After arriving in 2015, Barkley made a huge impact for the Nittany Lions, even as a freshman. During his first game, he only rushed for one yard on one carry, but it didn’t take long for Barkley to give the college football world a rude awakening. In just his second game he rushed for 115 yards with a touchdown and followed up that performance by rushing for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries in his third game.
He missed two weeks due to an injury but in his first game back Barkley rushed for 194 yards on 26 carries against #1 Ohio State. Through 11 games, he totaled 182 carries for 1076 yards (most by a freshman in Penn State history) and 7 touchdowns. He also brought in 20 receptions for 161 yards and 1 touchdown. Although it was a disappointing 7-6 season, the future looked promising for Saquon.
Barkley continued his dominance as a sophomore, setting program records and single-handedly winning games for the Nittany Lions. In 14 games he totaled 272 carries for 1496 yards and 18 touchdowns, five of them coming against Pitt. He also hauled in 28 receptions for 402 yards and 4 touchdowns.
After winning the B1G Championship and playing in the Rose Bowl, Barkley was named a semi-finalist for the Maxwell Award and was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Ameche–Dayne Running Back of the Year, and First Team All-Big Ten.
Barkley was now considered to be one of if not the best running back in college football and he finished out his college campaign in style. In 13 games he rushed 217 times for 1271 yards and 18 touchdowns while grabbing 54 receptions for 632 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Barkley finished 4th in Heisman voting that season and then declared for the 2018 NFL Draft as one of the top prospects available. As we take a look back on his college career here are some of his many accomplishments and records:
Fiesta Bowl Champion – 2017
Paul Hornung Award – 2017
Consensus All-American – 2017
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year – 2016, 2017
Big Ten Running Back of the Year – 2016, 2017
Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year – 2017
Big Ten Champion – 2016
Most Career Rushing Touchdowns – 43
Most Rushing Yards by a Freshman – 1,076 yards
Most Rushing Yards by a Sophomore – 1,496 yards
Most Total Yards in a Single Game – 358 yards (vs. Iowa)
First Player to Score a Kickoff Return and Passing Touchdown in the Same Game
Jahan Dotson’s career as a Nittany Lion went much differently. In his first year, 2018, Dotson played in eight games and totaled 13 receptions for 203 yards. Nobody thought much of him after his freshman season but it didn’t take long into his sophomore year for people to see this kid’s potential.
In just the second game of the 2019 season against Buffalo, Jahan put up some crazy numbers. On just four receptions he totaled 109 yards and two touchdowns. Dotson continued to put up some solid performances throughout the season and finished with 27 receptions for 488 yards and 5 touchdowns.
The expectations only continued to grow heading into the 2020 season as Penn States’ star wide receiver, KJ Hamler, left for the NFL. Dotson recorded five games with over 100 yards receiving that season and even put up 189 yards and two touchdowns against Illinois as well as 143 yards and 3 touchdowns against third-ranked Ohio State, which included a ridiculous one-hand snag.
Many thought that Dotson could declare for the draft at this point in his career, but he decided to return for his senior season. This was probably one of the best decisions that he could have made as he then solidified himself as one of the best receivers in the country.
In his senior season, Dotson caught 91 passes for 1182 yards, 12 receiving touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown in 12 games. His best game of the season was an 11-reception, 242-yard, and three-touchdown performance against Maryland. At this point, Dotson was predicted to be a first-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft. Some of his awards and honors included:
Biletnikoff Award Semifinalist – 2021
First-Team All-Big Ten – 2021
Cotton Bowl Champion – 2019
183 career receptions – #2 in program history
2,757 receiving yards – #4 in program history
91 receptions, 1,182 receiving yards, and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2021 are all the second-most ever by a Nittany Lion in a single season. Keep in mind the great receivers who have come through Penn State, such as Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin.
Stay tuned for Part 3!
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