#HappyValleyHeisman Site
➤ Career Notes and Records
Career: Finished his career as Penn State's all-time rushing touchdown (43) and total touchdown (53) record holder, surpassing Lydell Mitchell's marks of 38 rushing and 41 total touchdowns,respectively, from 1969-71...Moved past Mitchell's total touchdown mark vs. Michigan (10/21/17) and his rushing mark against Nebraska (11/18/17)...Capped his career as the Penn State career all-purpose yards leader (5,538), surpassing Larry Johnson (5,045; 1999-2002)...Owned nine games with 200-plus all-purpose yards in his career (four in 2016, five in 2017)...Is 1-of-2 Nittany Lions to reach the 5,000 all-purpose yard mark and the ninth player in school history to eclipse the 4,000 all-purpose yard mark...Set the school record with a touchdown scored in 15-straight games, a streak that began at Purdue (10/29/16) and ended at Michigan State (11/4/17)...Became the only player in Penn State history and just the fourth in Big Ten student-athlete to gain 3,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in a career...Ended his career as the lone Nittany Lion with a rush and reception of 80-plus yards in a career...Became the seventh player in Penn State history to reach 3,000 yards rushing in a career...Finished his career No. 2 on Penn State's career rushing yards list (3,843), trailing only Evan Royster (3,932; 2007-10)...Joined Royster as the only two rushers in Penn State history with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons...Concluded his career tied for No. 5 with 15 career 100-yard games (five in 2015, five in 2016, five in 2017), including three 200-yard efforts (two in 2016, one in 2017) which was No. 2 in program history...Capped his career as the career record holder in receiving yards by a running back (1,157), passing Tony Hunt's mark of 799 yards (2003-06) vs. Georgia State (9/16/17), doing so with 26 fewer receptions...Became the 30th Nittany Lion and first running back in PSU history to top the 1,000-yard receiving mark...Was the 16th Penn Stater and first running back in program history to eclipse the 100-catch mark, ranking No. 16 in career receptions (102), joining teammates Mike Gesicki (129; 2014-17) and DaeSean Hamilton (209; 2014-17) and current assistant coach Terry Smith (108; 1989-91)...Joined teammates Mike Gesicki and DaeSean Hamilton as the second RB/WR/TE trio to eclipse 1,000 career receiving yards in Big Ten history (Purdue, 1982-85: WR Steve Griffin, 2,234 yards; RB Rodney Carter, 1,814 yards; TE Marty Scott, 1,247 yards)...Ranked No. 22 at the conclusion of his career on Penn State career receiving yards list (1,195)...Capped his career at No. 2 on Penn State's career scoring list (318 points), which were the most in Penn State history by a non-kicker, besting Lydell Mitchell's 246 points from 1969-71...Finished his career No. 10 on the career touchdowns responsible for charts, accounting for 44 touchdowns in his career (43 rushing, 1 passing)...Had 109 career rushes of 10 or more yards in his career (34 in 2015, 46 in 2016, 29 in 2017)...Owned 13 multi-rushing touchdown games in his career (two in 2015, four in 2016, seven in 2017)...Had 17 multi-touchdown games (two in 2015, six in 2016, nine in 2017)...Owned four career games with three-or-more touchdowns (two in 2016, two in 2017)...Had a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one rush of 20 yards snapped at Rutgers (11/19/16), a streak that was the second-longest in college football in the last 20 years (19 - LaMichael James, Oregon [2008-10])...Collected six career Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors (two in 2016, four in 2017), which ranked tied for No. 5 in Big Ten history at the conclusion of the 2017 season...Had two Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (both in 2017)...Earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice in 2015...Won six Player of the Week honors in 2017 (four offensive, two special teams), which were the most in a single season in Big Ten history at the end of the 2017 campaign.
Bowl: Capped his career No. 2 on the career bowl charts in rushing yards (400) and tied for No. 2 in bowl receptions (17), tying with teammate DaeSean Hamilton...The 92-yard rushing score in the 2017 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl broke the Penn State and Fiesta Bowl record for longest rush...The 92-yard run was also the longest play from scrimmage in Fiesta Bowl history, passing an 85-yard pass from Ohio State's Troy Smith to Santonio Holmes vs. Notre Dame in 2006...The 139 yards rushing vs. Washington in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl rank No. 9 in a single bowl game in program history...The two rushing touchdowns vs. USC (2017 Rose) and vs. Washington (2017 Fiesta) finished tied for No. 2 with nine others on the single game bowl charts at Penn State...The seven receptions vs. Washington in the 2017 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl finished tied for No. 3 in Penn State's single game bowl history.
