Kennett Square kicker Shay Barker is set to follow his older brother Ryan Barker into Division I level next fall, when he joins Syracuse University, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The brothers grew up constantly competing, but beneath it all, Shay admired his big brother and wanted to echo his talent. Over time, their bond deepened, especially once they started sharing a passion for the same sport.
Ryan, now Penn State’s starting kicker, began as a preferred walk-on before earning a scholarship as a sophomore. His younger brother Shay, a senior at Kennett High School, secured a scholarship offer from Syracuse, committing in June.
Ryan holds Kennett’s record for the longest field goal, while Shay ranks among the nation’s top ten high school kickers.
“Kicking has brought us closer than I ever thought we would be,” said Ryan Barker. “It’s such an individualized thing that we’re both trying to work just as hard as each other to get better at whatever we need to improve on, and to be able to have each other there for the mental and physical aspect, it’s just awesome.”
Read more about Shay Barker following in his brother Ryan’s footsteps for football in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on VISTA.Today in October 2025.
