Story by
Athens Banner-Herald
Georgia football safety Khalil Barnes on his return to Athens
- Story byAthens Banner-Herald
- Georgia football safety Khalil Barnes on his return to Athens
Khalil Barnes grew up a Georgia football fan.
Until about sophomore year, when he started to get heavily recruited, he was a diehard Bulldog.
"My grandma, I don't know if y'all know, but there was a restaurant called Peaches back in the day and she used to cater here," Barnes said. "I used to, when coach (Mark) Richt was here, I'd always come out on the field for warmups."
Advertisement
After spending three seasons with Clemson and Dabo Swinney, Barnes entered the transfer portal. With the Tigers, he was named a 2023 Freshman All-American and became the first in Clemson's Swinney era to record multiple forced fumbles and multiple interceptions in his rookie season.
When Kirby Smart called, of course there were no hard feelings that Georgia hadn't recruited him out of high school. It was a no brainer that he wanted to come home.
"It wasn't a thing for me," Barnes said. "Coach Smart kind of brought it up, and I told him I understand it's a business nowadays. It all worked out."
Barnes graduated from North Oconee, a program that's been on the rise since Tyler Aurandt took over in 2017. Aurandt turned the Titans from a 1-9 team in 2017 to a 9-3 team in 2018 and eventually an undefeated, first-time state champion in 2024. Barnes was part of this rebuild, graduating after the 2022 season when they went 13-1 to the state semifinals.
Advertisement
"It's a blessing to be back," Barnes said. "The story is just kind of crazy, how you come back full circle to be like, literally where my whole family is from and playing with (my guys)."
Barnes is one of four active North Oconee alumni on the Georgia football roster. Alongside him are sophomore wide receiver Landon Roldan, who he referred to as "LB," freshman edge Khamari Brooks and freshman wide receiver Dallas Dickerson.
Barnes knew Dickerson (class of 2025) a little in high school, and he was supposed to mentor Roldan, but Roldan was "already good, so there wasn't much mentoring having to go on," he said with a laugh.
His relationship with Brooks, though, is different. They grew up together.
Advertisement
"Khamari is like my little brother," Barnes said. "You saw him get that little fumble recovery last Saturday? He had one of those his freshman year of high school, and I was one of the first ones to jump on the field with him again. That stuff is priceless. I'll remember that forever."
"(Having four guys in the Georgia program) speaks to the development because North Oconee has not always been like this," Barnes said. "There were a very limited number of guys who were coming out and having success. I think it's cool that, the guys who are here aren't just on the team, but they're contributing and showing the talent."
Barnes is even still friends with the same circle he had in high school. Home really is where the heart is.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football safety Khalil Barnes on his return to Athens
