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he's not considered a potential first- round pick, having been rated as the fourth-best running back in the draft by CBSSports.com. He was also unlikely to move into the first round with a strong senior season; with a handful of excep- tions, such as Barkley and former Ohio State star Ezekiel Elliott, running backs don't have the kind of primacy they had a generation ago. So there wasn't much to be gained by coming back. If any- thing, the fact that Sanders started for only one season might be viewed favor- ably in the NFL. With only 276 carries and 32 catches in his college career (Barkley had 671 and 102), he hasn't suf- fered a lot of wear and tear. In a league where the average career lasts only 3.3 years, that's a factor. Penn State coach James Franklin said that he doesn't necessarily try to stand in the way of players leaving early. While the team may suffer a short-term set- back when a talented player departs be- fore using up his eligibility, there's a long-term payoff if recruits see PSU as a launching pad for pro careers. "It really should be a very comple- mentary process," Franklin said. "What I mean by that is, if the guy leaves early and he's a first- or second-round draft choice, that's good for him and his fam- ily, and it's also good for Penn State football. If he leaves early and gets drafted very late or not drafted at all, that's bad for him and his family, and that's bad for Penn State football. We're really working together here." Depending on which draft guru you trust, most or all of Penn State's five de- parting juniors will be selected when the draft takes place April 25-27 in Nashville. In addition, senior corner- back Amani Oruwariye is expected to be a high-round pick, and senior quarter- back Trace McSorley will make his case in the coming months. A year ago, Penn State had five players drafted. If it were to have six or seven more drafted this year, it would help the coaching staff woo those players' suc- cessors and show that Franklin's com- plementary process is working as intended. ■ A D M I N I S T R A T I O N With contract extension in works, Barbour sees PSU as 'last stop' Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour said she and university presi- dent Eric Barron have agreed to a con- tract extension that will keep her on the job beyond next sum- mer, when her current pact is set to expire. Speaking to re- porters in Orlando, Fla., prior to the Nit- tany Lions' Citrus Bowl appearance against Kentucky, Barbour said there was "no sense of ur- gency" in her discussions with Barron. "We knew it would get done," she said. "We have come to an agreement in the last few weeks, and I believe that's with the board [of trustees], which has the final say on that. So I look forward to getting some informa- tion from them probably early in 2019." Barbour came to Penn State in Au- gust 2014 after 10 years as athletic di- rector at California. Her current contract is set to expire on Aug. 31, but with the planned extension, she is likely to remain at Penn State for the foreseeable future. "This is my last stop," she said. "Where would I want to go that's a bet- ter opportunity, that's a better fit for me than Penn State? And this next con- tract will certainly help me do that." During her 30-minute media ses- sion, Barbour addressed a number of other topics concerning Penn State's athletic programs. Among those topics were… FOOTBALL EXPENDITURES Respond- ing to coach James Franklin's oft-cited concerns about compensation for as- sistant coaches, Barbour said that Penn State is now competitive with its peers. "We were a little bit behind last year," she admitted. "I won't say we mistimed the market, but with going from nine to ten [assistants], there was a movement that I probably didn't anticipate in the way that it went. None of us really did. But we've rectified that this year. We've already made some significant moves with our current staff, and I think we're in a good position. We're in very good po- sition." Similarly, Barbour was asked about improvements to the university's foot- ball facilities. The Lasch Building has undergone significant upgrades over the past few years, mostly to the first- floor facilities: the front lobby, weight room, training and rehab rooms, team auditorium and individual position meeting rooms. Improvements to the players' lounge and academic support side of the building are under way, and there are plans to upgrade indoor and outdoor practice facilities. "We've raised and spent over $30 million on Lasch itself. We've probably got another $30 million to do here in pretty short order," Barbour said. "Ob- viously, Holuba, the outdoor area, and the outdoor practice fields are another thing. That's one of the things that the pace has picked up." Barbour said that in the first half of the current fiscal year, Penn State raised more "than we have in any pre- vious year in our history for football." Noting that Penn State has been very successful throughout its history at raising money for scholarship endow- ments, she said part of the challenge in BARBOUR |

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