Oregon DB Darren Barkins commits to Washington

In the age of the transfer portal it almost seems inevitable that several players will end up on both sides of a rivalry. The latest to join that group this offseason is Oregon cornerback Darren Barkins who announced his transfer commitment to Washington on Monday evening.

The second-year player from California played 56 snaps last season for the Ducks with 29 of those coming on defense. He made appearances in eight games and collected his first tackle in the team's September matchup with the Huskies.

Barkins also had a pass breakup in that game against UW. His two other tackles came the following week in a matchup against No. 12 BYU. The new Washington cornerback also had a key fumble recovery in Oregon's win over Colorado late in the season.

Through he redshirted as a freshman in 2021, Barkins played in four games and was on the field for 18 snaps giving him a small glimpse of game action.

The Spring Valley native played at Mater Dei High School in Chula Vista where he became a three-star recruit with offers from programs such as Louisville, UCLA, Boston College, Utah, Washington State and Cal before deciding on Oregon as his future home.

UW's previous staff pursued Barkins as a high school recruit in the 2021 class.

Kalen DeBoer's staff has focused on rebuilding the cornerback group this offseason after seeing the unit have some struggles in 2022.

The offseason additions have been highlighted by Oklahoma State's Jabbar Muhammad, who is currently ranked 59th among all transfer players by Rivals, plus freshmen Caleb Presley and Curley Reed — both of whom ranked inside the Rivals250 for 2023.

The Huskies also added junior college transfer Thaddeus Dixon in the winter.

Barkins has three seasons of eligibility left to use with the Huskies as he makes the move north.