On Christmas Eve, Jo’shon Barbie announced he would return to McNeese State.

Friday, he flipped.

In a true sign of the times, Barbie announced on social media that he would instead be heading to Marshall, blindsiding the McNeese coaching staff.

“We wish Jo’shon well,” McNeese Chief of Staff Aaron Ingram said. “He made an impact here in Lake Charles both on and off the field; we know he will do the same for the Marshall community.”

Barbie started his career at McNeese as a walk-on and earned a scholarship late in the 2023 season. He then became the starting running back in 2024 but began the season fumbling and losing playing time. 

He rebounded to finish strong, leading the Cowboys in rushing. He finished the final four games with 478 yards (119.5 average), gaining over 100 yards in three of those.

Barbie entered the portal in early December after McNeese fired head coach Gary Goff. He then met with Matt Viator, who was brought back to again lead the program just days after Goff’s exit.

After meeting with Viator and other staff members, Barbie said he was committed to staying.

“I love the fans,” he told the American Press. “They show up no matter what and are great to play in front of. McNeese always felt like home. 

“I wanted to see what else was out there. I was surprised with some of the attention I got. In the end, I just have confidence moving forward with McNeese and this coaching staff.”

However, he never took his name out of the transfer portal and ultimately decided to change his decision.

The Cowboys are still waiting for All-American linebacker Micah Davey to decide on his future. Davey recently got an offer from UNLV to go with Texas-El Paso.

Classes for the spring semester at McNeese begin on Wednesday.

The Cowboys are coming off a 6-6 season and brought Viator back after nine years away from the program. In his 10 years leading McNeese, Viator won three Southland Conference championships and took four teams to the FCS playoffs.