Three schools in three years was probably not how Chris Barnes wanted to start his college football career. Now at Oklahoma State , he hopes this decision sticks.
Barnes began his college football career at Washington State in 2024 as a redshirt and he followed that by transferring to Wake Forest in 2025. Why does a Houston, Texas product go from one coast to the other in consecutive years? Well, it was probably head coach Jake Dickert. He recruited Barnes to Wazoo and Barnes followed him to Tobacco Road.
Now? Barnes is hoping to forge his own path with the Cowboys and their first-year head coach Eric Morris. His recent inclusion on a college football award watch list is proof that Barnes has the potential to make a real impact in 2026.
Recently, Barnes was named to the Jet Award watch list. The Jet Award is given to the nation's top return specialist. The award is named for former Nebraska star Johnny Rodgers, who won the 1972 Heisman Trophy and was nicknamed "The Jet." The award is presented each year in Omaha, Neb. Iowa 's Kaden Wetjen won the award in 2024 and 2025.
Players on the watch list are the kinds of players that can change a game in one play. Barnes showed that ability at Wake Forest last season and Oklahoma State hopes that translates to their team in 2026. If it does, then the Cowboys should win plenty of games.
Barnes was named third-team all-ACC as an all-purpose player last season after he returned seven kicks for 263 yards and a touchdown, giving him the highest kick return average for any qualified player in the conference. His kickoff return for a touchdown was 98 yards.
He was also the Demon Deacons' leading receiver with 39 catches for 547 yards and three touchdowns. With 143 yards rushing, he had 953 all-purpose yards.
It's the type of versatility that plays well in Morris ' offense. Wake Forest used him as a joker-type player on offense and valued his ability to return kicks. The Cowboys don't have many players that can make an impact in three areas and have a track record of doing so. Barnes is playing in a conference that has produced multiple Jet Award winners.
Of the 15 awards handed out, three have been claimed by Big 12 players - West Virginia 's Tavon Austin in 2012, Kansas State's Tyler Lockett in 2014 and TCU's Derius Davis in 2022 Current Big 12 member Houston has a winner from its American Conference days in 2021 in Marcus Jones .
Will Barnes be the next one? Landing on the Jet Award watch list is a good start. If he has an award-worthy season, that's great for him and should impact OSU's season in a positive way.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as The Importance of Chris Barnes' First Watch List Mention at Oklahoma State .
