Barry Wesley to declare for the 2022 NFL Draft

DENVER — Barry Wesley has played his final game for the Green & Gold. The 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman announced via Instagram that he’s declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. 

A local prospect out of Bear Creek High School, Wesley was not heavily recruited before walking on at Colorado State in 2017. However, it didn’t take long for him to make his presence known. He quickly earned the admiration of Mike Bobo and the rest of the coaches, and by fall camp in 2018, Wesley had not only earned a scholarship, but also a spot in the starting lineup. 

When you think it’s a regular team meeting, and you get called out. In a good way.

And then it gets better…

Congratulations, @barry_jwesley! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/2QFnuiQXiG

— Colorado State Football (@CSUFootball) August 5, 2018

“Obviously he’s got God-given size, but the guy has worked himself into position where he’s working with the 1s and 2s with our offense, and he’s only going to get better. He’s got a bright, bright future because of the way he works and goes about his business,” Bobo said in 2018. 

As a redshirt freshman, Wesley started all 12 games for the Rams. He played left tackle for the first seven and left guard for the final five. It was the first of many times that he proved to be a Swiss Army Knife for the Rams. Wherever the coaches needed him, whatever they asked, Wesley always stepped into the role seamlessly. 

After playing the first 12 games of his collegiate career on the left side of the line, Wesley continued to display his versatility in 2019, starting eight total games at right tackle, as well as four more at left guard. 

“I thought leadership was missing last year up front with the offensive line and Barry has taken that role. He’s been a leader since January with our football team,” Bobo said of Wesley in 2019. 

Wesley primarily played left tackle between the 2020 and 2021 seasons but did occasionally flip over to the right side, depending on who was in the lineup. Much like he did for Bobo, though, Wesley consistently played well for Steve Addazio and served as a leader in the locker room. 

Beyond his talent on the field, Wesley will forever have my respect and admiration for the man that he is off of it. A leader in the community and a scholar in the classroom, Wesley has been the embodiment of everything a student-athlete should be. 

Oh, and don’t be fooled by his kind demeanor or welcoming smile, No. 69 will make you regret coming at one of his teammates. Just ask Taylor Hawkins of San Diego State. 

Tayler Hawkins (No. 9) rolls Dante Wright's ankle & Barry Wesley (No. 69) makes him regret it.

Exactly the attitude you want from your left tackle. pic.twitter.com/IpEWllnX3t

— Justin Michael (@JustinTMichael) December 6, 2020

Due to the 2020 Covid-19 eligibility policy, Wesley technically could have come back to CSU for one more season if he wanted to. But just like Trey McBride, Wesley has determined that the time to pursue a professional career is now. I know that Ram Nation will be rooting for him to succeed at the next level. And they’ll always be grateful for everything that Wesley did for the Rams over the last five years.