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I know it. You know. Everybody knows it. Saquon Barkley is the best running back in the country.
The world is finally starting to give the sophomore his due credit, as he was named today as a semifinalist for the Doak Walker award, given annually to the nation’s top running back by the PwC SMU Athletic Forum.
Barkley has been nothing short of electric for the eighth-ranked Nittany Lions. He has already surpassed the 1,000-yard barrier, rushing for 1,113 yards on 200 carries in 10 games. He’s averaging 111.3 yards-per-games on a remarkable 5.6 yards-per-carry behind a resurgent Penn State offensive line. Barkley has also found the end zone 15 times on the year, thirteen times on the ground.
The former Whitehall Zephyr is one of ten semifinalists for the award. He joins backs such as LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Florida State’s Dalvin Cook and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey. Three finalists for the award will be named on Tuesday, Nov. 22.