Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1528325
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 3 3 time since they arrived at Penn State, Barker's presence was a footnote to the broader picture. Yet, when asked about his sense of belonging in the program, the kicker was resolute. "I definitely think that I'm here for a reason," he said, "and that there's no reason why I shouldn't think that I'm here for a reason." Nearly eight months later, Barker has brought that sentiment to life. On a sunny afternoon in Los Ange- les in early October, the Nittany Li- ons found their fortunes riding on Barker's left leg. After trailing USC by two touchdowns at halftime, they had rallied to tie the score at 30-30 in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win the game in overtime. Electing to start on defense after win- ning the coin toss, Penn State pushed USC back 3 yards on three plays. The Trojans then missed a 45-yard field goal attempt, setting up the possibility of a walk-off kick for PSU. The Lions played it safe on offense, gaining 6 yards in three plays, the last of which was a short run by junior quarter- back Drew Allar in which he took care to center the ball between the hash marks. With that, Barker's do-or-die mo- ment had arrived. Unbothered by a USC timeout aimed at rattling him ahead of his kick, Barker trotted to his spot in front of the up- rights. He calmly waited for the snap, planted, and sailed home the 36-yard conversion. "They tried to ice him," head coach James Franklin said. "And he just went out and hit it." Barker's final effort was not the only kick he made in Penn State's victory over the Trojans. In fact, he was re- sponsible for 15 of the Nittany Lions' 33 points, finishing with 4 made field goals and 3 PATs. Combined with his 2 field goal makes against UCLA the pre- vious week and 5 extra points spread over three games, he improved to a per- fect 6-of-6 on field goals and 8-of-8 on extra points. 'Steady Eddie' Franklin was hardly surprised by the calm demeanor that Barker displayed on his winning kick. "He's kind of like this all the time," the coach said, gesturing with a motionless hand parallel to the ground. "He's been like that. Just 'Steady Eddie.' Doesn't get too high, doesn't get too low." The notion extended well beyond Barker's heroics that afternoon. His as- cent over the past two seasons, particu- larly during the first half of the Lions' 2024 campaign, demonstrated as much. Recruited as a walk-on out of Kennett High School, Barker had good statistics and film, earning him an invitation to Penn State's summer camp ahead of his senior season. Standing 6-foot-2, he looked as though he could put on weight and increase his strength and kicking power. He had connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts his first three sea- sons at Kennett, and his performance at camp was enough to convince the Nit- tany Lions' staff to reserve a roster spot. "But we still, to be honest with you, didn't know what we were totally get- ting," Franklin said. "Then last year he showed up, and he opened everybody's eyes and was a real pleasant surprise and literally was competing for the job. "He's been a guy that since he stepped on campus has been really impressive. The thing that I've been most impressed with is just how steady and level he is. … He's got a very mature kind of way about him." With Alex Felkins having departed af- ter winning second-team All-Big Ten notice in his lone season at Penn State, Barker and his position mates — scholar- ship kicker Sander Sahaydak and Tulsa transfer Chase Meyer — were under in- tense scrutiny during the 2024 offsea- son. Working under the tutelage of new special teams coach Justin Lustig, Barker and Sahaydak battled through the winter and spring while Meyer worked his way back from an injury. The two leaders maintained a tight back-and-forth battle into preseason camp. Franklin said Barker was in front coming out of spring practice, but Sa- haydak kept making up ground in pre- season camp. The decision about who would start the opener at West Virginia went down to the wire. In the end, the staff listened to what the reams of prac- tice data were saying and turned to the more seasoned Sahaydak. Sahaydak's performance through the first four games upended that deci- sion. He missed an inconsequential 47- yard attempt late in the fourth quarter against the Mountaineers, then stead- ied himself with a pair of makes against Bowling Green. He also had 15 success- ful PATs through the Kent State game on Sept. 21. Then came the Big Ten opener against Illinois on Sept. 28, and the accuracy problems returned. The Nittany Lions spent most of the night trying to pull away from the Illini, and a pair of missed field goals — both from 40 yards — hin- dered that effort. When junior running back Kaytron Allen reached the end zone late in the fourth quarter to finally give the Lions a two-score cushion, Barker was tapped to handle the PAT. The Lions ended up winning, 21-7, and in his postgame news "Coach [Justin] Lustig always talks about preparing like you're the starter no matter where you are on the depth chart. I didn't take that lightly. I prepared every week like I was the starter. And when my time came, I knew I had to make the most of it." B A R K E R Barker was named Penn State's starter ahead of its game against UCLA on Oct. 5. The redshirt freshman had hit 6 of 6 field goal attempts and 8 of 8 PAT tries prior to the Lions' visit to Wisconsin on Oct. 26. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS