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MMQB: Who Was the Last Freshman as Impressive as Saquon Barkley Has Been?

Let's keep talking about Barkley because he's awesome.

Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Saquon Barkley has been a wrecking ball in his first three games as a Nittany Lion. Against Buffalo, he averaged 9.6 yards per carry while rushing for 115 yards and 1 touchdown. Against Rutgers, he averaged 9.3 yards per carry while rushing for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. If math means anything at all, he will rush for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns against San Diego State.

Barkley's incredibly impressive debut has led to lots of comparisons to other great Penn State running backs, and has turned more than a few heads across the country. He's shown that he can be successful in open space, and between the tackles. He (along with Akeel Lynch) has been a spark plug for the offense.

Barkley's performance as a true freshman has led us at Black Shoe Diaries to question who was the last true freshman football player to be as impressive as Saquon Barkley has been thus far?