barlow is going to wait until February to sign his letter of intent, but the Newton running back remains “solid” in his commitment even though other schools continue to reach out to him.

“[Other schools] have been texting me, but I’m still solid with TCU,” Barlow said after leading Newton to consecutive Class 3A Division II state championships on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.

Arkansas, Minnesota and Oklahoma State are among the programs that have offered Barlow, according to 247Sports. But he appears set to honor his commitment to TCU.

Newton quarterback/ safety Josh Foster, who signed with TCU on Wednesday, is confident he’ll remain teammates with Barlow at the next level too.

“We’re still working on him,” Foster said. “I’m pretty sure he’s going to be up there with us.”

One positive sign is Barlow recalled a conversation he had with TCU’s co-offensive coordinator Curtis Luper about his limited second-half snaps for Newton this season. The Eagles built substantial leads in most games, and Barlow’s workload was reduced by the fourth quarter much like Alabama did with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa this season.

“I was talking to Coach Luper about it and he was like, ‘It’s going to be a good thing that I don’t have as many miles on me coming into college and being able to be fresh and injury free,’” Barlow said. “It’s just a blessing I’m able to be that way.”

Another positive sign? Barlow proudly wore TCU gloves in the championship game.

Asked if he liked those gloves on him, Barlow smiled and said: “Yessir.”

Barlow capped his high school career with 106 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 24 carries in Newton’s 21-16 victory over Canadian for the state title. He also played defense.

Barlow earned offensive MVP honors for the game.

For now, Barlow wants to enjoy this state championship run with his high school teammates. He’s excited about that and then will focus on his college career when he signs in February – likely with TCU.

“I’m pumped up for [college],” Barlow said. “I’m glad God has blessed me with this opportunity to go there for it. I’m just going to cherish the moments, cherish high school right now, my friends, ‘cause I know once I’m gone, I’m not going to be able to see them everyday like I do now.

“I’m just going to cherish the time that I have with coach [WT Johnston] and our teammates now that we did it two times in a row. It’s just taking it all in.”

This story was originally published December 20, 2018 at 8:05 PM.