Season: 2017: Was 1-of-6 student-athletes in the FBS to score four or more offensive touchdowns of 65 yards or more...Broke the program record for receptions by a running back with his second catch vs. Nebraska (11/18), eclipsing Larry Johnson's 41 grabs during the 2002 season, and has 54 catches in 2017 to end the season ranked tied for No. 12 in single season history...Eclipsed the single season record for receiving yards by a running back (632; 2017), topping his own record of 402 yards set in 2016...Capped his career as one of two Penn Staters with multiple 100-point seasons, scoring 138 in 2017 and 132 in 2016, joining Kevin Kelly (2005-08)...His 138 points in 2017 are tied for No. 3 on the single season scoring list...Tied the program single season record with two kickoff return touchdowns, equaling the marks of Chuck Peters (1940), Curt Warner (1980) and Derrick Williams (2008)...Ranked No. 2 at season's end on the single season all-purpose yards list with 2,329 yards, and became just the second player in program history to eclipse the 2,000 all-purpose yard mark (Larry Johnson, 2,655; 2002) in a season...Concluded his career as one of only three Penn Staters to reach the 1,500-yard all-purpose mark twice in a career...Ranked tied for No. 2 on the total touchdowns (23) list...Finished his junior season ranked No. 11 on the single season rushing charts (1,271)...The 17 rushing touchdowns in 2017 finished tied for No. 7 on the single season charts with John Cappelletti (1973)...Teamed with Trace McSorley (11) as the third set of Penn Staters with 10-plus rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Evan Royster (12) and Daryll Clark (10) in 2008 and Charlie Pittman (10) and Lydell Mitchell (10) in 1969. 2016: Finished No. 5 on Penn State's single-season rushing yardage chart with 1,496 yards in 2016...Broke the sophomore rushing record of Evan Royster (1,236; 2008) with 1,496 yards in 2016...Owns the sophomore scoring record and ranked No. 5 on the single-season scoring list with 132 points, passing Kevin Kelly's sophomore mark of 96 points (2006)...Barkley and Tyler Davis (128) became the first set of teammates to score 100 points in the same season in Penn State history...Broke the sophomore rushing touchdowns record with his 14th score of 2016 at Rutgers (11/19) in the third quarter and finished with 18 rushing scores...Became the first Nittany Lion since Zach Zwinak (12; 2013) to score 10-plus touchdowns in a season...His 22 overall touchdowns (18 rushing, 4 receiving) are No. 5 on the single-season charts...The 22 total touchdowns were the most since Larry Johnson scored 23 in 2002...His 18 rushing touchdowns tied Richie Anderson (1992) for No. 5 on Penn State's single-season charts...Ranked No. 3 on Penn State's single-season all-purpose yards list with 1,927 yards in 2016, the highest total since Johnson's school-record 2,655 yards in 2002. 2015: Broke Penn State's freshman (true or redshirt) season record with 1,076 rushing yards in 2015, surpassing D.J. Dozier's mark of 1,002 set in 1983...His 2015 season effort ranks 18th on the Penn State single-season rushing charts...Finished tied for first place on the Penn State true freshman season rushing touchdown (Dozier, 7) and 100-yard rushing games lists (Dozier, 5)...Broke Penn State freshman (true or redshirt) season record for all-purpose yards with 1,237, surpassing the mark set by Dozier (1,191; 1983).
Game: Set the single game all-purpose yards mark with 358 at Iowa (9/23/17), accounting for 211 yards rushing, 94 yards receiving and 53 yards on kickoff return, topping Curt Warner's previous mark of 341 vs. Syracuse in 1981...The all-purpose yardage total vs. Iowa ranks No. 10 all-time in the Big Ten record books and marks the fifth 300-yard all-purpose game in Penn State history, including the second by Barkley... Produced the fourth 300-plus all-purpose yard game in Penn State history with 306 yards against USC (1/2/17) in the 2017 Rose Bowl with 194 rushing, 55 receiving and 57 kick return yards...Twice broke the Penn State sophomore record for all-purpose yards, first with 277 (207 rushing, 70 receiving) at Purdue (10/29/16) and again vs. USC (1/2/17)...Tallied 30 points at Pittsburgh (9/10/16), which is tied for No. 4 in Penn State history (fifth occasion)...His 12 receptions vs. Iowa (9/23/17) finished as the most in school history by a running back...The 12 catches vs. the Hawkeyes were the most by a B1G running back since Stephen Houston (Indiana) had 12 at Purdue (11/24/12)...His 85-yard touchdown catch vs. Georgia State (9/16/17) is the third-longest reception in Penn State history and the longest by a Penn State player in Beaver Stadium history...The 92-yard touchdown run vs. Washington (12/30/17) in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl finished tied for the longest rush in program history, equaling the mark of Blair Thomas (1986; Syracuse - non-touchdown) and Bill Belton (2014; at Indiana)...The 92-yard run broke the junior record, previously held by Bob Riggle (86; at West Virginia) from 1964...Furthermore, the rush was the longest in Fiesta Bowl and Penn State bowl history at the close of his career...Joined Ki-Jana Carter as the only players in Penn State history with multiple 80-yard rushes in program history (92 vs. Washington, 2017; 81 at Purdue, 2016; 80 vs. Akron, 2017)...Became the 15th different Penn Stater with a 200-yard rushing game vs. Maryland (10/8/16) with 202 yards, which ranks No. 25 on Penn State's single-game rushing charts...His 207 yards rushing at Purdue (10/29/16) rank No. 22 on the single-game charts and were the most since Larry Johnson's 279 yards vs. Michigan State in 2002.
