By Foster Nicholas | Sports Writer

As the Baylor football season turns over and new faces hope to shine, fifth-year senior offensive lineman Clark Barrington stepped into his position room as the oldest and most experienced athlete.

Barrington, a 6-foot-6-inch tall, 305-pound transfer from Brigham Young University had strong ties to Baylor before even making the move to Waco. Clark’s brother, junior offensive lineman Campbell Barrington, also transferred to play in the green and gold, except Campbell did it nine days before Clark did on Dec. 13, 2022.

Clark had also played against the Bears for two-straight seasons. Baylor won its home contest in 2021 while BYU got revenge a year later.

“It was cool because I had played Baylor two years in a row, so I knew the whole D-line because I had studied them and played against them for two years,” Clark said. “It was cool to be able to connect with those guys and be able to continue to make friends with other guys as well.”

In addition to his brother making the move to Baylor, Clark also had a bond with the Bears’ offensive line coach, Eric Mateos, who coached Clark during his early years at BYU. Mateos left for Waco ahead of the 2021 season, which was before he had the chance to coach Campbell in Provo, Utah.

“When Clark made the decision to play another season and go into the portal, I felt that was a no-brainer,” Mateos said. “Their parents appreciated how I coached Clark when I was at BYU. I think that’s probably a big reason why they’re in Texas.”

Clark, an All-American offensive lineman while at BYU, helped in protection for a strong offense at the guard position, but that’s about to change. According to SicEm365.com, Clark will take over as the starting center for the Bears, a position that’s brand new to him at the collegiate level.

“I never played him at center at BYU and I don’t think he played any center there at all, so, a lot of it’s been new,” Mateos said. “He played with great centers there at BYU. He knows the position and has really done a good job.”

In addition to taking over at a new spot, Clark has also taken over as a leader in a locker room that he’s not used to. Senior offensive lineman Gavin Byers said it’s been nice to have the Barrington brothers since their arrival on campus.

“We love having them,” Byers said. “They’re a blessing to have on the offensive line. They’re fun, spirited, goofy. But when we play football you can tell they have some seriousness to them. They flip the switch whenever they get on the field and that’s cool to see.”

Even though the Bears have to replace a lot up front with their offensive line, Mateos said the transfer portal has given the squad a chance to replenish.

“The portal, for us, is to find guys that are a net positive, both on and off the field,” Mateos said. “It’s really important for me, if we’re going to bring in a guy from another program, he’s going to fit in the room. I knew that [Clark] was going to be a great fit with the room that we had coming back. And he has been nothing but humble and hungry, and been all that we would hope he would be.”