STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Saquon Barkley will need a few more shelves to display all his hardware this award season.
For the second straight year, Barkley was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year and the conference's Running Back of the Year. He also added a new award, picking up the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year honor -- Barkley returned two kicks for touchdowns this season.
It's part of an impressive trifecta of awards for the versatile back and Barkley is just the second player in Big Ten history to win three major awards, joining Jabrill Peppers who did so in 2016 when the Michigan standout took home awards for Defensive Player of the Year, Linebacker of the Year and Return Specialist of the Year. Barkley is the first back-to-back winner of the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Year award since Ohio State’s Braxton Miller repeated in 2012 and 2013.
The award circuit is far from finished for Barkley, who is also a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, Maxwell Award, Doak Walker Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Barkley is slated to be among the honorees in Atlanta on December 6 and 7 for the Home Depot College Football Awards show that airs from 7-9 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 7. In all likelihood, Barkley will go from Atlanta to New York City for the next round of red carpets and awards, with Heisman weekend kicking off on Friday, Dec. 8.
The Heisman finalists will be announced Monday, so expect Barkley to get a nod to New York, and while his numbers dropped off mid-way through the season and Baker Mayfield is expected to win, Barkley should still have done enough to get there. With an award that's been swayed toward quarterbacks and their eye-popping numbers, Barkley's impact on every game -- as evidenced by teams loading the box to try and stop him and then kicking the ball short to take it out of his hands -- should speak to the impact he still had despite his numbers dipping.
Potentially getting an invitation to New York is something Barkley was asked about after the Nittany Lions' 66-3 win at Maryland last Saturday.
“If I got invited to New York for the ceremony, that would be special,” Barkley said. “I would be representing Penn State, I’d be representing my family and also representing myself. Obviously, that’s something when you’re a little kid and watch college football you dream about being in that situation like that. … It would be special to get invited, but if I didn’t get invited, it’s not going to hurt my feelings or I’m not going to be down or sad about it.”
Here's the complete rundown of Big Ten awards:
• Dungy-Thompson Humanitarian Award: Chad Greenway, Iowa
• Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award: Troy Vincent, Wisconsin
• Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
• Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year: Josey Jewell, Iowa
• Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year: Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
• Hayes-Schembechler Coach of the Year (coaches vote): Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
• Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote): Paul Chryst, Wisconsin
• Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year: J.T. Barrett, Ohio State
• Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year: DJ Moore, Maryland
• Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year: Saquon Barkley, Penn State
• Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Troy Fumagalli, Wisconsin
• Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Billy Price, Ohio State
• Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year: Nick Bosa, Ohio State
• Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year: Josey Jewell, Iowa
• Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year: Josh Jackson, Iowa
• Bakken-Andersen Kicker of the Year: Griffin Oakes, Indiana
• Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Ryan Anderson, Rutgers
• Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year: Saquon Barkley, Penn State