➤ 2017 ➤ Junior Season
Awards: National: Named the recipient of the Paul Hornung Award, as college football's most versatile player...Finished No. 4 in the Heisman Trophy voting, the highest finish by a Penn State player since Larry Johnson finished No. 3 in 2002...Selected as a finalist for the Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award, Lombardi Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award...Became the 100th first-team All-American in Penn State history...Was Penn State's 42nd consensus All-American and first Nittany Lion offensive player since Larry Johnson in 2002...The 14th unanimous consensus All-American in program history, and first since Carl Nassib in 2015...Earned first-team All-America laurels at running back from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and Walter Camp...Selected first-team All-America as an all-purpose player by the Associated Press, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and Sporting News...Earned first-team All-America honors from CBS Sports, ESPN.com, Phil Steele, Sports Illustrated and The Athletic as an all-purpose player...Garnered second-team All-America laurels at running back from CBS Sports, Pro Football Focus, Sports Illustrated and USA Today...Selected third-team All-America by Phil Steele at running back...Earned first-team All-America honors as a running back and honorable mention laurels as a kick returner from SB Nation...Named first-team All-America at running back and second-team All-America as a kick returner by College Sports Madness.
Big Ten: Became the fifth student-athlete in Big Ten history to win the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the conference's best player twice since the award's inception in 1924...Joined the group of Minnesota's Paul Giel (1952-53), Ohio State's Archie Griffin (1973-74), Indiana's Anthony Thompson (1988-89) and Ohio State's Braxton Miller (2012-13) as two-time Silver Football winners...Named the Big Ten's Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year for the second-straight season...Is the first Big Ten running back and third Big Ten student-athlete to earn multiple Player of the Year awards in the conference's history, joining Braxton Miller (Ohio State; 2012 & 2013) and Drew Brees (Purdue; 1998 & 2000)...Earned Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year for the second-straight season...Claimed the Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year, becoming the first Penn Stater to claim the award, which was established in 2015...Is the second player in conference history to win three major B1G awards, joining Michigan's Jabrill Peppers (Defensive POTY, Linebacker and Return Specialist of the Year; 2016)...Garnered first-team All-Big Ten at both running back and return specialist from both the coaches and media panels...Is just the second running back in Penn State history to earn back-to-back first-team All-B1G honors, joining Curtis Enis (1996 & 1997)...Earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, along with first-team all-conference at running back and all-purpose player from the Associated Press...Named Pro Football Focus first-team All-Big Ten...Garnered first-team All-Big Ten honors at running back and kick returner from Phil Steele...Selected as the ECAC Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-ECAC at running back and return specialist.
In-Season: Selected to the ESPN.com All-Bowl team as an all-purpose player following the Fiesta Bowl...Earned Midseason All-America honors from The Athletic, Associated Press, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated (RB & all-purpose) and USA Today...Named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Barrett, OSU) on Sept. 4 after rushing for 174 yards and totaling 246 all-purpose yards vs. Akron...Earned Big Ten Rose Bowl Player of the Week on Sept. 5 after his effort vs. Akron in the season opener...Selected to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll on Sept. 11 after posting 183 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns vs. Pittsburgh...Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 25 after breaking the school record for all-purpose yards (358) vs. Iowa...Graded out as the top offensive player in the FBS during week four by Pro Football Focus to earn a spot on the National Team of the Week...The effort vs. Iowa also earned him Rose Bowl Big Ten Player of the Week and Maxwell Award Player of the Week, along with a spot on the Hornung Award Honor Roll and Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week...Named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week and garnered a spot on the Hornung Award Honor Roll on Oct. 2 after posting 205 all-purpose yards vs. Indiana, including a 98-yard kickoff return for the touchdown to open the game...Garnered Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, along with earning a spot on the Hornung Award Honor Roll, on Oct. 23 after piling up 176 all-purpose yards vs. Michigan...Added his second Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week Award on Oct. 30 after returning the opening kickoff for a touchdown at Ohio State...Garnered Big Ten Player of the Week and a spot on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after logging 224 all-purpose yards vs. Nebraska (11/18).
