Penn State head coach James Franklin has had the luxury of being set at the running back position over the past few seasons. However, with the departures of Saquon Barkley after the 2017 season, and Miles Sanders after the 2018 season, the Nittany Lions will have some new faces in the backfield this year.
Sanders took over as the lead runner last year and decided to leave school early after a productive season. His departure opens the door for last year’s backup, Ricky Slade.
Slade, a five-star recruit and the best running back in the 2018 recruiting class, should enter 2019 as the de facto starter.