WATCH: Throwback JV mixtape of Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley which got him his first D1 offer in high school

By Viraj Mali

Modified Oct 21, 2024 21:22 GMT

The Philadelphia Eagles' star running back, Saquon Barkley, has been one of the best players at his position since his rookie season in the league. He made a name for himself in New York and is now an integral part of a very good Eagles team this season.

Barkley's always had special skills as he received his first D1 offer based entirely on his JV mixtape. MaxPreps shared a video of Barkley's JV highlights on its Instagram account. The tape was filled with trademark Barkley jukes and Houdini acts to score touchdowns and rack up yards all over the field.

"Saquon Barkley received an offer from Rutgers as a sophomore off of his JV tape," read the caption of the video.

Barkley received offers from top D1 programs such as Rutgers, Missouri, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Syracuse, Temple and Pittsburgh. However, the 6-foot running back chose to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions. He played three seasons with Penn State and led them to a Fiesta Bowl victory in 2017.

Saquon Barkley was a four-star recruit back in high school and was ranked no.77 in the country. He was the sixth-best running back in his class and was the best overall prospect from the state of Pennsylvania, as per 247Sports.

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How good was Saquon Barkley in High School?

Saquon Barkley played high school football at Whitehall High School in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. The 6-foot-0 running back had a great career at Whitehall, where he was a multi-sport athlete.

Barkley also played basketball and ran track during his three years at Whitehall. Barkley rushed for 3,646 yards and 63 touchdowns from his sophomore year to his senior year. He had a terrific senior year, recording 1,856 yards and 31 touchdowns.

As a track athlete, Barkley won Eastern Pennsylvania Conference gold medals in 100-meter and long jump. The then four-star recruit ran an impressive 11.15 100-meter das and recorded a jump of 6.77 during the event.

Barkley became the third Whitehall alum to get his jersey retired by the high school in 2021. He joined former NFL players Matt Millen and Dan Koppen on the list of players to have their jerseys retired by the Pennsylvania-based high school.

Barkley was selected second overall in the 2018 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award in his first season in the league.