Preseason: Among 10 players named to the Big Ten preseason honors list, as selected by the conference's media members, joining teammate Trace McSorley...Named preseason first-team All-America by the Associated Press, ESPN.com, Pro Football Focus, Sports Illustrated, Sporting News, USA Today, Lindy's, Street & Smith and Athlon Sports...Named the No. 5 player in FBS by SI.com...Earned the No. 1 spot on Sports Illustrated's "Feldman's Freaks" list heading into the 2017 campaign.
Season: Appeared in all 13 games with 12 starts...Selected team captain prior to the season...Was the 24th FBS player to produce 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season since 2000...Scored a touchdown in 15-straight games from Oct. 29, 2016-Oct. 28, 2017, which set the Penn State school record, passing Curtis Enis' 14-game streak from 1996-97...Had a streak of nine-straight games with a rushing touchdown snapped vs. Georgia State (9/16), which was the longest streak by a Penn Stater since Larry Johnson had 11 in a row in 2002...Set the single game all-purpose yards mark with 358 (211 rush, 94, receiving, 53 KR), a total that sits No. 10 all-time in the Big Ten...Became the first Big Ten player and sixth FBS player since 1996 with a kickoff return for a touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game when he did both vs. Indiana (9/30)...Was the first FBS player in the last 20 years with 50 rushing yards, 50 receiving yards, a passing touchdown and kickoff return for a touchdown in a game...Was only the ninth non-quarterback in Penn State history to throw a touchdown pass (10 occasions), joining teammate Nick Scott (Illinois; 2015)...Became the first Penn State running back with multiple passing completions in a season since Nick Scott (2-of-2; 2015)...Named Penn State's Most Valuable Player and earned the Captain's Award at the team's annual awards banquet.
Rankings: Was 1-of-5 student-athlete in the FBS with five all-purpose plays of 80 yards or longer in 2017...Ranked No. 2 in the FBS and led the Big Ten and Power 5 in all-purpose yards per game (179.15)...Was tied for No. 4 nationally and led the Big Ten in total touchdowns (23)...Finished No. 5 nationally and led the Big Ten in kickoff return touchdowns (2)...Ended the season No. 5 nationally and led the Big Ten in scoring per game (10.6)...Ranked No. 5 nationally and led the Big Ten in total points (138)...Finished No. 9 in the FBS and led the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (18)...Ranked No. 32 nationally and No. 5 in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.86)...Sat No. 33 in the FBS and No. 4 in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game (97.8)...Ranked No. 57 in the FBS and No. 6 in the Big Ten in points responsible for per game (11.1)...Ended the season No. 74 in the FBS and No. 5 in the Big Ten in combined kick return yards (426).
Akron (9/2): Rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries...Posted the second-longest rush of his career, an 80-yard burst in the second quarter...Notched his seventh career multi-rushing touchdown game and ninth career multi-touchdown game...The 80-yard run is tied for No. 11 in program history (eight occasions)...Caught three passes for 54 yards...Returned one kickoff for 20 yards...Totaled 246 all-purpose yards. Pittsburgh (9/9): Carried 14 times for 88 yards and one touchdown...Tied a team high with four receptions and 45 yards...Had a 46-yard reception in third quarter, scoring a touchdown on the play...Returned two kickoffs for 50 yards with a long of 32 yards...Owned a game-high 183 all-purpose yards...Earned the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. Georgia State (9/16): Led the team with 226 all-purpose yards...Caught four passes for a career-high 142 yards and one touchdown...His 142 yards receiving are the most by a Penn State running back since Len Krouse had 155 yards out of the backfield vs. Syracuse in 1940...Is the first Penn State running back with 100 receiving yards since Tony Hunt had 110 yards at Minnesota in 2004...The 142 receiving yards are the most by a Big Ten running back since Curtis Samuel (OSU) had 177 vs. Bowling Green in 2016...Had a career-long 85-yard reception for a touchdown in the first quarter...Had one kickoff return for 37 yards to open the game...Rushed 10 times for 47 yards with a long run of 33 yards. at Iowa (9/23): Totaled 358 all-purpose yards to set the school record and rank No. 10 on the Big Ten's all-purpose charts...Posted his third career 200-yard rushing game with a career-best 211 yards rushing...Caught a career-high 12 passes for 94 yards, marking the first 10-plus reception game since 2014 (14; DaeSean Hamilton vs. Ohio State, 2014)...Returned three kickoffs for 53 yards...Had one rushing touchdown...Made his first career tackle in the second quarter on an interception return...Garnered the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. Indiana (9/30): Became the first Big Ten player and sixth FBS player with a kickoff return for a touchdown and a passing touchdown in the same game since 1996...Rushed 20 times for 56 yards and caught four passes for 51 yards...Returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, the first Penn State kickoff return for a touchdown since 2011...Totaled 205 all-purpose yards (56 rushing, 51 receiving, 98 return)...Attempted and completed his first career pass, a 16-yard touchdown pass to DaeSean Hamilton in the fourth quarter...The passing touchdown was the first for a Penn