Top 10 Saquon Barkley performances from Penn State to the Giants

Saquon Barkley’s record-setting career at Penn State produced dozens of epic moments. He helped the Nittany Lions win their first and only Big Ten championship game under James Franklin and pull off an upset of No. 2 Ohio State in 2016.

Barkley was drafted No. 2 overall by the Giants and went on to be NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2018. Now, he’s an Eagle after agreeing to a three-year, $37.75 million deal on Monday.

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Let’s take a look back at the 10 best performances:

This was only an 11-yard catch, but the hurdle over the Iowa defender is so emblematic of Barkley’s unreal athleticism. It had to make the list. Barkley racked up 358 all-purpose yards in this 2017 game.

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Just two plays into the game vs. Michigan in 2017, Barkley made one great cut and ripped off a 69-yard run into the end zone, untouched.

This isn’t Barkley’s most memorable game-opening kick return (we’ll get to that in a bit), but the 98-yard return against Indiana in 2017 showed off his crazy speed as he beats out the entire Hoosiers kickoff unit for a touchdown.

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There is no Big Ten championship without this overtime win over Minnesota in 2016. On Penn State’s first play from scrimmage in OT, Barkley broke a few tackles and ripped off a 25-yard touchdown run for the win, one of the first building blocks of what became a special Penn State season.

Barkley scored a career-high three touchdowns on 152 scrimmage yards in a 38-35 win over Tampa Bay in 2018, cementing his case for offensive rookie of the year and as one of the biggest threats at running back in the NFL.

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Penn State overcame a 21-point deficit to beat Wisconsin in 2016, taking the lead in the fourth quarter on this Barkley touchdown. He burned T.J. Watt on the wheel route for his second touchdown of the game.

Barkley put up 279 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns to deliver the rivalry victory over Washington with the Giants in 2019.

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Barkley opted in to play in his final bowl game at Penn State in 2017, a rarity in today’s game, and he absolutely torched Washington’s defense for a 92-yard run, the longest in Penn State bowl history and in Fiesta Bowl history.

No. 2 Penn State vs. No. 6 Ohio State at the Shoe in 2017. One of the biggest games of Barkley’s Penn State career, and he jumps right out of the gate with a 97-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff. The Nittany Lions didn’t end up making it two wins in a row vs. the Buckeyes, but for a moment, Barkley made it feel possible.

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The quintessential Saquon Barkley play. Barkley showed off his speed, his elusiveness, and his vision in this third-quarter touchdown in the 2017 Rose Bowl.