James Franklin couldn’t help but smile as Ryan Barker jogged to the sidelines. Barker had just converted Penn State’s first field-goal attempt in nearly a month. It was, to say the least, a glimmer of hope for a team that had long searched for consistency from Sander Sahaydak. And with Sahaydak benched, Barker made two field goals, one from 40 yards, against UCLA.
Barker, a walk-on from Landenberg in southeastern Pennsylvania, has skyrocketed up the depth chart in his just his second collegiate season. He now has the opportunity to present himself as the Nittany Lions’ clear leading placekicker in a year with unique possibilities. Barker could ultimately play one of Penn State’s most important roles in close games that could dictate the team’s fate.
Franklin is confident that Barker’s up for the challenge.
“I think the thing that I’ve been most impressed with him is just how steady and level he is. He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low,” Franklin said on Monday. “He’s got a very mature kind of way about him. I’ve been very impressed with him. Very, very consistent.”
Barker had for months been mentioned as a potential successor to last year’s starter, Alex Felkins. But as the lone non-scholarship player in a three-man competition with Sahaydak and Tulsa transfer Chase Meyer, Barker appeared to be the odd man out at the start of spring practice. But he just kept making field goals.
By the end of the spring, Barker was the leader in the competition, Franklin said. But Sahaydak, a scholarship player with more game and practice experience, gradually “overtook” Barker and earned the starting role out of camp for a second consecutive season. And now, much like last season, Sahaydak has lost the job again.
Sahaydak twice won a preseason competition, but never found a flow in games. His career field goal mark sits at 3-for-9, a statistic that likely shows how difficult it can be to make the next attempt after previous misses. With a clean slate and two made field goals under his belt already, Barker could be exactly the type of player Penn State has searched for.
“I think the big thing, as we all know that’s important in every position, but maybe even more at that position, is how quickly can you flush it and bounce back?” Franklin said. … “That ability to flush the last play, good or bad, and move on to the next one is really important. And I think from what I’ve seen from him, he does a very good job.”
Barker’s 6-foot-2, 192-pound frame always impressed Franklin from the moment the two met. Franklin felt Barker had potential to increase his kicking power based on his natural build. But, Franklin said, before Barker arrived prior to last season, he “didn’t know what we were totally getting.”
After two camps and two made field goals against the Bruins last weekend, Barker has already shown in a small dose what he’s capable of. Barker has already wowed the coaching staff in practices, but so did Sahaydak. His job isn’t truly secure until he becomes a consistently reliable option on fourth downs. Franklin can only hope that’s what Barker has in store.
“You have the statistics to say, ‘OK, you made 91% of your kicks in practice. OK, fine.’ But the thing with him is it’s almost like a machine, like a JUGS Machine or something. Like, a large percentage of his kicks are right down the middle,” Franklin said. “So, it’s not just the ones that he’s making. It’s the accuracy of how he makes his kicks too.”
