Running back coach Charles Huff spent more than 30 minutes on a conference call with local reporters Thursday, and as one might expect, a few of the questions centered on Saquon Barkley, Penn State's freshman who has run for 310 yards and three touchdowns in the past two games.
Huff talked at length about what has allowed Barkley to find success early in his college career and he wanted to be clear that what Barkley brings to the table isn't typical of a true freshman. But he also wanted to make something else clear: "He still has a ways to go," Huff said.
Here's more of what Huff had to say about Barkley:
"He’s only been here four months, but one of the things about him is he's a very inquisitive young man," said Huff. "He has a knack for wanting to know everything. Whatever you tell him, he remembers. If you tell him something on day one, he remembers you saying that.
"Before he even (signed), he used to come up here and watch practice, or if he'd call us after a game, he’d ask questions about, Why are you guys doing this? Or what was that play? Or what was the footwork on that play? Or what was the read on that play? So, in his mind, he was already trying to absorb as much information as he could. When he got on campus here, he wanted to meet with Hackenberg. He wanted to sit down with Akeel. He wanted to look at film from last year with those guys. He wanted to do all those things on his own, so that when we were able to get with him, he was kind of a step ahead.
"If Akeel is doing something, he is watching him. If Mark is doing something, he's watching and asking questions. He's done a very good job of picking up the system. We run an NFL-style stysem, so there is a lot of verbiage – a lot of checks and balances. If this, then this. He’s done a great job with that.
"I talk to him all the time. It’s like being a student. Year one is a little bit more difficult than year two. Year two, you understand a little bit more, and he’s already getting deeper and deeper into the playbook. With his understanding there’s a tremendous difference from the first day of practice until now, but he’s still got a ways to go. One thing about him is that he doesn’t think he knows it all already. He’s already checking, 'Hey coach, this is what we do. Right?' Just making sure."
Huff talked at length about what has allowed Barkley to find success early in his college career and he wanted to be clear that what Barkley brings to the table isn't typical of a true freshman. But he also wanted to make something else clear: "He still has a ways to go," Huff said.
Here's more of what Huff had to say about Barkley:
"He’s only been here four months, but one of the things about him is he's a very inquisitive young man," said Huff. "He has a knack for wanting to know everything. Whatever you tell him, he remembers. If you tell him something on day one, he remembers you saying that.
"Before he even (signed), he used to come up here and watch practice, or if he'd call us after a game, he’d ask questions about, Why are you guys doing this? Or what was that play? Or what was the footwork on that play? Or what was the read on that play? So, in his mind, he was already trying to absorb as much information as he could. When he got on campus here, he wanted to meet with Hackenberg. He wanted to sit down with Akeel. He wanted to look at film from last year with those guys. He wanted to do all those things on his own, so that when we were able to get with him, he was kind of a step ahead.
"If Akeel is doing something, he is watching him. If Mark is doing something, he's watching and asking questions. He's done a very good job of picking up the system. We run an NFL-style stysem, so there is a lot of verbiage – a lot of checks and balances. If this, then this. He’s done a great job with that.
"I talk to him all the time. It’s like being a student. Year one is a little bit more difficult than year two. Year two, you understand a little bit more, and he’s already getting deeper and deeper into the playbook. With his understanding there’s a tremendous difference from the first day of practice until now, but he’s still got a ways to go. One thing about him is that he doesn’t think he knows it all already. He’s already checking, 'Hey coach, this is what we do. Right?' Just making sure."
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