July 14, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. - Sophomore Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) is among the candidates on the 2016 Doak Walker Award preseason watch list for the nation's premiere running back. Barkley was previously named to the Maxwell Award watch list for the National Player of the Year.
Penn State's lone Doak Walker Award winner was Larry Johnson in 2002. Ki-Jana Carter and Curtis Enis were finalists for the award in 1994 and 1997, respectively.
The Doak Walker Award was created in 1989 to recognize the nation's premier running back for his accomplishments on the field, achievement in the classroom and citizenship in the community. It is the only major collegiate football award that requires all candidates to be on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification. The award is presented annually by the SMU Athletic Forum.
Barkley is coming off of one of the most prolific seasons by a freshman running back in Penn State history. He broke the Penn State freshman (true or redshirt) record with 1,076 yards, surpassing the mark set by D.J. Dozier (1,002) in 1983. Barkley's 1,076 yards place him 16th on Penn State's season rushing chart and 40th in program history in career rushing yards. Barkley scored seven rushing touchdowns (eight overall) to tie Dozier's record for rushing scores by a freshman and had five 100-yard rushing games to equal Dozier's rookie mark.
For his efforts, Barkley was named All-Big Ten second team, Freshman All-America by Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and USA Today, ECAC Rookie of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year by the Big Ten Network. He finished 34th in FBS and third in the Big Ten with 97.8 rushing yards per game, which was skewed by having just one career in the season opener versus Temple and missing nearly three quarters in the San Diego State game. Barkley also ranked 34th in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.9) and was second among true freshmen running backs.
Barkley tallied 194 rushing yards against the then-No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, becoming just the second back to rush for more than 175 yards at Ohio State since 2000, joining Indiana's Tevin Coleman (228; 2014). With his performances against Buffalo (115 yds.) and Rutgers (195 yds.), Barkley became the first Penn State player to have back-to-back games with a 100-yard rushing quarter since Larry Johnson in 2002 (Indiana and Michigan State).
In addition to Barkley's appearances on the Walker and Maxwell watch lists, junior wide receiver Chris Godwin (Middletown, Del.) is on the Biletnikoff Award (nation's top receiver) and Maxwell Award lists. Additionally, junior linebacker Jason Cabinda (Flemington, N.J.) has made his way onto a trio of watch lists -- Bednarik Award (nation's top defensive player, Lott IMPACT Trophy (nation's top defensive player on and off the field), Butkus Award (top linebacker). Junior Mike Gesicki (Manahawkin, N.J.) was named to the John Mackey Award watch list for the nation's most outstanding collegiate tight end and senior Nyeem Wartman-White (Philadelphia) joined Cabinda on the Butkus Award watch list.
Penn State opens the 2016 campaign against Kent State at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, September 3.
Single game and season tickets for the 2016 campaign, which includes five Big Ten home games for the first time, are on sale with more than 4,000 new season tickets having been sold. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2016 season tickets, the Recent Graduate program (35 percent discount on season tickets) as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m.