Blue White Illustrated

READY TO RUN iles Sanders isn't a demonstra- tive person by nature. With his laid-back demeanor, the run- ning 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 se- rious shoes to try to fill before embarking on the 2018 season. He knows it, too, which means that this spring was an important one for the rising junior. While noting that Johnathan Thomas has more seniority than anyone in the running back, Sanders is well aware that he will have a more prominent role this coming season, one that comes with a heightened set of expectations – and not just on game day. "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," he said earlier this spring. "So that's what I'm trying to focus on." A former Rivals.com No. 1 running back for the Class of 2016, he repped with the ones this spring and, more important, worked to bring his teammates along with him. Sometimes that meant giving in- structions to redshirt freshman Journey Brown, other times it meant simply per- forming with an earnestness that set an example for others. No matter what the occasion called for, Sanders took the re- sponsibility seriously. And now, with spring practice having given way to the more informal workouts of Penn State's summer session, he's looking to take some cues from his pred- ecessor. Forced to remain patient while Saquon Barkley gouged opponents for 1,271 rush- ing 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 improved 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 learning from Saquon," he 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 was in the passing game. He worked to catch the ball out of the backfield with more proficiency while also trying to im- prove as a pass blocker. Sanders didn't get much of a chance to After two years as an understudy, Miles Sanders preps for his turn in the spotlight M P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >> | Quarterback Trace McSorley, safety Nick Scott and punter Blake Gillikin have been voted team captains for the 2018 season by their teammates. Mc- Sorley and Scott are captains for the second consecutive season. "Trace and Nick have earned the re- spect of their teammates after being selected by their peers as captain for a second straight year," coach James Franklin said. "Blake has been out- standing for our very young special teams unit and has been killing it in the classroom with a perfect GPA. These three have been leaders for us in the locker room, on the field and in the classroom. This team will continue to make great strides under their leader- ship." Gillikin is coming off a season in which he garnered second-team All- Big Ten accolades from the coaches and media. McSorley, who was a cap- tain in 2017, enters his final season having thrown a touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games, the longest ac- tive streak in the Football Bowl Sub- division. Scott, also a captain last season, had 33 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss as a junior. A leader on special teams, he finished with eight tackles on kickoffs and one on punt coverage. Penn State also recently announced the members of the team's Leadership Council. The 24-member group, which serves as a voice for the team in the de- cision-making process, will be made up this year of 13 seniors, five juniors, three sophomores and three redshirt freshmen. This year's Leadership Council mem- bers are: seniors Scott, McSorley, Mark Allen, Torrence Brown, Jake Cooper, Koa Farmer, Amani Oruwariye, Charlie Shuman, Johnathan Thomas, DeAndre Thompkins, Kyle Vasey, Jason Vranic and Chasz Wright; juniors Gillikin, Ryan Bates, Juwan Johnson, John Reid and Tommy Stevens; sophomores Tariq Castro-Fields, Will Fries and Michal Menet; and freshmen Sean Clifford, Jonathan Sutherland and C.J. Thorpe. This group is not only charged with leading the team, but the expectation is to also uphold the program's four core values: positive attitude, great work ethic, competitive in everything and a willingness to sacrifice. The Leader- ship Council meets at least twice a month in Franklin's office. ■ Three named captains of 2018 team

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