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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - SEPTEMBER 30: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions leaves the field after the game against the Indiana Hoosiers on September 30, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. Penn State defeats Indiana 45-14. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We released our bracket of best Penn State players from the James Franklin era yesterday, and today we’ll start the voting with the Saquon Barkley region. You can vote on a Google Form at the bottom of this page.
1/16: SAQUON BARKLEY VS. SAM FICKEN
1. Saquon Barkley
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What can be said or argued about Saquon Barkley that already isn’t known? One of the most dominant running backs not just at Penn State during the 21st Century, but really in all of college football. He could win by dancing like Barry Sanders or bowling a defender over like Adrian Peterson. Truly one of a kind and he has all the accolades to show for it.
16. Sam Ficken
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The UVA 2012 game will always stick out for Sam Ficken, but fortunately for him, he didn’t let those four missed field goals ruin the rest of his career. He went onto to make 52 of his next 68 kicks, good for a 76.4% clip and good enough to earn second-team All-B1G honors in 2014.
8/9: SHAREEF MILLER VS. SEAN CLIFFORD
8. Shareef Miller
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After a redshirt season in 2015, Shareef Miller stepped into a rotational role in 2016 and then a starting spot in 2017 and 2018. While he never put together a first-team All-B1G season, Miller was extremely solid both as a pass rusher and run defender. 12.5 sacks and 26 TFLs over his final two seasons is proof of just how productive he was.
9. Sean Clifford
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Sean Clifford’s was a lighting rod at times during his Penn State tenure, even getting benched for Will Levis at one point during the 2020 season. But Clifford earned his job back, and proved to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in Penn State’s history. 10,000+ passing yards, 86 passing touchdowns, and a Rose Bowl victory in his final game is quite the resume.
4/13: KJ HAMLER VS. JOHN REID
4. KJ Hamler
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Perhaps outside of Saquon Barkley, was there a more electric offensive player at Penn State since 2014 than KJ Hamler? The “speedy freshman” bursted onto the scene after a redshirt season in 2017, showcasing elite big play ability whenever he got his hands on the football.
13. John Reid
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There weren’t many players more consistent than John Reid. He got thrusted into action right away as a true freshman and performed well, and that continued throughout his career as the stats above show. Also, did you know he built a computer?
5/12: MIKE HULL VS. ZANE DURANT
5. Mike Hull
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So Sports-Reference has Mike Hull mistakenly named “Ethan Hull” for his 2011 and 2012 seasons, so add on 76 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 4 sacks to Hull’s career stats. His 294 career tackles is good for 7th all-time in Penn State history. But really, look at that 2014 season because that’s what got Hull a 5 seed. 140 tackles and 10 TFLs is a super exclusive club, with Dan Connor the last Nittany Lion to do it besides Hull.
12. Zane Durant
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Zane Durant had an interesting career at Penn State. I think many of us expected a bigger jump in 2025, though that didn’t happen for a myriad of reasons. Still, Durant was a key contributor at defensive tackle for 3 seasons during some of the best Nittany Lion defenses of the James Franklin era. 10 sacks and 22 TFLs is nothing to scoff at for an interior lineman.
6/11: ARNOLD EBIKETIE VS. BRENTON STRANGE
6. Arnold Ebiketie
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Arnold Ebiketie came to Penn State from Temple and quickly established himself as one of the best defensive ends in the country in 2021. He had at least one TFL in every game in 2021 except for the Auburn game, and had memorable performances against No. 3 Iowa (3.5 TFLs) and No. 6 Michigan (2 sacks). If he was at Penn State longer, he’d undoubtedly be higher on this list.
11. Brenton Strange
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Brentong Strange might get forgotten about because he came between Pat Freiermuth and Tyler Warren, but Strange was one of the most complete tight ends in the country in 2022. A versatile blocker who was a unique weapon in the red zone, Strange was a worthy stalwart for Tight End U.
3/14: AUSTIN JOHNSON VS. ZAKEE WHEATLEY
3. Austin Johnson
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Man, was Austin Johnson great or what? 6-foot-4, 323-pound 1-tech who ate up blocks and made everyone else’s lives easier in 2013 and 2014, and then he somehow became the game-wrecker in 2015 with a 6.5 sack, 15 TFL season. Just one of the best all-around players that Penn State has ever had.
14. Zakee Wheatley
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What a career for Zakee Wheatley, who kind of had a throwback career of sorts. Redshirts his first season, plays a rotational backup role for the next two seasons, and then starts his final two seasons. He was just a dude who got better every season he played, and he might have the record most games played as a Nittany Lion with 58.
7/10: DANI DENNIS-SUTTON VS. CAEDAN WALLACE
7. Dani Dennis-Sutton
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Like Zane Durant, I think there was a hope that Dani Dennis-Sutton would take his game to another level in 2025, and while that didn’t happen, DDS was still a very, very good player. Back-to-back 8.5-sack seasons — to go along with a dozen or so TFLs — doesn’t happen without being a damn good football player. Plus, not listed here was DDS’s 7 forced fumbles the last 3 seasons.
10. Caedan Wallace
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No real stats for offensive lineman to show, but Caedan Wallace was a stalwart on Penn State’s offensive line. He started 40 games across four seasons at right tackle, and was someone who got better and better as his career went along.
2/15: OLU FASHANU VS. SHAKA TONEY
2. Olu Fashanu
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Along with Saquon Barkley, Carl Nassib, and Abdul Carter, Olu Fashanu is one of four consensus All-Americans at Penn State during the James Franklin tenure. So although he only started 21 games due to some injuries in 2022, Fashanu was a dominant left tackle.
15. Shaka Toney
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I won’t lie, before I started research for this I wouldn’t have thought that Shaka Toney had 20+ sacks and 30+ TFLs. The dude was just productive when he got onto the field, and even got first-team All-B1G honors in the weird 2020 season. Perhaps this is a case of underseeding, but more than anything, I think this showcases just how many good players came through here since 2014.
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