State running back since Nick Scott threw a scoring pass against Illinois in 2015 and was the longest completion by a running back at Penn State since Eric McCoo completed a 63-yard touchdown pass vs. Illinois in 2001. at Northwestern (10/7): Carried 16 times for a game-high 75 yards on the ground with two touchdowns...Had scoring rushes of 1 and 53 yards...Caught two passes for 9 yards. Michigan (10/21): Posted his third-career three-touchdown game - first of the season - with two rushing scores and one receiving score...Rushed for 108 yards on 15 carries...Had touchdown runs of 69 and 15 yards in the first quarter...Caught three passes for 53 yards, including a 42-yard catch and run for a score in the fourth quarter...Also returned one kickoff for 15 yards...Totaled a game-high 176 all-purpose yards (108 rushing, 53 receiving, 15 kickoff return). at Ohio State (10/28): Rushed 21 times for 44 yards and one touchdown...Caught four passes for 23 yards...Returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown...Returned two kickoffs for 105 total yards...Piled up 172 all-purpose yards (44 rushing, 23 receiving, 105 kickoff return). at Michigan State (11/4): Carried the ball 14 times for a game-high 63 yards...Had a long rush of 36 yards...Caught three passes for 33 yards...Returned a pair of kickoffs for 15 yards...Totaled 111 all-purpose yards (63 rushing, 33 receiving, 15 kickoff)...Completed his second career pass, a 20-yard toss to Mike Gesicki in the first quarter. Rutgers (11/11): Carried 14 times for 35 yards and two touchdowns...Made one reception for 20 yards...Returned one kickoff for 30 yards...Posted 85 all-purpose yards (35 rushing, 20 receiving, 30 kickoff return). Nebraska (11/18): Scored three touchdowns on the ground...Rushed for 158 yards on 17 carries, with no carries for negative yardage...Caught six passes for 66 yards...Totaled 224 all-purpose yards (158 rushing, 66 receiving)...Earned the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. at Maryland (11/25): Had a pair of rushing touchdowns...Carried 16 times for 77 yards...Caught one pass for 4 yards...Returned the opening kickoff 3 yards...Totaled 84 all-purpose yards (77 rushing, 4 receiving, 3 kickoff return). vs. Washington (12/30): Carried 18 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns..Scored on a 2-yard rush in the first quarter...Broke away for a career-long 92-yard run for his second touchdown of the game in the second quarter, which tied for the longest rush in Penn State history...Caught a game-high seven passes for 38 yards...Totaled a game-high 175 all-purpose yards (137 rushing, 38 receiving).
➤ 2016 ➤ Sophomore Season
Awards: Earned second-team All-American honors from The Sporting News and College Sports Madness...Named third-team All-American by the Associated Press, Athlon and Phil Steele...Selected to Campus Insiders Sophomore All-America first team...Earned All-Bowl Team honors from Associated Press (all-purpose), Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports and NCAA.com...Named to the ESPN.com Big Ten All-Bowl Team...Shared the illustrious Chicago Tribune Silver Football for the Big Ten's best player with J.T. Barrett of Ohio State...Is the first Penn State running back and fourth Nittany Lion overall to win the Silver Football, joining Daryll Clark (2009), Michael Robinson (2005) and Kerry Collins (1994)...Named the Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year...Is the eighth sophomore to win Offensive Player of the Year in Big Ten history, most recently by Ohio State's Braxton Miller in 2012...Is one of 17 running backs to win Offensive Player of the Year in Big Ten history...Is the third-straight running back to win Offensive Player of the Year (Melvin Gordon, WIS; Ezekiel Elliott, OSU)...Is the fourth Nittany Lion to win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, joining Kerry Collins (1994), Curtis Enis (1997) and Michael Robinson (2005)...Is the first Penn State player to win Running Back of the Year (award established in 2011)...Is the first sophomore to win Running Back of the Year in Big Ten history...Unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection by the media panel...Earned All-Big Ten first team from the conference coaches...Is the first Penn State running back to earn All-Big Ten first team honors since Evan Royster in 2009...Named to the All-Big Ten first team by ESPN.com, Phil Steele and Athlon Sports...Named Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten second team...Selected to the All-ECAC Offense first team...Selected one of 18 semifinalists for the Maxwell Award and among 10 semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award...Named to the Big Ten Preseason Honor Roll...Named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Preseason Watch Lists...Named to the Dante Hall Award Watch List...Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 10 after his 200-yard rushing performance vs. Maryland...Named CBS National Player of the Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after totaling 277 all-purpose yards at Purdue (10/29)...Became Penn State's first two-time B1G Offensive Player of the Week since Daryll Clark won the award twice in 2009...Named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week following his performance at Purdue (10/29)...Named Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after piling up 211 all-purpose yards vs. Iowa (11/5)...Honored as team MVP at the annual Nittany Lion Football Banquet.
