Dallas (Texas) Skyline High School has been one of the top pipelines for the Longhorns over the last quarter century. One of Dallas ISD’s top magnet schools, Skyline established itself as a football power under Reginald Samples in the early 2000s. After making his commitment to Texas on Friday, Barnes became the latest part of that legacy. If he wants to find those who walked the same path, he doesn’t have to look far.
The Skyline staff employs two former Longhorns who walked the same high school halls as Barnes in former Texas safety Christian Scott and his position coach Peter Jinkens. Jinkens and Scott join other names like Mike Davis and Anthony Wheeler as success stories from the high school program.
While the head coach at Texas, Mack Brown accessed the halls of Skyline frequently to find talent. Skyline’s status as a magnet school allowed for open enrollment status for any students inside the Dallas Independent School District. After Skyline rose to the status of a dominant state contender, Samples left for Duncanville and the program saw a downturn. The hire of current Skyline head coach Jacody Coleman saw former Skyline legends like Jinkens and Scott become more involved in the program as Coleman took them from winless to a respectable 3-7 finish with several close losses in 2023.
