Our best Saquon Barkley stories — and his best performances — from his time at Penn State

Saquon Barkley was a legend before he even stepped on an NFL field.

His three-year career at Penn State cemented him as one of the best running backs in school history, leading the Nittany Lions to a Big Ten Championship in 2016 and finishing his career with school records for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and all-purpose yards.

Now that Barkley, who attended Whitehall High School outside of Allentown, is making his return to Pennsylvania after signing with the Eagles, let’s take a look back at his Penn State career and some of the best coverage from The Inquirer.

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Before racking up over 5,200 rushing yards, another 2,100 receiving yards, and 47 total touchdowns in six seasons with the New York Giants, Barkley posted eye-popping numbers at Penn State.

Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of his college stats.

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Barkley’s breakout performance came in a 28-3 win over Rutgers in 2015, his true freshman season. He’d put himself on the map with 115 yards on 12 carries against Buffalo the week prior, but his 195-yard, two-touchdown performance against Rutgers, the school he originally committed to, cemented him as a force in the Penn State backfield. Here’s The Inquirer’s story from that game — as well as some highlights.

In a 42-39 loss to Pitt in 2016, Barkley scored a jaw-dropping five touchdowns, four on the ground and one through the air. But despite that individual success, Barkley was focused on his third-quarter fumble, showing his growth as a player and his maturity.

Perhaps Barkley’s best game in a Penn State uniform came in the 2017 Rose Bowl. His 79-yard touchdown run to open the third quarter and give Penn State a lead was the defining moment in a three-touchdown, 249-all-purpose-yard effort. Despite the eventual 52-49 loss, that Rose Bowl is still one of the best games by a Nittany Lion in recent memory.

Barkley set his college career-high in rushing yards against Iowa in 2017 with 211, and 358 all-purpose yards between kick returns and receptions. Here’s a look inside the human highlight reel’s electric game from The Inquirer.

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It’s not just the thrilling moments on the field that make Barkley special. Erin McCarthy talked to the then-Giant about his experience becoming a father his final year at Penn State for The Inquirer.

In 2017, Frank Fitzpatrick chronicled Barkley’s journey prior to Penn State, from his early life in Bethlehem, Pa. to becoming a top recruit at Whitehall High School.

After Penn State’s victory over Michigan in 2017, Mike Jensen wrote about Barkley’s transcendence as a player — making his case for the Heisman Trophy which ultimately went to Baker Mayfield.

The Eagles are certainly hoping Barkley can bring the special playmaking ability he showed at Penn State back to Pennsylvania over the next three years.

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