Journey Brown had his breakout game against Memphis in the Cotton Bowl, proving that he’s destined for big things with Penn State football in 2020.
Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders and now Journey Brown. James Franklin has had some absolute gems in Happy Valley and while there were question marks surrounding the future of the backfield at Penn State, Brown stepped up in the final month.
Brown led the Nittany Lions with 890 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns and that’s especially impressive when you consider he started the season as the backup to Ricky Slade.
In the final five games of his sophomore season, Brown rushed for 593 yards and nine touchdowns which was good for a majority of his season totals. He became the lead back for the Nittany Lions during a time when they couldn’t seem to land on just one guy. They had a running back by-committee look, but Brown was exactly what the offense needed.
Brown’s emergence took the pressure off Sean Clifford and it came full circle against Memphis when he opened the eyes of everyone on a national stage, rushing for a career-best 202 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 carries. He had great burst through the holes and his patience was impressive. He looked like the running back of the future.
Penn State should feel good about the backfield moving forward, especially since Brown will have an elite backup in 2020 in Noah Cain who is fresh off a breakout freshman season.
The future is bright for Brown in Happy Valley and his performance in the Cotton Bowl will do nothing but catapult him into stardom on a national level.
The rest of the Big Ten will be left wondering when the Nittany Lions will finally be without an elite running back.