COLLEGE FOOTBALL RECRUITING : Barnes Selects Cal’s Number

Trabuco Hills quarterback Pat Barnes committed to California Wednesday, a decision he based on simple math.

He wanted to be No. 1 instead of No. 3.

Barnes chose Cal, which made him its top quarterback prospect, over Notre Dame, which ranked him third. He plans to sign with the Bears on the Feb. 3 signing day.

“Notre Dame offered a scholarship,” he said, “but it came down to Cal having everything I was looking for. The coaching staff was fired up, great academics. And I want to play in the Pac 10 and the Rose Bowl.

“Still, it was hard to turn down Notre Dame because, well, it’s Notre Dame. It was hard to call them and tell them about my decision. They wished me good luck and said they would call in a week and make sure my decision is still the same. It will be.”

Other schools recruiting him were Arizona State, Colorado and UCLA, where his brother, John, became the starter as a walk-on last season.

“From the start, Cal and Arizona State were very clear that he was their No. 1 pick,” said John Barnes, Pat’s father. “With Notre Dame, he was No. 3. That weighs heavily on a 17-year-old’s mind.

“It was very difficult for Pat to tell Arizona State about his decision. But it was extremely hard for him to tell Notre Dame no.”

Barnes, 6 feet 4 and 207 pounds, visited Cal, Notre Dame and Arizona State, and took an unofficial visit to Colorado last summer. He canceled a trip to UCLA last weekend when he narrowed his choices to Cal, Notre Dame and Arizona State.

The Bears got the inside track when Barnes attended their football camp last summer. He developed a close relationship with offensive coordinator Mike Sheppard, who was active in recruiting him.

Barnes becomes the second Orange County player to commit to Cal this season, joining Edison defensive tackle George Roberts. Tim Manning, a former Trabuco Hills quarterback, is a defensive back and special-teams player for the Bears.

The Bears finished 4-7 last season, its first under Coach Keith Gilbertson. But Barnes said he thought Cal “is a program on the rise.”

He said he plans to be a redshirt next season, but Cal coaches told him there’s a slight chance he could compete for the starting job with junior Dave Barr.

Former Carson quarterback Perry Klein, one of Barr’s backups, transferred from Cal to C.W. Post last month.

Colleges are beginning to show more interest in Rancho Alamitos running back Jeff Byrd after he broke Derek Brown’s single-season rushing record with 2,596 yards this past season.

He received little interest early, most coming from Ivy League schools. He has scheduled only one visit, to Nevada Jan. 29.

Byrd, 5-10 and 160 pounds, said recruiters told him he was too small to play Division I.

“My size has been killing me,” he said.

But after rushing for 865 yards in four Southern Section VII playoff games, colleges noticed.

Byrd said he has been contacted by Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri, Southern Methodist, Idaho, New Mexico State, Colorado State, Boston College and Texas El Paso. He and Rancho Alamitos Coach Mark Miller mailed game tapes to the schools this week.

“I think breaking Brown’s record attracted a lot of attention,” Byrd said.