Trabuco Hills’ Pat Barnes Expected to Commit to Cal

Trabuco Hills High quarterback Pat Barnes said Tuesday he will likely play football at California next season.

“I’m leaning toward Cal right now,” said Barnes, who plans to announce his commitment today. “It hasn’t been finalized yet. I talked to Notre Dame and Colorado today, and I’m supposed to talk to Cal later (Tuesday).”

Barnes, who attended Cal’s football camp last summer, said the Bears have offered him a scholarship.

Cal, Notre Dame, Colorado, Arizona State and UCLA were among the schools recruiting Barnes, who finished his three-year career with 6,182 yards, fourth on Orange County’s all-time chart.

Barnes, 6 feet 4 and 207 pounds, visited Notre Dame and Cal, and canceled a trip last weekend to UCLA, where his brother, John, earned a starting job as a walk-on last season.

Feb. 3 is the first day players can sign college letters of intent.

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Rancho Alamitos’ Marshall Brown committed to Fresno State Tuesday night, choosing the Bulldogs over Arizona State and Washington State.

He probably won’t be academically eligible to sign with the Bulldogs on the Feb. 3 signing day because he must take the ACT entrance exam for the second time later in February.

Brown, a 5-10, 178-pound defensive back and quarterback, will be a flanker in college.

Most schools wanted him as a flanker, although Washington considered him at cornerback and Iowa State and Oregon State as a quarterback.

“It pretty much came down to Arizona State and Fresno State,” Brown said. “But Arizona State said I waited too long (to commit) and they ran out of scholarships.”