# @gamecocksonline on YouTube

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://youtube.com/watch?v=ItxoIl34NYA
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/64080935-gamecocksonline-youtube
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/190a6fc14f.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-04-16T23:57:30.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Gamecock Athletics (@GamecocksOnline) — https://gondola.cc/GamecocksOnline

## Caption

Get to know one of the best, brightest young coaches in the game!

Deion Barnes was named the Gamecocks’ defensive ends/outside linebackers coach on December 23, 2025.

Barnes spent the past three seasons as the defensive line coach on James Franklin’s staff at Penn State after working with the Nittany Lions for three years as a graduate assistant tutoring the defensive line.

During his six seasons working with the PSU defensive line, Barnes mentored 21 All-Big Ten selections, including five first-team picks, along with a first-team, a second-team and a third-team All-American.

During Barnes’s coaching tenure with the Nittany Lions from 2020-25, Penn State led the nation in most defensive ends selected in the NFL Draft with seven.

Penn State’s defense has consistently been among the FBS leaders in both sacks and tackles for loss. In 2025, PSU ranked third in the Big Ten and 37th in the country in tackles for loss, averaging 6.1 per game, and fifth in the Big Ten and 39th in the nation in sacks with 2.3 per contest. 

In 2024, the Nittany Lion defense ranked second in the FBS in tackles for loss (119) and fifth in sacks (44). In 2023, Penn State’s defense ranked first nationally in sacks (49) and first among Power Five teams (2nd nationally) in tackles for loss (111). During the 2022 campaign, Penn State led the Big Ten with 104 tackles for loss (T-4th nationally) and 42 sacks (T-6th).

South Carolina and Penn State are tied for fourth nationally in turnovers forced since 2021 with 110.

The most decorated player Barnes coached, Abdul Carter, was named a unanimous All-American, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2024 before becoming the third pick in the 2025 NFL Draft pick. He led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss and ranked seventh nationally in sacks (12.0). 

Barnes has also coached 2024 first round NFL pick Chop Robinson, 2024 third round pick Adisa Isaac, 2022 second round pick Arnold Ebiketie and 2021 first round pick Odafe Oweh, among others.

Barnes was a three-year letterwinner at Penn State from 2012-14 and earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors in 2012. He spent two years in the NFL with the New York Jets (2015) and Kansas City Chiefs (2016), and an additional season in the AAF with the San Antonio Commanders in 2019. He earned his bachelor’s degree from PSU in 2014 in Recreation, Park and Tourism Management.

Prior to returning to Penn State as a graduate assistant, Barnes worked as an assistant coach at his former high school, Philadelphia Northeast, eventually becoming the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.

## Stats

- **Views:** 8,446
- **Likes:** 225
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 13

## Credits

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Gamecock Athletics | @GamecocksOnline | https://gondola.cc/GamecocksOnline | College Athletics Department |
| Noah Whalen | @noah_whalen | https://gondola.cc/noah_whalen | Producer |
| Noah Whalen | @noah_whalen | https://gondola.cc/noah_whalen | Editor |
| Noah Whalen | @noah_whalen | https://gondola.cc/noah_whalen | Videographer |

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