Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley continues to be one of the most dangerous men in the NFL with a football in his hands. He’ll find anyway to beat his opponent, and even his current funk won’t stop him from finding success.
Barkley’s addition to the Eagles offense proved to be a great one last year, giving star quarterback Jalen Hurts an explosive partner in the backfield. But before he was dominating in the NFL, the beginning of Barkley’s greatness started in college.
Saquon Barkley’s College Football Career
For as good as Saquon Barkley was in college, his career almost went in a drastically different direction (more on that below). The former four-star Pennsylvania native chose Penn State, and didn’t waste any time getting involved in the Nittany Lions’ success.
It didn’t take long for Barkley to become a start at Penn State. His size, quickness, athleticism, and general alien-like playmaking abilities got him on the field quickly. Penn State understood that success would come as long as they got him the football. It turned out to be a fairly solid formula.
Barkley ran for 3,843 yards and 43 touchdowns, caught 102 passes for 1,195 yards and eight touchdowns, and added an element of terror returning kicks his junior season. He finish fourth in the Heisman and was named a First Team All-American in 2017 as well
How Did Penn State Land Barkley?
At one point in his recruitment, Barkley committed to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. It remains one of the biggest “What If’s” in college football history, and we’ll never know how things would have turned out if he had stuck with his commitment.
Fortunately, Penn State head coach James Franklin reached out to Barkley to convince him to come to Happy Valley. Barkley was sold on the academics, but he also believed he had a better future with the Nittany Lions. Turns out he was right, and it turned into a great career.
Barkley’s skill set jumped out on film, including an absolute massacre of a stout Iowa defense in 2017. He beat the Hawkeyes in every way imaginable, including hurdling a defender while getting hit in midair and staying upright through the whole process. Barkley was unique and made even the best defenders look average.
It’s easy to tell when someone’s special in college, and Barkley showed that on a frequent basis. So it’s not hard to imagine why the New York Giants took him second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.