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F O O T B A L L Barkley set to headline strong PSU draft class Most of the people who watched Saquon Barkley at the NFL Scouting Combine in February – coaches, TV an- alysts, fans – were dazzled by the former Penn State running back's showing. James Franklin wasn't one of those people. The Nittany Lion head coach had tracked Barkley's performances throughout his career in University Park and thought that he actually could have produced better numbers than the ones that left so many onlookers in Indi- anapolis agog, such as his 4.40-second 40-yard time, 41-inch vertical leap and 29 repetitions in the bench press. "I don't want Saquon to take this the wrong way, but I think [he] had a very average combine, and he finished No. 1 across the board," Franklin said. "I know his start wasn't what he wanted it to be. I was very confident that Saquon was going to run a low 4.3, and I thought with training, you never know, he may run a high 4.2. I know that sounds crazy. I've seen him bench press 225 34 times before. So his numbers were solid, but I think even he thought he would do a lit- tle bit better." Franklin need not have worried, be- cause Barkley definitely didn't take that assessment the wrong way. Back on campus last month for Penn State's pro day, the NFL-bound player agreed with his former coach, telling reporters that "I feel like I could have done a lot better." Barkley said that he ran a 4.29 40 while training for the combine and typi- cally does between 30 and 35 reps in the NEWS & NOTES | COWBOY UP Barkley expects to be in atten- dance at AT&T Sta- dium when the first round takes place April 26. Barkley photo by Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics THE NFL DRAFT AT A GLANCE WHERE AT&T Stadium // Arlington, Texas WHEN April 26-28 // Day 1 Round 1 Day 2 Rounds 2 and 3 Day 3 Rounds 4 through 7 TV ESPN/ESPN2, FOX, NFL Network

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