Long before he suited up for the Arizona Wildcats as a true freshman defensive lineman, Kyon Barrs learned something about himself as a young kid growing up in San Diego.
 
He's a natural-born leader.
 
"I'm the oldest of four siblings," Barrs says proudly. "It's easy for me to take the lead in certain situations. Our family overcame a lot as I was growing up. There were definite struggles. I knew I had to step up and be there for my younger siblings and be a leader."
 
Kyon's desire to look out for his younger brother Keeland and his two younger sisters, Kayla and Karlye, taught him responsibility and maturity at a young age. He began applying those leadership skills to the football field, where he started playing at age 5. His dad taught him a love of the game thanks to his adoration for legendary defensive lineman Reggie White.
 
He eventually found his comfort zone on the defensive line and starred at Murrieta Mesa High School, where he was a three-year letterman and an all-conference and all-city honoree. But late in his senior year of high school, he didn't think he was going to be playing Division I football. He was still waiting on his first scholarship offer from an FBS school.
 
He was convinced by a high school coach to participate in a showcase at the school. It was mainly for underclassmen, but Barrs decided it couldn't hurt to join in. Arizona was one of the schools at the workout and eventually decided to offer Barrs a scholarship even though it was late in the process.
 
Barrs took a recruiting visit and it was a no-brainer to commit to Coach Kevin Sumlin and the Wildcats.
 
"When I first came on my official visit, all the coaches met me at the airport and throughout the weekend, they honestly made me feel like I was one of their sons," Barrs said. "They visited me at school. They checked on how I was doing. When I first met Coach Sumlin, he just makes you feel at home; like you're where you belong. When I was in Tucson, it definitely felt right and I knew that's where I wanted to be."
 
Not only did Barrs earn a scholarship to Arizona, he earned immediate playing time in his No. 92 jersey — an ode to his dad's favorite player, White.
 
The 6-foot-2-inch, 299-pound lineman played in 11 of 12 games and picked up 13 tackles. He showed immense improvement as the season went on and finished the year with a career-high four tackles in the Territorial Cup game against Arizona State.
 
With a year under his belt now, Barrs will look to be a leader for the Wildcats once the team returns to campus.
 
"Teams need leaders on and off the field," Barrs said. "I like that challenge. I know how to talk to people. All my siblings were different and needed to be talked to different. That's how it is with teammates. These are my brothers. We're all a team. All we have is each other."
 

Building the ??? with Kyon Barrs:

? Played in 11 games at DL as a true freshman
? Oldest of 4 siblings
? Loves to be a leader

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— Arizona Football (@ArizonaFBall) April 2, 2020