Penn State Football Position Preview 2018: Running Back

The best Miles Sanders Miles Sanders can be.

Being the guy behind the guy at Penn State is not always a bad thing, unless that guy is Saquon Barkley.

Miles Sanders is out of Barkleys shadow, but finds himself in a precarious situation. No matter how well he plays, he will be compared to the great Saquon.

If this running back unit has any chance of replicating the production from last year, it’s going to start with Sanders.

The one-time highly sought after recruit from Pittsburgh has patiently awaited this opportunity for two seasons. In his freshman and sophomore campaigns, we saw flashes of what Sanders can do, but his work load was limited.

Sanders, who spent two years chasing Barkley, now has another five-star running back nipping at his heels. True freshman Ricky Slade could be the next great tailback for the Nittany Lions, but Sanders won’t be giving up the throne anytime soon.

While Slade will most likely see some action early on in the season thanks to the new redshirt rules, senior Mark Allen will be the guy to step in when Sanders needs a break. Allen is a small back who can slip through holes and break off a big gain. The senior has 65 career carries, and could surpass that total this season alone.

Rounding out the backfield is the disturbingly fast redshirt freshman Journey Brown, and senior Jonathan Thomas who transitioned from linebacker to running back, and could see some short yardage work.

Make no bones about it though, Miles Sanders is the man.

Sanders averaged 6.2 yards per carry on 36 attempts last season. His workload will be much, much larger this year, and that sensational yards per carry number will likely not reach the same peak.

While Sanders doesn’t have Barkleys unique skill set, he does have a stronger offensive line than Barkley had.

The Nittany Lions have 87 combined career starts on their o-line, and that experience will show this season. Connor McGovern, Ryan Bates and Michael Menet will open holes to spring Sanders all season long.

Sanders showed some ability to get the edge and outrun the defense in high school and in some garbage time minutes for Penn State, but when he’s the primary ballcarrier against stiff defenses, that won’t be sustainable. Having a great offensive line should help him immensely.

The running back unit will most likely play some role on special teams as well. It wouldn’t be shocking if Sanders ends up the guy returning kicks, but it may not be wise to have him back there.

Yes, it worked with Barkley, but Sanders isn’t Barkley. And he’s the first person to tell you that.

With Barkley in the rearview and Slade on the horizon, Miles Sanders is in the drivers seat, and all he can do is be the best Miles Sanders he can be. Luckily for Penn State, that will be a darn good football player.