Penn State Football: Nittany Lions two-deep depth chart projection

Running Back

Starting running back: Miles Sanders
Backups: Mark Allen, Johnathan Thomas, Journey Brown, Ricky Slade

A once in a generation talent in Saquon Barkley has now left your program for the NFL. What do you do now? For Penn State, they insert a former five star recruit in his place.

Miles Sanders is ready to step into the starting role. While he is no Barkley, and very few are, the junior running back is ready to make a name for himself. In two seasons seeing limited playing time as backup to Barkley, he had 375 yards and three touchdowns. With an improved offensive line, Sanders should find more running lanes and a lot more yards.

While Sanders will be the go-to guy, the Nittany Lions have plenty of depth in the backfield. Senior Mark Allen has the most experience of the backups with 66 carries, 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his career. He will be next man up when Sanders needs a breather and should see plenty of touches. Also in the mix is senior Johnathan Thomas, a big bruiser who will be a good option in short yardage situations.

Redshirt freshman Journey Brown has too much speed to not see at least some touches. With the crowded backfield though, he may make a big impact on returning kicks. Finally, true freshman Ricky Slade rounds out the position. While he has just hit campus, with the new freshman playing rules the five-star blue chipper is likely to see some playing time.