He may have been snubbed in the eyes of some when it came to the Heisman Trophy voting, but Saquon Barkley will still be taking home at least one piece of national hardware this awards season.
It was announced Wednesday morning that the Penn State running back has become the second straight player from the Big Ten to win the Paul Hornung Award. Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers was the winner of the 2016 award.
There were three other finalists for this year’s award -- North Carolina State running back Nyheim Hines, Iowa State linebacker/quarterback Joel Lanning and Washington wide receiver Dante Pettis.
It's official - @PennStateFball 's @saquonb21 wins the #2017PHA. pic.twitter.com/uAtLPG33L3
— Paul Hornung Award (@hornungaward) December 6, 2017
“It is an honor to win an award like the Paul Hornung Award for the most versatile player in college football,” Barkley said in a statement. “I am so appreciative of Mr. Hornung and the Louisville Sports Commission for selecting me for this very special honor. I have to give a lot of the credit to my teammates and coaches, they are the reason that I am in position to win this award and I could not have done it without them. I also want to thank our amazing fans at Penn State. We Are!”
“I am thrilled for Saquon to join this elite list of Paul Hornung Award winners,” said Barkley’s head coach, James Franklin. “I couldn’t be more proud of Saquon and everything he has accomplished at Penn State. In my 22 years of coaching, I have never coached or seen a player who can affect the game the way Saquon Barkley does. The Hornung Award is not only honoring the most versatile player in college football, but is also recognizing one of the best people in college football.”
Barkley, who’s expected to leave Penn State early for the NFL, is currently second in the country in all-purpose yards. Not only does Barkley lead the Nittany Lions in rushing, but he’s third in both receptions and receiving yards and is the team’s top kick returner.