After a year at Utah State, gifted linebacker is bringing his skills back to Washington State, where he began his career. The linebacker, who played during the 2021 and 2022 seasons at WSU, will have two years of eligibility left.
The 20th transfer added by head coach Jimmy Rogers this offseason (and the fifth from a school other than South Dakota State), he recorded 18 tackles over 13 games for Utah State in 2023. However, he is no longer listed on the Aggies’ 2024 roster, and the reason remains unclear.
He redshirted his true freshman season in 2021 at WSU before playing five games on special teams in 2022. He then entered the transfer portal and moved to Utah State, where he played in 11 games on defense in 2023. During that time, he recorded one sack and one pass breakup.
In addition to his defensive contributions, Barthiel appeared in all 13 games on special teams, mainly on the field goal block unit, and also participated in kick return, kick coverage, punt return, and punt coverage units.
Barthiel is joining a growing linebacker group at WSU. The team returns key backups Keith Brown and Parker McKenna, both of whom performed well toward the end of the previous season. Additionally, Rogers is bringing veteran linebacker Caleb Francl from South Dakota State, and two redshirt freshmen, Anthony Palano and Carsten Reynolds, may also contend for playing time in the team’s 4-3 defensive scheme.
The 6-foot, 225-pound Barthiel was a three-star recruit from Lake Gibson High School in Florida. He received offers from multiple programs, including Kansas State, Missouri, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State, and Georgia Tech, among others. Barthiel initially committed to Georgia Tech in June 2020 but later decommitted and flipped to WSU. During his first year at WSU, he was coached by Bobbit, who was then a defensive graduate assistant and is now the defensive coordinator.
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