Season: Started all 14 games...Became the first Penn State player since Larry Johnson in 2002 (289 yards vs. Michigan State and 327 yards at Indiana) to post back-to-back game with 200-plus all-purpose yards, gaining 211 vs. Iowa (11/5) and 277 at Purdue (10/29)...Became the first Penn Stater with multiple 200-yard rushing games in a season since Larry Johnson (4) in 2002 when he rushed for 202 yards versus Maryland (10/8) and 207 yards at Purdue (10/29)...Six rushing touchdowns in the first three games of the season were the most by a Penn State player since Evan Royster (6) in 2008...Seven combined offensive touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving) were the most by a Penn State player since Lydell Mitchell had seven to begin the 1971 season.
Final Rankings: Led the Big Ten and was No. 5 in the FBS in total touchdowns (22)...No. 9 nationally and No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (18) and total points (132)...Paced the Big Ten and was No. 12 nationally in scoring (9.4 ppg)...No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 21 nationally in all-purpose yards (140.86 ypg)...No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 14 in the FBS in total rushing yards (1,496)...No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 24 in the FBS in rushing yards per game (106.9 ypg)...No. 4 in the Big Ten and No. 58 nationally in yards per carry (5.50 ypc).
Kent State (9/3): Posted his first 100-yard game of the season and sixth for his career with 105 yards on 22 carries...Made one catch for 17 yards...Scored his first touchdown of the season on a 7-yard burst to the pylon off the right side in the second quarter...Was the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. at Pitt (9/10): Accounted for 147 all-purpose yards...Carried 20 times for 85 yards and four touchdowns...Caught two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown...Returned one kickoff for 17 yards...Had rushing scores of 3, 1, 1 and 2 yards in the game...Caught a 40-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter...Accounted for 30 points in the game...The 30 points are tied for No. 4 in Penn State history (fifth occasion)...First Nittany Lion with 30 points since Ki-Jana Carter vs. Michigan State in 1994...His 30 points are the most by a Big Ten player since Melvin Gordon had 30 tallies against Bowling Green in 2014...The four rushing touchdowns are the most by a Nittany Lion since Larry Johnson had four vs. Michigan State in 2002. Temple (9/17): Carried nine times for 68 yards and one touchdown...Touchdown run covered 55 yards...Caught two passes for seven yards. at Michigan (9/24): Carried the ball 15 times for 59 yards...Made five receptions for a career-high 77 yards...The 77 receiving yards are the most for a running back since Stephfon Green had one catch for 80 yards and a touchdown against Michigan in 2008...Totaled 136 all-purpose yards...Led Penn State in rushing and receiving, the first player to do so since 2014 (Akeel Lynch; at Illinois). Minnesota (10/1): Rushed for 63 yards on 20 carries...Juked his way to a 25-yard touchdown run on the first play of overtime to help Penn State reclaim the Governor's Victory Bell...Caught one pass. Maryland (10/8): Logged his first career 200-yard rushing game and became the 15th Penn Stater to eclipse the 200-yard mark with 202 yards and one touchdown on 31 carries...Scored on a 45-yard burst late in the second quarter...His 202 rushing yards were the most since Larry Johnson's 279 yards vs. Michigan State in 2002...The 202 yards rushing rank No. 24 on the single-game Penn State charts, tied with John Cappelletti (vs. Maryland; 1972)...Was the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. Ohio State (10/22): Carried the ball 12 times for 99 yards...Posted three carries of 10 yards or more, including a 37-yard tote in the fourth quarter that set up Trace McSorley's 2-yard touchdown run. at Purdue (10/29): Totaled a then-Penn State sophomore-record 277 all-purpose yards (207 rushing, 70 receiving), which ranks No. 15 all-time at Penn State...The 207 yards rushing is a career high...His 207 rushing yards marked his second 200-yard rushing effort of the year and the first time since 2002 a Penn Stater posted multiple 200-yard rushing games in a single season (4; Larry Johnson)...Posted seven rushes of 10 yards or more, including a career-long 81-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter...The 81-yard run is the ninth-longest rush in school history and eighth-longest touchdown rush in the Penn State record books...Caught three passes for 70 yards...Was the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. Iowa (11/5): Carried the ball 18 times for 167 yards and one touchdown...Caught one pass for 44 yards and