Steelers All 90: Can INT Specalist Luq Barcoo Snatch a Roster Spot?

When it comes to making an NFL 53-man roster, some people are given a spot, based on their past accomplishments, salary and contract, or draft status. Others have to earn their spot in competition with others players at their position throughout training camp and the preseason. But if cornerback Luq Barcoo is going to get a spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s probably going to have to steal it.

Barcoo is one of three former XFL players that have joined the Steelers this summer after playing spring pro football. All of them, and the rest of the XFL alumni around the NFL, likely have uphill battles to making 53-man roster spots.

But for Barcoo, the job is pretty simple. He just needs to be a thief.

Barcoo came from humble football beginnings as a no-star prospect that started as a junior college wide receiver before making his way to San Diego State. With the Aztecs, he performed the feat that is likely still a reason for him getting NFL chances to this date.

In 2019, Barcoo led all of college football with nine interceptions. Not only did that figure lead the NCAA in his senior season, no one else has matched it since. Last year, seven picks from two players paced the collegiate ranks.

The Steelers led the NFL in interceptions in 2022, and takeaways are a big part of their defensive game plan. That’s not the only way to make the team as a cornerback. Some are elite run stoppers. Others play multiple special teams phases. But that’s probably the path for No. 35 to the 53.

That can be a tough thing to do when a player is launched into his fifth team in the last 18 months.

“I’m just trying to get acclimated to the playbook,” he said during minicamp. “Once you get acclimated to the playbook and get comfortable, it allows you to play faster.”

Barcoo said that by the end of the spring with the Steelers, he was feeling close to that point, and he snagged an interception from Mitch Trubisky during minicamp to prove it.

His background as a receiver suggests that Barcoo has pretty good hands, but he also said he feels that it blessed him with a better understanding of how the offensive players are going to think and act in certain situations.

“It’s just understanding offensive conceptions, understanding the game and being able to put myself in position to make a play on the ball,” he said. “And then once I get in that position, having the skillset to kind of turn into a receiver and make a play. It’s just having the receiver background and understanding the game of football.”

Barcoo has plenty of competition for playing time in the secondary, with rookies Joey Porter Jr. and Cory Trice, veteran backup and special teamer James Pierre and slot man Chandon Sullivan all vying for snaps behind starter Levi Wallace and Patrick Peterson.

But he knows his path to success. He’s just got to out and take it.

35 • Luq Barcoo, Cornerback, San Diego State
6-foot-1, 180 pounds, 24 years old, 2nd Season

Acquired: The Steelers signed Barcoo on May 15 to a one-year deal after his stint in the XFL.

Last season: Barcoo was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs in March, and stayed with the team through the spring before being released on June 16. He caught on with the New York Jets on July 27, but was among the team’s cuts on Aug. 16. He did not play with another NFL team throughout the 2022 season.

This spring, Barcoo played with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. He played in 10 games and made nine starts with San Antonio, where he played for former Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. He made 31 tackles and also had two sacks.

His 85.0 coverage grade by PFF was the second-highest of all XFL cornerbacks this spring, behind Josh Jenkins of the Arlington Renegades.

Career: Barcoo first signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State in 2020.

He spent his entire rookie season on the Jags’ active roster, playing in three games and making one start. He had 10 tackles, one for a loss, and defended one pass.

In 2021, he was among Jacksonville’s cuts on Aug. 19 after playing in one preseason game. He was claimed off waivers by the Arizona Cardinals and spent five weeks with Arizona without dressing in a game. He was then waived a second time, cleared waivers, and was added to the practice squad on Sept. 30.

The Cardinals released Barcoo from their practice squad on Oct. 12. He was added to the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad on Nov. 24 and finished the season there before being released on Jan. 18, 2022.

College: Barcoo was such an under-the-radar prospect that he didn’t even have a Rivals or 247 recruiting profile when he came out of Castle Park High School in San Diego.

Barcoo spent two years at the junior college level, playing for Grossmont Junior College in nearby El Cajon, where he also played receiver. In 2017, he caught 35 passes for 767 yards and seven touchdowns. But it was the play of his hands on defense that got him noticed.

He had three interceptions and 26 tackles over two seasons at his junior college, which was good enough to get him noticed by the recruiting services — as a three-star — and by nearby San Diego State when he came out in 2018.

He scooped up the hometown offer and played two more seasons with the Aztecs in 2018 and 2019.

In 2018, he played in 11 games off the bench and was a regular contributor. He moved into a starting role in 2019, when he was named an All-American and a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award after leading the country with nine interceptions.

Salary cap and future: Barcoo signed a one-year contract worth $940,000 for 2023. He has no signing bonus and there would be no dead cap hit if the Steelers release him. If he makes the team, he will be a restricted free agent after the 2023 season.

The rest of the 90: