Blue White Illustrated

Miles Sanders isn't a demonstrative per- son by nature. With his laid-back de- meanor, the running back has to work on the qualities that allow for true leadership. But he's also the presumed starter fol- lowing the departure of an all-time Penn State great, and that leaves him with seri- ous shoes to try to fill before embarking on the 2018 season. He knows it, too, making this spring an important one for the rising junior. Spring practice "is going really good," Sanders told reporters last week following Penn State's 11th practice. "I'm just trying to get more comfortable in that leadership role, just trying to be more mature and lead by example and be more vocal. So that's what I'm trying to focus on this spring." Noting that Johnathan Thomas has more seniority than anyone in the running back room, Sanders doesn't deny his role at the position moving forward. A former Rivals.com No. 1 running back for the Class of 2016, he has been repping with the ones this spring and, more impor- tant, is working to bring his fellow team- mates along with him. That may mean giving instructions to redshirt freshman Journey Brown or simply performing with an earnestness that sets an example for others. No matter what the occasion calls for, Sanders is taking the responsibility se- riously. He's also taking his cues from his prede- cessor. Forced to remain patient while Saquon Barkley gouged opponents for 1,271 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season, Sanders focused on self-improvement. He carried only 31 times for 191 yards and two scores, numbers that were only slightly im- proved from his true freshman season, in which he gained 184 yards on 25 carries. But rather than simply waiting for Barkley's exit, Sanders looked to his more experienced teammate as a role model. "It just made me work harder, just learn- ing from Saquon," Sanders said. "He's a great mentor and he's been a great mentor since I got here. So I've just been learning from him, picking little ideas from him, so he's helping me to be the best player I can be, helping me out." Refusing to compare his game to Barkley's, Sanders did allow that even if he's not hurdling over his opponents, he can spin, shake and bounce away into open space. His area of concentration this spring has been in the passing game. He's been work- ing to catch the ball out of the backfield with more proficiency while also trying to improve as a pass blocker. Head coach James Franklin has been pleased with what he's seen from Sanders in that endeavor. "He's been really good in his role. He's been patient, but there's also a part where he's been impatient at times, which is how I would want it. I want him to be hungry in getting on the field. He's handled things the right way and grown dramatically," Franklin said. "He could have played a lot of places the past two years, but I think [because of] the combination of how he did play, how he did prepare and who he was behind, training and learning and watching all those championship habits and behav- iors, he's pretty far along right now." Sanders said he's been "getting really good" at serving as a receiver thanks to all the passes he's caught from both Trace McSorley and the JUGS machine. That could mean the Nittany Lions have another great running back coming up through their ranks. Although admittedly spoiled by the rou- tine nature with which Barkley reeled off impressive performances, Franklin isn't putting limits on the possibilities for his next feature tailback. "I know our defensive coaches and our team think really highly of him with what he's done in the weight room his off-season and what he's done on the field so far," Franklin said. "The challenge is, he'll make four people miss and go 80 and we're all like [ho-hum], next play, because we've been a little spoiled with Saquon Barkley the past couple of years. But I do think Miles is in that conversation, in terms of what he's been able to show and what he's been able to do so far." A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 11 NO MORE WAITING N A T E   B A U E R   | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Sanders carried six times for 15 yards and a touchdown in Penn State's victory over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. Photo by Steve Manuel

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