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AUBURN, Ala. | Whether he enrolls at Auburn in January or May, Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange quarterback Woody BarrettClick [rl]Here to view this Link. is ready to compete for the starting position.
"We run a similar offense back at West Orange so there's nothing new, it's just the signals," Barrett said. "Once I get that down pat they said I could just come in and be the dual threat and just be me."
Barrett, who committed to Auburn in June, was back for his official visit this weekend. One of the highlights was attending the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
"It was a great atmosphere," Barrett said. "I feel like they came out and did a good job. The offense didn't put up some points, but it is what it is. I enjoyed myself. I look forward to Auburn being my next home."
Like many who watched the game, Barrett saw some missed opportunities from Auburn's offense in the 29-13 loss.
"There were some plays where he could have thrown the ball. He was probably seeing something different," Barrett said. "I feel like I could come in and be a big asset to the team right away. I'm going to try to get in here in the spring and do the best I can to start."
Auburn's 6-6 record hasn't dampened Barrett's enthusiasm.
"Every team has its ups and downs," he said. "Auburn is still one of the top SEC teams. It's just all a matter of time."
Barrett said he still plans to finish high school in December and enroll at Auburn in January but it's not a done deal just yet.
"As long as I stay on track and keep doing what I'm doing I'll be here in January," he said.
Barrett was unsure if he would officially visit any other schools.
He led West Orange to a 41-26 win over Mandarin in the quarterfinals of the Class 8A playoffs Friday completing 11-of-17 for 213 yards and two touchdowns and running for 148 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries.
West Orange will play Osceola Friday in the semifinals.
On the season, Barrett has completed 99-of-186 passes for 1,779 yards with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He's also rushed for 1,375 yards and 22 touchdowns on 169 carries.
That's 3,154 all-purpose yards and 41 touchdowns for the dual-threat quarterback who's hoping to make a big impact as a true freshman at Auburn.
"There's a lot of people looking forward to me stepping up and being the guy," he said. "I'll just humble myself and come in and do the best I can."
