Transfer Barnes Is Cleared to Play

Cal State Northridge got word from the NCAA on Tuesday that Mike Barnes, a former guard at Arizona State, is cleared to play for the Matadors.

Barnes, 6 feet 2 and 285 pounds, was on the Sun Devil team that lost to Ohio State, 20-17, in the 1997 Rose Bowl. He later left Arizona State and did not play last year.

The Matadors recruited Barnes, from Norco High, but some of his Arizona State units did not transfer to Northridge, leaving him just short of meeting the NCAA’s rule that says a player must have 75% of the work toward his degree completed going into his senior season.

“He’s in fine academic standing,” said Aron Gideon, Northridge’s lines coach. “He’s just about 10 units short of graduating.”

Gideon said Barnes is expected at Northridge by the end of the week.

“We think he can make an impact for us because of his experience,” Gideon said.

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Ponciano gave the team most of the afternoon off from practice Tuesday and drove the players, in shifts, in a bus to the school’s recreational pool.

“They’ve been working really hard,” Ponciano said. “We thought this would be a nice way to relax and have some fun.”

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Matador assistant Jeff Kearin found a potential gem when he recruited Hassan Abdul-Malik, a 5-foot-9 freshman safety who comes from high-grade football stock.

One brother, Sultan, is a 6-3 sophomore defensive end who last year led USC with seven sacks. Another brother, Saeed, is a 6-5 defensive end headed for Washington State after the fall semester. He needs to complete courses at Pasadena City College.

All played at Arcadia High. Their father, Wali Abdul-Malik, played as Ed Powell at USC from 1972-74. He was an All-Pacific 8 linebacker his senior season.

“Northridge was the only school that was really interested in giving me a chance to play,” said Abdul-Malik, who signed late with the Matadors.

Said Ponciano: “I think [Abdul-Malik] just got missed.”

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Ponciano said the surprises in camp are Chazz Moore and Marcus Bivines.

Moore, a 6-3 transfer from Hancock College, is being converted to cornerback from safety.

“He covers receivers better than any other corner I’ve seen,” Ponciano said. “He can dominate a corner.”

Bivines, a 5-10 running back, is a transfer from Oklahoma but didn’t play football for the Sooners. He ran track and was on the school’s 400-meter relay team that placed fifth in the 1997 NCAA championships.

“He knows where to cut, he has the ability to take a hit and can pick up a blitzing linebacker,” Ponciano said. “If he has any space [to run] at all, nobody is going to catch him.”

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The NFL Draft Report, a scouting service based in St. Louis, is rating Northridge senior running back Melvin Blue the top fullback in Division I-AA.

Blue, 6 feet and 230 pounds, is a transfer from Utah State.

He was an All-Big West Conference selection last year after rushing for 741 yards and nine touchdowns.