Notre Dame visit a lock for RB

Cleveland, Tenn., three-star running back Levonte Barber said all along that he was going to take some unofficial visits in the month of July and it looks like he’s accomplished at least part of his mission.

“I was able to get to Wake Forest and to South Carolina,” Barber, who is 6-foot, 195 pounds and ranked as the nation’s No. 36 running back by Rivals.com, said. “I was trying to get to see North Carolina, since I was already over there at Wake Forest, but I just couldn’t get the coaches on the phone. I’m kind of disappointed in that, but it’s still Ok. I was just trying to see two schools on one trip.”

Barber, who rushed for 1,115 yards as a junior, said he did enjoy what he saw at Wake and at USC.

“The campus at Wake Forest was really nice,” Barber said. “It was all right there together, which was cool. I liked the facilities, too. They’re improving them quite a bit and getting new locker rooms and new football offices for the coaches. That’s important.”

What about his trip to Columbia?

“It was really good,” he said. “They have great facilities and it’s a great school academically. I talked a long time to their counselors and they showed me how they could assist me when it comes to studying better. The academics are important to me.”

Indeed, with a 3.1 grade-point average, Barber isn’t too shabby off the field either.

Barber said he’s still a long, long way from making a college decision, but he did point out there is at least one school that will for sure get an official visit.

“Notre Dame is an automatic,” Barber said. “A Notre Dame visit will be a fact. I might go to some games this season and do some unofficial visits. I’m still also looking hard at North Carolina, South Carolina, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Georgia.”

Barber is already in the middle of practices for his senior season. They move into pads later this week for the first time.

“I’m ready,” he said. “I want to hit somebody.”