a touchdown...Accumulated 211 total yards in the game, making him the first Penn State player with back-to-back games of 200-plus total yards since Larry Johnson in 2002...Hauled in a 44-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, a career-long reception and the longest TD catch by a running back since Evan Royster in 2009 (49 yards; vs. Syracuse)...Broke a 57-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, his longest career scoring rush at Beaver Stadium...Was the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. at Indiana (11/12): Carried the ball a career-high 33 times for 58 yards and two scores...Scored both touchdowns in the fourth quarter, coming on runs of 4 and 2 yards...Caught two passes for 34 yards, including a long of 32. at Rutgers (11/19): Toted the ball 16 times for 92 yards and one touchdown...His third-quarter rushing score of 1-yard came following a Penn State blocked punt...Caught two passes for 25 yards. Michigan State (11/26): Carried 12 times for 14 yards...Caught two passes for 11 yards...Did not play in the fourth quarter. vs. Wisconsin (12/3): Totaled 103 all-purpose yards...Rushed 19 times for 83 yards and one touchdown...Scored on 1-yard plunge in the third quarter to knot the game at 28-28...Caught two passes for 20 yards...Hauled in an 18-yard touchdown grab for the go-ahead score early in the fourth quarter. vs. USC (1/2): Set the Penn State sophomore record and ranks No. 3 all-time on the single-game charts with 306 all-purpose yards - marking just the fourth game in Penn State history of 300-plus all-purpose yards...Totaled three touchdowns in the game...Rushed for a Penn State bowl-record 194 yards and two touchdowns on 25 attempts...His 79-yard rushing score in the third quarter is the second-longest offensive scoring play in Penn State bowl history, behind Ki-Jana Carter's 83-yard rushing TD in the 1995 Rose Bowl...Had a 24-yard touchdown run in the second quarter...Caught five passes for 55 yards and one score...Hauled in an over-the-shoulder touchdown pass near the end of the third quarter...Returned two kickoffs for 57 yards.
➤ 2015 ➤ True Freshman Season
Awards: Named second-team All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media...Named to Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News and USA Today's Freshman All-America team...Earned ESPN.com True Freshman All-America honors...Selected BTN.com Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned BTN.com All-Freshman Team laurels...Named Athlon Sports Big Ten Offensive Freshman of the Year...Selected as the ECAC Rookie of the Year...Garnered second-team All-Big Ten honors from the Associated Press and Athlon Sports...Earned ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman team accolades...Named Sports on Earth's Best Offensive Freshman...Selected as Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week (Sept. 14) after his performance against Buffalo...Claimed second-straight Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week (Sept. 21) honor after his effort versus Rutgers...Four-time ECAC Freshman of the Week selection (9/22, 10/20, 11/3, 11/10).
Season: Appeared in 11 games with six starts, missing two games due to injury...Made his first career start at Maryland (10/24)...Was one of seven freshmen (3 redshirt, 4 true) to start a game...Was one of five true freshmen to see action...Had five 100-yard rushing performances...Had 34 rushes of 10 or more yards with season-long runs of 56 yards at Ohio State and vs. Michigan...Logged runs of 54 and 40 yards against Rutgers...Had 310 yards in back-to-back games against Buffalo and Rutgers, which was the highest total by a true freshman RB in a two-game span since D.J. Dozier had 359 in 1983 (vs. Rutgers and Alabama)...Is only the second true freshman to have back-to-back 100-yard games, joining Dozier, who had four consecutive 100-yard games in 1983...Is the first PSU RB to have back-to-back games (Buffalo & Rutgers) with a 100-yard rushing quarter since Larry Johnson in 2002 against Indiana and Michigan State.
Final Rankings: Ranked 34th in the FBS and fourth in the Big Ten in yards per carry (5.9 ypc)...Ranked 34th in the NCAA and third in the conference with 97.8 rushing yards per game, which was skewed by having just one carry in the season opener vs. Temple and missing nearly three quarters in the San Diego State game...Ranked second in the nation among true freshmen running backs with 1,076 yards...Ranked 64th nationally and fifth in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards per game (112.45)...Ranked 11th in the FBS and No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushes of 20 or more yards (16)...Tied for 24th in the FBS and second in the conference in rushes of 30 or more yards (6).
