Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/929717
A T T H E 2 0 1 8 N I T T A N Y L I O N S tion of speed, power, balance and vision. When the NFL Combine begins in a few weeks, he will undoubtedly be in the top percentile of whatever measureable the scouts are valuing most highly these days. At 5-foot-11, 215 pounds, Sanders isn't a Barkley clone, and it would be unfair to expect another player to match the physical template of a once-in-a-gen- eration talent. But it's not unreasonable to expect some of Barkley's competitive drive to have rubbed off on his fellow running backs during the past few years. And to hear Sanders tell it, that's exactly what has happened. "Saquon is a good competitor. He's a workaholic. He knows the offense inside and out. He knows the defense inside and out," Sanders said. "I try to learn as much as I can from him, and he tries to learn from me. The whole running back room tries to stay competitive, and we hold each other to a standard." Those running backs might all have a hand in replacing Barkley. Franklin said that when he talked to Sanders and fel- low returnees Mark Allen, Johnathan Thomas and Journey Brown about how the rotation would work next season, they all seemed to assume that the old model would remain in effect, with one player emerging as the clear winner and everyone else scrambling for a handful of carries. But Franklin doesn't see it that way. The Nittany Lions had "an unusual situation" with Barkley, he said. "We can be in a situation [in 2018] where we have a little more of a rotation than we had last year." Whether he averages 15-20 carries a game or ends up as part of an ensemble, Sanders is eager for the chance to show that he can break off a long run whenever he touches the ball. "I just try to take ad- vantage of every rep, every second, every play on the field, as far as hurdling, stiff- arming, vision and catching," he said. No matter where, when or how he got the ball in his hands, Barkley had the ability to turn any carry into a game- changer. It was one of his primary at- tributes, and Sanders believes he can emulate it. "I think I can do the same thing and help the team win," he said, "just like him." ■ TAKING FLIGHT Sanders carried six times for 15 yards in the Fi- esta Bowl, but he is expected to have a much bigger role in the offense during his junior sea- son. Photo by Steve Manuel