Former Penn State football running back Saquon Barkley was No. 86 on the NFL Top 100 in 2024. After an MVP-esque performance last season, he skyrocketed all the way to No. 1 ahead of the 2025 season.
Around the league, players tabbed Barkely as the top player this season, including fellow former Nittany Lion Micah Parsons.
"I knew what he could do behind the O-line, like the Eagles' caliber" Parsons said. "And you kind of see the vast difference when you got a good running back behind a good O-line."
Bijan Robinson, Justin Jefferson, Pat Surtain II, Lane Johnson, and Brock Purdy were other players who put the Philadelphia running back in the No. 1 spot.
"It feels amazing to see that video and be selected No. 1 from my peers just makes it so much better," Barkley said. "And to be honest, watching this show for a very long time, you know, you always want to be No. 1 or really high. You get love and appreciation from fans and the outside world, but when it's from your peers, it [genuinely] means so much more."
Saquon Barkley tops NFL 100 List at No. 1 ahead of 2025 season
In 2024, Barkley eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards in Week 17 and became the ninth running back in NFL history to do so. He led the league in the regular season in rushing yards and carries with 345. He tallied 13 touchdowns, which was good for eighth last season.
"I was all focused on preparation and the little things and letting everything come to me," Barkely said. "And I kind of went back to my old-school ways when I was in college and just trying to make stuff happen."
Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Barkely spun around the defenders in hopes to get the first down. When he went to the move again, he realized it wasn't going to work. Instinctively, he jumped up and landed a backwards hurdle to move the chains.
"Me and Lane [Johnson] literally running down the field side by side on each other and . . . in the middle of the play, we're just like 'Wow,'" Jaguar Travon Walker said. "Obviously, I'm still trying to finish the play, but it was just a moment of 'Wow.'"
It was the play that was awarded "Best Play" at the ESPYS and was Eagles teammate and cornerback Cooper DeJean's greatest moment he's ever witnessed.
"He probably is the best football player I've ever watched live in person," DeJean said. "I'm glad I don't have to go up against him."
For Barkley, it was his touchdown run in the snow against the Rams in the NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs.
"[Barkley] is doing what people like myself dream of doing," Los Angeles running back Kyren Williams said. "He's just creating those new narratives that running backs are just as important as any other position."
On first-and-10, Barkely found a seam and took off, avoiding a tackle and taking it past the 50-yard line and all the way into the end zone. The 78-yard touchdown put Philadelphia up two scores on the Rams with under five minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
"That moment, I felt like it all kind of came together," Barkely said. "I was slapping my head on the helmet. [It's] one of my favorite clips from film. I've been watching it for a long time."
No. 1: @Eagles RB Saquon Barkley pic.twitter.com/eOduXSjLyo
— NFL (@NFL) September 2, 2025
What players around the NFL had to say about Saquon Barkley
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy: "If I was like a little kid watching the NFL and I saw [Barkley] making plays and stuff, like the way that he does: how fast he is, the jumps the 360 hurdles, like, dude, it's pretty fun to watch. So, I mean, all those things put together, you got him."
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson: "You can tell the fire that he's playing with, especially coming from New York and now being in Philly. He's playing with a whole different attitude. I love seeing him out there. It seems like he's really enjoying it. He's a baller."
Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney: "You need all 11 to be able to tackle him. And if you give him a slight bit of opportunity, space, room, he's going to take advantage of it."
Barkley posted an additional 91 carries for 499 yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. His 78-yard snow score was his longest in the postseason, just six yards more than his regular season high.
"The cool thing about it, you have all these accolades and you reach the top of the mountain, but the story is not over," Barkely said. "So, I got to go back and try to do it all over again. Hopefully get me another one of those trophies."