at Temple (9/5): Rushed one time for one yard. Buffalo (9/12): Rushed 12 times for a team-best 115 yards and his first career touchdown...Carried the ball eight times for 101 yards in the fourth quarter...Became the first true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Silas Redd had 131 yards on 11 carries and one touchdown against Northwestern in 2010...Scored his first career touchdown on a 9-yard scamper in the fourth quarter...Had a 33-yard burst on Penn State's first play of the fourth quarter...Teamed with Brandon Polk to become the first true freshmen duo to score touchdowns in the same game since Justin King and Derrick Williams both had touchdown receptions in 2005 at Northwestern...Named Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week. Rutgers (9/19): Ran for a team-best 195 yards and two touchdowns...His 195 rushing yards were the most by a Penn State true freshman since Eric McCoo had 206 against Michigan State in 1998...Had 119 yards rushing on seven carries in the fourth quarter...Teamed with Akeel Lynch (120 yards) to mark the first Big Ten Conference game that Penn State had two 100-yard rushers since Evan Royster (134) and Silas Redd (131) topped the mark vs. Northwestern in 2010...Was a part of a backfield that rushed for 330 yards, the most by Penn State since the Nittany Lions ran for 338 at Illinois in 2009...Became the first Penn State back to rush for more than 100 in a quarter in back-to-back games since Larry Johnson in 2002...Selected as Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week. San Diego State (9/26): Caught his first career pass, a 22-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass to open the scoring in the first quarter...Was the first Penn State player to have a touchdown on his first career reception since Jesse James (Navy; 2012)...His receiving touchdown was the first by a PSU running back since Bill Belton (Akron; 2014)...Gained 62 yards on eight rushes...Played the first quarter and just one series in the second quarter before leaving the game with an injury...Paired with Mark Allen to become the first Penn State running back duo to have touchdown receptions in the same game since 2006 at Minnesota (Tony Hunt & Matt Hahn). at Ohio State (10/17): Rushed for 194 yards on 26 carries...Posted a season-long 56-yard rush in the fourth quarter...Posted his third 100-yard rushing game of the season to tie him for second on the Penn State true freshman list with Eric McCoo and Curtis Enis...His 194 rushing yards rank third on the true freshman rushing list, behind his 195 yards vs. Rutgers and McCoo's 206 yards vs. Michigan State in 1998...Was just the second player to rush for more than 175 yards at Ohio Stadium since 2000 (Indiana's Tevin Coleman; 2014). vs. Maryland (10/24): Made his first career start...Gained 65 yards on 20 carries...Scored his fourth rushing TD of the season in the first quarter -- a 6-yard scamper. Illinois (10/31): Ran the ball 20 times for 84 yards, including a long of 13 yards...Caught three passes for 58 yards...Scored on a 7-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, hurdling two defenders to get into the end zone. at Northwestern (11/7): Posted his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season with 120 yards on 25 carries...Scored two rushing touchdowns...Had 50 receiving yards on a career-high six catches...Led the team with 170 all-purpose yards. Michigan (11/21): Rushed for 68 yards on 15 carries...Tied a season-long with a 56-yard run in the first quarter...Caught two passes for 19 yards. at Michigan State (11/28): Broke the Penn State freshman (true or redshirt) rushing record with his fifth 100-yard rushing effort of the season...Gained 103 yards on 17 carries...Caught three passes for minus-one yard...Broke D.J. Dozier's freshman season rushing record with his performance. vs. Georgia (1/2): Carried the ball 17 times for 69 yards...Caught five passes for 13 yards...Ranked second on the team with 82 all-purpose yards.
➤ High School
Three-year letterman and team captain his senior year at Whitehall High School for head coach Brian Gilbert...First-team all-state (AAAA) by Pennsylvania Football News...Selected as 2014 Mr. PA Football for Class AAA/AAAA...Participated in The Opening, held on Nike's campus in summer 2014...Played in Offense-Defense Bowl...Rushed for 1,856 yards, 8.6 yards per carry and recorded 31 total touchdowns his senior year...Had three interceptions and five tackles for loss as a senior...Two-time All-Lehigh Valley Conference selection...Helped lead Whitehall to league titles as a sophomore and junior...Rushed for 1,506 yards and recorded 27 touchdowns as a junior...Tallied 284 rushing yards and five total scores as a sophomore...Rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports, ESPN, Rivals and Scout...Ranked as the ninth-best running back in the nation and the top prospect in Pennsylvania by 247Sports...Rated by Scout among the top five prospects in the state...Lettered in basketball and track...Won the gold medal in the eastern Pennsylvania Conference boys 100 meters.
➤ Personal
Full name is Saquon Barkley...Son of Alibay Barkley and Tonya Johnson...Has two brothers, Rashard Johnson and Ali Barkley, and two sisters, Shaquona and Aliyah Barkley...Father participated in boxing in college...Brother, Rashard, played football and wrestled...Great uncle is former WBC middleweight champion Iran Barkley...Hobbies include working out, hanging out with friends and reading...Majoring in journalism...Born February 9, 1997 in Bronx, New York.
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