Following strong fall, Minooka OL Brady Barrowman garnering college interest

Success at Brady Barrowman’s position often goes unnoticed.

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound Minooka offensive lineman, however, sometimes can’t help but stand out.

At last month’s Edgy Tim Underclassmen Showcase held in La Grange, Barrowman was noticed for nothing but good reasons. The junior earned a camp-wide citation for individual excellence.

Barrowman said he’s happy to receive the attention and clear up some misconceptions about playing along the offensive line.

“You’ve got to use more of your head than you think,” Barrowman said. “It’s not just run up and kill the guy in front of you,” Barrowman said. “You’ve got to know where you’re going, what your assignments are.”

And sometimes it doesn’t hurt if you go ahead and pummel the guy in front of you either.

Barrowman is proving he can do both.

“I’m just focused on 100% effort even if I’m getting beat or have few bad reps...,” Barrowman said after the showcase. “Taking adjustments when the coaches are here, because the coaches that were working with us wanted to work and help us get better while evaluating us. Certain things like hand placement was a big was a big factor. Just having hand placement to help inside cut off.”

The rapid progression in Barrowman’s game has not been lost on Harding – or college coaches. Barrowman is receiving interest from multiple Division I programs, including Miami (OH), Eastern Michigan, Air Forece, Austin Peay State, North Dakota State and St. Thomas University, among others.

“He’s doing a great job, his growth from in the weight room from last year has been phenomenal,” Minooka coach Matt Harding said. “His strength has just skyrocketed. He’s young for his year, and I think his body is finally getting to where it needs to be to be able to play at a high level.”

Minooka has long looked to build its teams with its interior line, providing a foundation for everything the Indians want to do offensively. Barrowman’s ability to push his game to another level couldn’t come at a better time. The Indians will be losing three starters up front, two of which had been anchors for the past two seasons. There’s a skill and leadership void that Harding feels Barrowman is ready to fill.

“He’s going to be a leader, we graduated those three guys up front, and they were tremendous leaders,” Harding said. “Brady is going to fit right into the role in leading that offensive group, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the defensive side of the ball, too.”

Barrowman relishes the opportunity to provide the leadership Harding seeks, especially if Minooka hopes to advance past the second round of the postseason, which has seen the Indians ousted in in each of the past two seasons.

“We’ve got to work harder in the weight room in the offseason,” Barrowman said. “Last season we slacked sometimes ... the stuff outside of practice that really makes a difference.

“It just is as easy as starting early. I mean, we have team training sessions by ourselves. Run, do drills, go out to eat together, especially within the offensive line, but also the whole team. Everyone’s really close. So it’s not too hard to step up as a leader.”

As for what comes after his senior season, efforts like the showcase already have heightened Barrowman’s visibility to potential collegiate programs.