Penn State football: 5 questions the Nittany Lions must answer in 2020

3. How good will Brown be as a junior?

Over the few years prior to the 2019 season, Penn State football produced some undeniable stars at running back. Saquon Barkley came first and he was followed by Miles Sanders. Those guys left some big shoes for the ultra-athletic Journey Brown to fill last year. And while it looked like he might struggle to do so early on in the campaign, he most certainly came around.

All told, Brown ended last year with 129 carriers for 890 yards and 12 touchdowns, all of which were first on the team. However, he really became a star at the end of the season when he emerged with four 100-yard outings over the final five games of the season. His most dominant effort came as he stomped all over Memphis with 202 rushing yards.

Brown is an elite physical talent with blazing speed that can make guys miss and then run past them in a flash. The issue early in the season, though, was that he was more sprinter than a football player. However, that seemed to change the deeper into the season that he got, which should bode quite well for him as he comes into his junior season.

Rising sophomore Noah Cain (84 carries, 443 yards, eight touchdowns in 2019) will play a role in the rushing attack — but Brown is the main guy in the backfield. The question is if he can emerge as the next wholly dominant player at the position in Happy Valley by shouldering a bigger load and performing like he did at the end of last year.