Former Jeannette teammates Robert Kennedy, Marcus Barnes suiting up for major college programs

Robert Kennedy and Marcus Barnes were football teammates at Jeannette and won WPIAL and PIAA championships together.

They shared the same defensive secondary, ball-hawking with the best in Class A.

On offense, Kennedy carried the football and Barnes caught it out wide.

Who knew five years later they both would be playing major college football?

They are two of the top local players set to take the field at the Division I level this fall, Kennedy at N.C. State and Barnes at William & Mary.

Kennedy, known as “Poogie” — his long-attached nickname is on the Wolfpack’s online roster page — will play his last college season for a Power 5 team, with the hopes of catching the attention of NFL scouts.

Kennedy played two seasons at Old Dominion, following a year at East Carolina and two years at Lackawanna Junior College in Scranton.

Kennedy took off at ODU, starting all 11 games last season at safety. He made 52 tackles, had six pass breakups, an interception and recovered a blocked field goal and returned it 25 yards for a touchdown against Virginia Tech.

After testing the transfer portal following his graduation, Kennedy (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) garnered offers from N.C. State and Boston College, going with the former as a potential vehicle to the NFL.

Barnes has NFL pedigree. His father, Johnny, played wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers.

William & Mary’s Marcus Barnes, though, is a well-regarded safety who earned All-Coastal Athletic Association preseason honors as an honorable mention.

The 6-3, 185-pound senior started six games last season and played in 13. He made 66 tackles and snagged a pair of interceptions.

The FCS Tribe, who finished 11-2, are favored to repeat as CAA champions.

While the area produced a pair of quality defensive backs, it also has a recent track record of large linemen.

Some of them include Pitt’s Blake Zubovic (6-4, 330), St. Francis (Pa.)’s Wylie Spiker (6-3, 325), Albany’s Scotty Houseman (6-3, 321), Trent Holler (6-2, 306) of Marshall , Christian Jablonski (6-4, 285) of Lehigh and Navy’s Mike Petrof (6-2, 269).

Duquesne has the most Westmoreland players (seven), and Pitt and St. Francis have five locals apiece.

Here is a full list of Westmoreland County players to watch at the Division I level this season:

Marcus Barnes, S, Sr., William & Mary (Jeannette)

Hayden Baron, OL, Sr., Robert Morris (Belle Vernon)

Joe Blahovec, DB, R-Fr., Youngstown State (Greensburg Central Catholic)

Braden Brose, TE, Grad student, Delaware (Hempfield)

Fintan Brose, OL, Senior, Delaware (Hempfield)

Ethan Carr, WR, So., Villanova (Penn-Trafford)

Joey Castle, K, Fr., Akron (Norwin)

Nate Chiarizio, TE, Fr., Duquesne (Franklin Regional)

Jack Dilts, Jr., DL, Duquesne (Kiski Area)

Joe Enick, OL, Fr., Central Michigan (Penn-Trafford)

Mason Frye, DB, R-So., St. Francis, Pa. (Penn-Trafford)

Nate Frye, DB, R-So., St. Francis, Pa. (Penn-Trafford)

John Gay, RB, Grad student, Maine (Penn-Trafford)

Cole Graham, OL, Jr., St, Francis, Pa. (Hempfield)

Conlan Greene, DL, Fr., Temple (Penn-Trafford)

Cam Guess, P, R-Jr., Pitt (Belle Vernon)

Trent Holler, OL, R-Jr., Marshall (Latrobe)

Scott Houseman, OL, Grad student, Albany (Yough)

Christian Jablonski, OL, Sr., Lehigh (Ligonier Valley)

Anthony Johnson, DL, Jr., Youngstown State (Jeannette)

Robert Kennedy, S, Grad student, N.C. State (Jeannette)

Tucker Knupp, LB, Jr., Lehigh (Latrobe)

Ben LaCarte, DB, Jr., Duquesne (Greensburg Central Catholic)

Nick Leopold, WR, Jr., Duquesne (Franklin Regional)

Amari Mack, DB, Fr., Maine (Greensburg Central Catholic)

Matt Metrosky, OL, R-So., Pitt (Greensburg Central Catholic)

Declan Ochenowski, DL, So., Cornell (Penn-Trafford)

Mike Petrof, OL, Sr., Navy (Ligonier Valley)

Gianni Rizzo, LB, Jr., Duquesne (Norwin)

Jack Salopek, QB, R-So., Western Michigan (Norwin)

Daniel Sierk, DL, So., Bucknell (Hempfield)

Caden Smith, WR, R-Fr., Pitt (Franklin Regional)

Wylie Spiker, OL, Jr., St. Francis, Pa. (Ligonier Valley)

Aaron Stasko, LS, So., Duquesne (Greensburg Central Catholic)

Dan Tarabrella, LB, Fr., Duquesne (Penn-Trafford)

Aaron Tutino, WR, R-Fr., St. Francis, Pa. (Ligonier Valley)

Devin Whitlock, WR, Fr., Pitt (Belle Vernon)

Cade Yacamelli, RB, R-Fr., Wisconsin (Penn-Trafford)

Blake Zubovic, OL, R-Sr., Pitt (Belle Vernon)