Penn State Football: How will Nittany Lions replace Saquon Barkley?

Penn State football will no longer have the services of Saquon Barkley in 2018. Who will step into the role in the Lion backfield?

Entering the 2017 season, most of the college football world thought Saquon Barkley leaving early for the NFL draft was a foregone conclusion. They were right when Barkley made it official a day after Penn State’s win over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. Now James Franklin has the herculean task of finding Barkley’s replacement.

First of all, one simply cannot replace Barkley. It is an impossible task. Barkley was the Nittany Lion’s do-everything back for the last three seasons and his leadership qualities were tremendous. However the Lions do have a few options heading into next season.

The heir apparent is Miles Sanders. The Pittsburgh native was rated the top player in Pennsylvania and the number one running back in the country in the 2016 class. With Barkley entrenched as the starter, Sanders has seen limited action in his first two seasons. He has 56 carries, 375 yards, and three scores through two years. Even though we have not seen much of Sanders on the field, he had two years to study and pick the brain of Barkley. It should come in handy as Sanders gets his first taste as a starter next year.

Mark Allen and Journey Brown also will look to gain playing time in the backfield. The senior Allen arrived on campus a year before Barkley so he has not been used much. He can provide depth behind Sanders. Brown has too much speed to keep off the field. The redshirt freshman might not get a lot of playing time in the backfield, however he could see time returning kicks.

Penn State fans are anxious to see what awaits Ricky Slade. The five-star recruit signed early in December and could make an immediate impact if the coaching staff chooses to not redshirt him. If Slade does play in the fall, it may be on special teams.

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It will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne calls the run game next season. Opposing defenses will play Penn State differently with Barkley gone.  Despite losing a once in a generation type talent, Franklin and company should have plenty to work with in the Penn State backfield.