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James Franklin reveals what he told Saquon Barkley after sophomore season
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It’s not too often that someone with the talent level of Saquon Barkley walks through the doors. And with the incredible success the star running back had at Penn State, you’d think James Franklin would want to keep him around as long as possible.
That wasn’t the case, however. On Friday morning while meeting with reporters, the Nittany Lions head coach revealed what he told Barkley after his sophomore season.
Franklin told the star running back to declare for the NFL after his junior season. That’s exactly what Barkley did.
https://twitter.com/audsnyder4/status/1073607131901898757?s=21
Penn State fans may scratch their heads at that statement. Why wouldn’t Franklin try to convince one of the game’s top talents to return for one final season and try to compete for a B1G and national title?
It’s a conundrum coaches across the country face. In the best interest of the player, though, several head coaches will have that discussion with a player. Especially in football, the risk of injury may be too great to jeopardize an already-high draft stock.
Maybe that’s not what fans want to hear, but coaches usually have the best interest of their players in mind. And that’s exactly why Franklin urged Barkley to jump at the NFL at the earliest opportunity.
The decision has worked well for Barkley. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and became the first rookie running back in New York Giants history to hit 1,000 rushing yards.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB