Kenjon Barner, RB, Oregon Ducks: 2013 NFL Draft Player Profile

Nov 3, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Kenjon Barner (24) carries the ball against the Southern California Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Oregon defeated USC 62-51. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Height:  5’9″

Weight:  196 pounds

Position Rank:

Drafted By:

40 Yard Dash:  4.52

Bench Press:  20

Vertical Jump:  35.5″

Broad Jump:  122″

Career Stats

Scouting Report/Player Notes

2011-12 Notes

Barner the burner. That could very well wind up being Barner’s nickname if it isn’t already, because this kid has speed to burn. I love that despite his small-ish size, he runs hard every play and he fights for every yard. When he gets into the open field, he is nearly impossible to track down. This is a guy who is averaging over six yards per carry three straight years as a backup to LaMichael James, and I don’t think he will declare in 2012 because he will have a shot to potentially be the featured back next season. In 2012 on limited carries and reps in the passing game, he has scored 13 total touchdowns offensively. When he gets to the next level, he’s going to have to prove that he can take a beating and will likely be part of a dual-backfield. Has had four games in 2011 with more than 100 yards rushing despite being the backup and has filled in admirably for LaMichael James in his absence. Very good receiving threat with a ton of speed and quickness, great vision with the football.

All Barner has done in 2012 is come out and put up a Heisman or All-American caliber campaign. He ran the ball 248 times for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns, and I absolutely love this kid’s game and his ability to be a star in the NFL. He has incredible speed, but most importantly, he has toughness as well. Barner is not afraid to run between the tackles, though oftentimes he doesn’t have to worry about getting hit by anyone in the defensive front seven because he’s to the second level so quickly. His acceleration may be second to none in this year’s NFL draft prospect group, and his elusiveness makes him a really attractive prospect to me. He gets a ton of tough yards up the middle, and then he busts a big run to the outside for your team. He can also contribute on third downs. I think Barner is worth a second round pick, potentially.

Career Highlights (via Oregon athletics site)

2012 — Named to watch lists for Maxwell Award (college player of the year), Doak Walker Award (running back) and Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) … Ran for 198 yards on 28 attempts and scored two touchdowns in victory at Oregon State … Carried the ball 21 times for 66 yards and also caught one pass for 13 yards in loss vs. Stanford … 65 rushing yards on 20 attempts and caught a trio of passes for 35 yards in win at California  … Set a school-record 321 rushing yards on a career-high 38 attempts and tied for a career-high five touchdowns and also caught two passes for 26 yards in victory at USC … Earned Walter Camp Football Foundation national offensive player of the week and Pac-12 offensive player of the week vs. the Trojans … Carried nine times for 104 yards and two touchdowns and also caught two passes for 47 yards in victory vs. Colorado … Recorded 143 yards and three touchdowns in win at Arizona State … 122 rushing yards on 20 carries vs. Washington … Racked up 195 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, including an 80 yard scamper for a TD in victory over Washington State … Also had three receptions for 37 yards and one TD vs. Washington State … Ran for 86 yards on 20 carries and caught two passes for 29 yards in win vs. Arizona … Carried 13 times for 58 yards and one touchdown and also caught two passes for 16 yards against Tennessee Tech … Recorded 201 yards on 34 attempts and three touchdowns in victory vs. Fresno State … Also caught three passes for 21 yards against the Bulldogs … Caught one pass for eight yards and ran for 66 yards on nine attempts and two touchdowns in victory vs Arkansas State.

2011 — Eighth in the Pac-12 in rushing at 78.2 yards per game … Caught two passes for 52 yards and one touchdown and carried the ball seven times for 30 yards in win over Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl … Totaled 88 all-purpose yards (79 rush, 9 rec) in win vs. UCLA in Pac-12 Championship Game … 67 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown, caught one TD pass in win vs. Oregon State … Carried 15 times for 123 yards and two scores in loss vs. USC … 62 all-purpose yards, including two catches for 20 yards in win at Stanford… 10 attempts for 41 yards and one touchdown in win at Washington … Posted third-straight 100-yard rushing game with 107 yards and one touchdown in win vs. Washington State … Caught one pass for 31 yards and carried 10 times for 115 yards and two touchdowns, including a career-long run of 84 yards in victory over Colorado … Earned honorable mention CFPA running back of the week for the second straight week for performance at Colorado … Posted career-high 171 yards on a career-high 31 attempts and one touchdown in win vs. Arizona State, earning honorable mention CFPA running back of the week … 88 yards on 10 carries, including a long of 68 yards and one touchdown, returned three kickoffs for a total of 50 yards in win vs. Cal … Carried 13 times for 72 yards and two touchdowns in victory at Arizona … Also caught a touchdown pass in win over the Wildcats … 75 All-purpose yards, including 65 yards on kick returns before leaving prior to halftime due to injury in loss against LSU … Led all running backs with times of 3.91 seconds in the shuttle and 7.09 seconds in the “L” run during winter conditioning.

