USC Lands Former Big 12 Running Back Out of Transfer Portal

USC entered the offseason looking to bolster its running back depth. The Trojans added Texas transfer Keaontay Ingram prior to spring practice. And on Monday night, they found another able body out of the transfer portal who should be able to add to the team’s rotation immediately.

Former TCU running back Darwin Barlow is leaving Fort Worth to join Clay Helton and company on the West Coast, according to his own Twitter account. Though he has been a Horned Frog for the past two seasons, the former three-star prospect will finish his career as a Trojan.

Barlow redshirted his first year at TCU, but in 2020, he proved to be a reliable contributor.

In 10 games, he led the running backs in carries (73) and rushing yards (428) and rushed for four scores. His 5.9 yards per carry didn’t come close to what Zach Evans produced (7.7), but it was still a healthy number. As a receiver out of the backfield, he brought in nine receptions for 44 yards.

After visiting USC last week, the 5-foot-11, 204-pound rusher decided that’s where he wanted to continue his career.

With Ingram now in the mix and redshirt senior Vavae Malepeai returning for a fifth season, the backfield is now a bit crowded. But I’m sure Helton welcomes the added depth, especially since Barlow and Ingram have multiple years of eligibility left.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.