What if Saquon Barkley remained committed to Rutgers?

Before James Franklin even coached a game at Penn State, he got arguably the biggest win during his tenure.

On Sept. 7 2013, Saquon Barkley, who grew up a Rutgers fan, committed to the Scarlet Knights.

Five months later and a month into the Franklin era, the 247Sports composite 4-star running back flipped to the Nittany Lions. Barkley first broke out with 12 carries for 115 yards and a score against Buffalo his freshman year — the rest is history.

But what if Barkley never backed off of his pledge to Rutgers?

Saquon Barkley (26) leaps over the Rutger’s defense inPenn State’s win on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2017.

Brianna Basile

Penn State’s delayed resurgence

During Barkley’s time in Happy Valley, the team came back onto the national stage by going 11-3 with a Big Ten championship in 2016 and 11-2 in 2017. However, without Barkley, it’s likely that resurgence would’ve been delayed as multiple game-changing plays wouldn’t have happened.

For instance, Barkley’s game-winning touchdown run in overtime against Minnesota kicked off a nine-game win streak in 2016. His 37-yard scamper versus Ohio State provided a spark to a lethargic offense before the Nittany Lions pulled off the upset in the second half.

Barkley also had performances like his 358 all-purpose-yard night in a 21-19 win over Iowa in 2017. There’s many more examples of Barkley single-handedly boosting the Nittany Lions’ chances of winning in any given game. If that’s all taken away, perhaps records from 7-5 to 9-3 would’ve happened in 2016 and 2017.

Despite the possibility of worse seasons in both of those years, Penn State had good talent elsewhere. Paired with Franklin’s recruiting, the team could’ve eventually gotten to its 10-win standard. But it likely wouldn’t have a recent conference title to go with it.

Rutgers’ loaded backfield

Early in the 2015 season, former Rutgers beat reporter Ryan Dunleavy tweeted out this message.

#PennState RB Saquon Barkley is a former #RFootball commit. Not sure where he’d fit in this loaded backfield. #CHOPNation

— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) September 20, 2015

While Penn State fans might laugh when reading that, the Scarlet Knights had a solid running back room heading into 2015. Paul James was an All-AAC first-team selection in 2013, and during the 2014 Quick Lane Bowl, Robert Martin and Josh Hicks combined for 302 rushing yards.

Still, the addition of an alpha back in Barkley would’ve raised the ceiling of Rutgers as a whole.

Between 2015-17, the Scarlet Knights lost eight games by 10 points or less, but with Barkley, it’s realistic to believe an improvement from their 10-26 record across those three seasons would’ve happened.

However, Barkley might not have seen his breakout until 2016 if he was with Rutgers.

The trio of James, Martin and Hicks all averaged above five yards per carry and totaled 1,981 yards with 15 touchdowns combined in 2015. Touches in the backfield would’ve been tough to earn, especially early on for a freshman.

The 2016 season saw a drop off in the Scarlet Knights’ running back room production. Just Martin averaged over five yards per carry and the group combined for three touchdowns.

With Barkley, it’s easy to imagine Rutgers’ 2016 room would’ve panned out better, allowing him to break out into the national spotlight. He was always a freak athlete, so he probably still eventually becomes a top-three overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Running back Miles Sanders (24) runs the ball during the football game vs. Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. No. 20 Penn State defeated Wisconsin 22-10.

Zack Gething

New face in Penn State’s running back room

If Barkley was busy in Piscataway, New Jersey, Penn State’s running back room would’ve played out differently.

Veteran Akeel Lynch likely becomes the full-time starter in 2015 with a team-high 678 yards the year prior. Miles Sanders, who rushed for 1,274 yards in his lone season as the starter in 2018, likely sees the starting job in both 2016 and 2017.

However, the most notable change could’ve happened in 2017, as 5-star running back D’Andre Swift, the top player in Pennsylvania, might’ve come to Happy Valley instead of Georgia. He could’ve had a more clear path to playing time in his freshman year, possibly making the Nittany Lions a more appealing team.

Swift would’ve shared the running back touches with Sanders for 2017 and 2018, but then he would’ve had the chance to be the lead back in 2019, which is a similar career path that he had with the Bulldogs.

Of course, if Swift was with Penn State, perhaps 2019 running backs Noah Cain or Devyn Ford wouldn’t have joined the team, creating a domino-like effect in the room. There’s also the chance that Journey Brown doesn’t have his 890-yard, 12-touchdown season in 2019 with Swift in the backfield as well.

While there could’ve been some different faces in the room, the Nittany Lions still likely get strong production from the group, albeit without the All-American level years of Barkley.

What if Saquon Barkley remained committed to Rutgers? | Penn State Football News

Tags: