Penn State running back Saquon Barkley will not go the way of Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey by skipping his team’s bowl game this season.
After his 158-yard, three-touchdown performance in Penn State’s 56-44 win over Nebraska Saturday, Barkley clarified a story that was written about him and said in no uncertain terms that he plans to play in the Nittany Lions’ final two games of the season – next week at Maryland and whatever bowl game they’re invited to.
“There was an article that came out earlier in the season, kind of in the offseason, saying that I probably wouldn't play in the bowl game. I'm pretty sure that's what the article kind of stated, and that is false,” Barkley explained to reporters, some of whom seemed surprised by his revelation.
Saquon Barkley said he’s healthy so he’s playing in the bowl game. pic.twitter.com/ZYh9nkKmoI
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) November 19, 2017
“Media took it the wrong way,” Barkley added of the report. “I said that I would play in the game because I play for my teammates, play for my brothers, but what I was basically saying was I understand why some other players have not played in the bowl game. I'm different from Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey and all those guys. Our situations are different. We're all different people, different players, and our situations are different.”
Barkley went on to say that while he’s healthy right now, he recalls LSU’s Fournette and Stanford’s McCaffrey being “banged up” ahead of their respective teams’ bowl games last season.
He did not say whether his NFL plans make his situation different than those of Fournette and McCaffrey, both of whom opted to forgo their senior years to enter the draft.
Per Land of 10, Barkley has maintained that he’ll make a decision about the NFL after the season, and the junior declined to discuss the topic Saturday.
Said Penn State coach James Franklin on Saturday, “I told Saquon what he should do before the season started. I’m not sharing that with you. It’s between me, him and his family.”