20 college football players who should be highly paid in 2017

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Sam Darnold No. 14 of the USC Trojans looks to pass the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 02: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions runs with the ball against the USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

15. Saquon Barkley, RB Penn State

Even with the devaluation of running backs at all levels of football, Barkley is a special enough talent to earn a big contract.

A Pennsylvania native, Barkley committed to Penn State nearly a year ahead of his signing day as a four-star recruit in the class of 2015. Ranked just inside the top 15 among running back prospects, Barkley quickly exceeded expectations and is already the nation’s top running back heading into his upperclassmen years.

After serving as a backup for nearly the first two months of his freshman season, Barkley earned his first career start in late October against Maryland and finished with an impressive 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns. Barkley took it to the next level in 2016, racking up 272 carries for 1,496 yards and 18 touchdowns to lead the surprising Nittany Lions all the way to the Rose Bowl.

Many got to see Barkley’s full abilities on display in the Granddaddy of Them All, as he torched the Trojans for 249 totals yards and three touchdowns. Defenders have almost no shot once Barkley gets into the open field, as his vision and quickness are among the best in recent memory.

If Penn State is going to carry momentum over from its torrid 2016 finish, Barkley will need to be a productive workhorse once again. Barkley would be the highest-paid running back in college football, so a $12 million salary to match the NFL’s top earning back in Le’Veon Bell would make sense.

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