Captain Chronicles | 'Rique': Barnes Becomes Two-Time Captain, First in Family to Earn College Degree

Tarique Barnes has always been good at football. Though he is unbelievably humble, he is not afraid to admit it. Even at the age of 7, Barnes was a cheat code, albeit at running back, taking handoffs for touchdowns and plowing past defenders with ease.

Though he has now flipped to the other side of the ball as a linebacker, Barnes knew in high school he was talented enough to take the next step and dominate at the college level.

And that's exactly what he's done as he competes in his fifth season in Champaign, even if he does not always get the recognition he deserves.

"I'm very self-motivated, and I have my own standards of where I should be," Barnes said. "I have my own mindset about the energy that should be brought toward the game, especially around the building and around the team. It's bringing that energy forth and holding everybody to that higher standard of, 'Let's raise the bar and keep raising the bar.'

The youngest of five kids, all boys, Barnes grew up surrounded by sports. With a father who participated in track and football and a mother who ran track and played basketball, Barnes followed in the footsteps of both parents by doing track, basketball, and football while also taking part in baseball and wrestling.

It became apparent fairly early to Barnes' mother, Darlene Shinault, that her son was especially gifted in football, though. Signing all of her children up for sports to keep them off the streets and out of trouble, Shinault recognized Barnes' natural physical traits would allow him to excel on the football field.

"When he was a little kid, he was a bit bigger than the other kids his age. Tarique was a little chunky," Shinault said. "I remember when he was playing peewee football, his coach would say, 'Just give him the football and let them run.' He would be running with the football, and he would have kids hanging on his ankles. That's something that we laugh about now."

Though he is now a five-year letterwinner, Barnes never truly considered playing college football until he got to Cordova High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Growing up in an environment where higher education was never really discussed, Barnes was introduced to the reality of playing at the college level after receiving his first offers as a high-school sophomore.

Combined with his good grades in the classroom, Barnes knew college was realistically on the horizon, and he ultimately committed his academic and athletic talents to Illinois during the winter of his senior year, three days after taking an official visit to Champaign.

Shinault was "so excited" when she first heard about Barnes' college scholarship offers. Understanding that her son had the opportunity to continue to play the sport he loved, earn a degree, and graduate without having to worry about debt, Shinault knew Illinois was where Barnes needed to call home for his collegiate career.

"The goal has always been to let something that you can do provide education for you," Shinault said. "You want a free education. You don't want to go to school and have $100,000 in loans that you have to pay back. You let one thing pay for something else. That's always been my way of thinking. Whether it be education or athletics, let something pay for your education."

While his mom encouraged him to participate in both track and football in college, Barnes eventually chose to put all of his time and effort into the latter. After playing all 13 games primarily on special teams as a freshman, Barnes tallied his first fumble recovery and defensive touchdown in the first contest of his sophomore season. He eventually made two starts before missing the last three games of the COVID-shortened campaign with an injury.

The tide turned when head coach Bret Bielema and the new coaching staff arrived on campus. Barnes competed in all 12 games while making 10 starts in 2021, earning Academic All-Big Ten status for the first time while setting career-highs in tackles, sacks, passes defended, and fumble recoveries as part of a resurgent Illini defensive unit.

The success continued the following season, as he was voted a team captain and was recognized for his on-field performance within one of the best defenses in the nation with All-Big Ten honors for the first time in his career.

Barnes capped off his unforgettable senior year in remarkable fashion, becoming the first member of his family to earn an undergraduate degree, graduating with a bachelor's degree in advertising in May. He now is working toward a master's degree in strategic brand communication.

"I know my mom and dad are very proud of me," Barnes said. “My parents have some college education, but to be the first one to graduate, be on my own path, and live life in a decent way, I think they're extremely proud of that.”

Shinault says watching her son walk across the stage at graduation has motivated her to reach her dreams and potentially even go back to school and earn a degree of her own.

"I'm very proud of Tarique, and I was very excited for him. I'm overjoyed," Shinault said. "It's time for me to do some of the things that I really want to do. Tarique, he wants that for himself. He doesn't need me to constantly tell him because he wants it for himself. I'm so excited for him."

Opting to return to the Orange and Blue for his fifth and final year of eligibility in 2023, Barnes will once again takes on the responsibility of being a team captain as voted on by his teammates.

Knowing this will be his last campaign at Illinois, Barnes has embraced the high expectations that surround the team this season. Just like he did as a 7-year-old on the football fields back home in Memphis, Barnes will leave quite the mark and legacy on the Illini football program for years to come.

"I owe a lot of thanks to these boys and the staff here for trusting me and allowing me to be myself in this role," Barnes said. “I wouldn't be able to be in this role if my teammates and coaches didn't trust me to be me. We all have our own skill sets and talents, but I think to have the people around me to reinforce that, it makes it a lot easier to stay in that position.”