Barker’s grandfather, John Copeland ’58, played three sports for Harvard, including the tight end position for the football team. Barker reminisced about watching games at Harvard Stadium with his grandfather as a youngster.

Perhaps this focus on family can explain why Robin Barker, Blake’s mother, was not surprised at her son’s decision.

“He has always wanted to go to Harvard,” she answered in a confident tone. “It has been a busy year for him, looking at schools and speaking with various coaches around the country, but despite all the scholarship offers, it never changed the fact that he wanted to go to Harvard.”

The Barkers live in Wellesley, Mass. and proximity to Cambridge also allowed for easier access to the Harvard facilities and coaching staff.

“We’ve known Coach Murphy and Coach Lamb for the past year,” Robin said. “They’ve known how Blake has felt about everything.”

“I’m really looking forward to next year playing for Coach Murphy and Coach Lamb,” Blake added. “They’re just great guys and I’ve heard such great things about them as coaches.”

Barker’s decision represents a huge success for Harvard recruiting, especially in the midst of the recent, disappointing end to some highly-touted men’s basketball prospects—some of whom committed to Stanford. Furthermore, a commitment from the top player in the state could draw additional looks from similarly-touted recruits in the future.

“Anytime that a kid will turn down an offer from a bigger school to come to Harvard…it shows that it is a top level football school,” Ehrlich said.

—Staff writer Emmett Kistler can be reached at ekistler@fas.harvard.edu.