2010 —   Fourth-leading scorer (54 points) and second-leading rusher (551 yards) … Ranked second on the team with 94.5 all-purpose yards per game … Second start of the season, totaled 75 all-purpose yards (32 rush, 8 rec, 30 kr, 5 pr) in BCS Championship Game vs. Auburn … Posted the second 100-yard rushing game of his career, totaling 133 yards and a touchdown on the ground at Oregon State … Also caught a TD pass in win over the Beavers … 71 yards on 15 carries vs. Arizona and 40 yards on eight carries at Cal … Carried nine times for 60 yards, including a game-capping 30-yard touchdown vs. Washington after missing two games due to injury … One reception for 18 yards before being injured on a kickoff return in the first half of the win at Washington State … 70 all-purpose yards (14 rush, 39 kick return, 17 punt return) in win vs. Stanford … Caught two passes for 18 yards and accumulated 29 return yards in win at ASU … Carried three times for 28 yards and returned a kickoff 25 yards in win over Portland State before leaving prior to halftime due to injury … Posted collegiate-best 228 all-purpose yards at Tennessee for his third-consecutive 200-yard effort … Returned a punt 80 yards for a score against the Volunteers, equaling the school’s eighth-longest punt return in school history … Rushed for 147 yards and accounted for five touchdowns in the season-opening win vs. New Mexico … Ran for scores of 1, 25, 10 and 41 yards in addition to taking a screen pass 60 yards to the end zone, tying the school’s modern day single-game record for most touchdowns scored … Named offensive Pac-10 player of the week for Week 1 … Tabbed as the national punt returner performer of the week by the College Football Performance Awards following Week 2 … On the watch list for the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player and recognized with the award’s performance of the week honor after the opening two weeks …  Shares honors as team’s fastest running back, completing 2010 winter workouts by clocking 4.69 in the electronic 40 yards, as well as paced all players at his position with a 31-inch vertical jump … Led all rushers with 96 yards (10.7 avg.) and two touchdowns in 2010 Spring Game … In only his second appearance with the school’s track team this year, ran the third leg of 4×100 relay that scored 4th in the 2010 outdoor Pac-10 Championships.

2009 — The Pac-10’s all-conference honorable mention choice saved his best for last, exploding for 420 all-purpose yards over his last two games, to set a single-season school record with 1,020 yards in kickoff returns … A-ccumulated what was then a season-high 193 all-purpose yards in the regular-season finale vs. Oregon State before racking up 227 yards in the Rose Bowl … Included was a season-high 160 yards on eight kickoff returns against the Beavers before running for a collegiate-best 64 yards vs. Ohio State… Finished ninth on school’s one-season all-purpose yards chart (1,553) … Yet it was his 5-yard run on fourth down late in the game which secured the Civil War win … Oregon’s third-leading rusher (366 yards) ran for 33 yards against the Beavers … Led the Ducks with a game-high 156 all-purpose yards against UCLA, thanks in large part to his 100-yard kickoff return for a score to provide the second-half spark and led to his acclaim as the Pac-10’s special teams player of the week … Helped Oregon answer USC’s opening field goal by returning ensuing kickoff 77 yards to provide Ducks with field position which they converted into a first-quarter game-tying field goal … Added 40 yards on five carries vs. Washington State to go along with his 40 yards in punt returns and 30 yards in kickoff returns, and provided 120 all-purpose yards at Washington … Scored his first collegiate touchdown against Purdue, converting a 3-and-19 situation into a 21-yard scoring run … Finished game with 34 yards rushing … Supplied his second rushing TD vs. the Trojans as part of his 24 rushing yards … Returned kickoffs of 39 yards in the post-season, 31 yards vs. OSU, 26 yards against California, 27 against Utah, 24 yards vs. Purdue and 29 yards at Boise State … Accumulated 154 yards in kickoff returns at Stanford, in addition to scoring his second rushing TD (1 yard) is as many weeks, to garner 171 all-purpose yards … Also added one catch for 7 yards in collegiate debut at Boise State … Ranked third in the  Pac-10 in kickoff returns (24.9 avg.) and sixth in punt returns (9.1 avg.).

2008 — Redshirt season … Earned team’s special teams scout honors leading up to win over Purdue … Defensive scout team award for preparations ahead of USC game.

Video Highlights (via YouTube)