Bryson Barnes grew up tending to pigs so it’s only fitting that he’s now a rising star with the pigskin in his hands.

ESPN’s College GameDay did a feature video on the humble beginnings of the junior quarterback who has helped guide No. 13 Utah to a 6-1 record in the absence of last season’s starter Cam Rising.

Most notably, Barnes stepped up in a big way to lead the upset of USC in Week 8. After the game, head coach Kyle Whittingham admitted the Trojans have a Heisman winner in Caleb Williams, but the Utes “got ourselves a pig farmer at QB.”

The GameDay feature traces Barnes’ time in his tiny hometown of Milford, Utah where he worked on the family farm filled with 12,000 pigs. To Barnes, it was just a way of life in the small community.

“Everybody just works hard. They care for each other,” Barnes said. “I feel like that’s really kind of who I am as well.”

Barnes explained his duties and how it shaped his core values.

“When we get new pigs in. Working on funneling the pigs out of the truck and also funneling them back in when you’re trying to get them out,” Barnes said. “…The work’s got to get done mentality. It doesn’t smell great. Doesn’t matter. It’s never going to smell great. Get the work done.”

When Barnes initially walked on at Utah, he picked up a part-time job to pay the bills as a customer service associate in the plumbing and electrical section for a local company.

“Pull boxes down and make sure everything was nice and tidy,” Barnes said. “Help people when they needed help.”

Now on full scholarship and thriving under center for a squad with Pac-12 title aspirations, Barnes takes pride in his journey.

“Looking at where I’m at right now and the things that I’m doing on the field, I’d hope 8-year-old Bryson’s proud.”