Bill O’Brien reflects on Saquon Barkley recruitment, says he’s ‘proud’ to be associated with the RB

Bill O’Brien has watched Saquon Barkley from afar, and like most people who see the Heisman Trophy front-runner do his thing, the former Penn State coach is impressed.

“Man, that guy’s a special player,” O’Brien said on Adam Schefter’s ESPN podcast. “He’s exciting to watch, and it seems like he’s an even better kid.”

O’Brien — who left Happy Valley for the Houston Texans after keeping the program afloat in 2012 and 2013 — actually recruited Barkley before James Franklin took over.

A month after O’Brien departed for the NFL, Barkley verbally committed to the Nittany Lions in February 2014. But it’s well-documented that Barkley, a former Rutgers commit, visited Penn State in 2013 for its four-overtime White Out win over Michigan.

“He came to that game and basically said at that time, ‘Hey, I’m coming to Penn State.’ I went to Houston, and James came in — and has done a great job there — and he officially committed to James,” O’Brien said. “I remember meeting him, and I remember him as a guy who’d look you right in the eye and (was) a very solid guy. I don’t think anyone ever knew the type of player he’d be relative to the level he’s at.”

O’Brien actually never saw Barkley play in-person. But watching “grainy high school film,” Joe Paterno’s full-time successor saw the running back “jumping over people” with a combination of balance and speed. “He wasn’t nearly as big as he is now or as strong as he is now,” O’Brien added. “But you could see a dominant player at that level.”

Now, Barkley’s an early first-round prospect. At least, that’s according to NFL draft analysts and even O’Brien himself.

“I think you’re going to have to go way up to get him, I know that,” O’Brien said with a chuckle. “He’s a top draft pick.”

The Texans coach likely won’t be in position to draft Barkley. Houston is 3-3 and in the thick of a divisional race.

But when asked by Schefter what O’Brien would say to Barkley if their paths cross at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, the old Penn State coach was thoughtful and honest as always.

“I would tell him right off the bat how proud I am to be associated in some way with him,” O’Brien said. “I saw him interviewed prior to last week’s game, and what a great kid. A very humble kid. Give his parents a lot of credit. I know a couple guys from Whitehall with Matt Millen and Danny Koppen who speak so highly of him. They love him in that town, and he seems like the type of guy who never forgets where he came from and he’s never going to.

“I would just tell him how proud I am of him and good luck.”

This story was originally published October 25, 2017 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Bill O’Brien reflects on Saquon Barkley recruitment, says he’s ‘proud’ to be associated with the RB."