The College Career of Miles Sanders: A Retrospective
Miles Adam Sanders, born on May 1, 1997, nicknamed "Boobie Miles", is an American professional football running back and kickoff returner. Before his successful NFL career, Sanders made a name for himself as a standout player in college. This article delves into his college career, highlighting his achievements, statistics, and contributions to his team.
Early Years and High School Career
Miles Sanders grew up in Swissvale, a borough near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Woodland Hills High School, where he quickly became a prominent figure in the school's football program. Sanders was a three-year starter at running back. Sanders showcased his exceptional talent, accumulating impressive statistics and earning numerous accolades.
Sanders helped lead Woodland Hills to 39 victories during his career, finishing a stellar career at Woodland Hills with 4,573 yards on 508 carries and 59 touchdowns. A four-year starter, he ranks fifth in WPIAL Class AAAA history with 4,573 rushing yards. In 2015, he was named a team captain. That same year, he helped lead the Wolverines to an 11-1 mark and a WPIAL runner-up finish to eventual PIAA AAAA State Champion Pittsburgh Central Catholic.
During his high school career, Sanders rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. As a senior in 2015, he tallied 1,523 yards and 16 touchdowns while averaging 11.2 yards per carry. As a junior, he tallied 1,132 yards on just 97 carries and scored 18 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2013, he rushed for 1,064 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. As a freshman in 2012, he scored 12 touchdowns and rushed for 641 yards.
Sanders' outstanding performance in high school led to him being highly regarded by recruiting agencies. He was rated the No. 1 running back in the nation by Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports. All four major recruiting outlets - ESPN, Rivals, Scout, and 247Sports - rated him as the consensus No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania. Scout and 247Sports both tabbed him as a five-star prospect, while ESPN and Rivals rated him as a four-star prospect. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 20 overall prospect, No. 25 on the Scout300 list, and No. 39 on the Rivals100 2016 list.
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Sanders' outstanding high school career earned him numerous accolades, including being named to the Scout All-America team. He was selected as 2015 Mr. PA Football for Class AAA/AAAA. In 2014 and 2015, he was tabbed as PIAA Class AAA All-State first team. In 2015, he was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 Team and earned the Post-Gazette’s East Player of the Year honors. He was also selected to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Terrific 25 in 2015. After scoring three touchdowns, he was named the Pennsylvania MVP of the Big 33 Game. In the summer of 2015, he was invited to Nike’s The Opening and Rivals Five-Star Challenge. In 2015, he was selected to the Daily News Dynamic 33.
College Career at Penn State
Following his stellar high school career, Sanders committed to Penn State University, where he played for the Nittany Lions.
2016 Season: Freshman Year
In 2016, Sanders began his college career. Sanders saw a limited amount of playing time as a true freshman behind teammate Saquon Barkley. He received the majority of his reps on special teams this season. While returning kicks for Penn State, Sanders set the school record for kicks returned in a season (33). Sanders made his collegiate debut against Kent State, returning two kickoffs for 36 yards. He posted a long kickoff return of 19 yards in the second quarter. At Pittsburgh, he returned two kickoffs for 50 yards and had a long return of 33 yards. Against Temple, he carried three times for 27 yards and had a long rush of 19 yards in the second quarter, also returning one kickoff for 31 yards. At Michigan, he carried twice for 14 yards, made his first career reception for 3 yards, and returned three kickoffs for 67 yards. Against Maryland, he scored his first career touchdown on a 25-yard burst in the fourth quarter and returned three kickoffs for 50 yards. Against Ohio State, he returned four kickoffs for a career-best 89 yards and rushed once for minus-10 yards. At Purdue, he caught his first career touchdown pass on a 21-yard catch-and-run and carried the ball three times for 6 yards, also returning two kickoffs for 24 yards. Against Iowa, he had five carries for 34 yards and returned two kicks for 72 yards, totaling 106 all-purpose yards. At Indiana, he returned three kickoffs for 57 yards and carried the ball once for minus-2 yards. At Rutgers, he rushed for a career-high 85 yards on five attempts and returned one kickoff for 12 yards. Against Michigan State, he rushed four times for 5 yards and returned three kickoffs for 63 yards. Against Wisconsin, he returned four kickoffs for 83 yards. Sanders' season record of 33 kickoff returns in 2016 surpassed Grant Haley's mark of 32 from 2014.
2017 Season: Sophomore Year
In 2017, Sanders continued to contribute to the team, appearing in 12 games with one start. He made his first career start vs. Akron, carrying once for 16 yards. Against Pittsburgh, he rushed one time for minus-3 yards. Against Georgia State, he carried the ball three times for 44 yards and one touchdown, scoring on a 29-yard rush. At Iowa, he carried once for 6 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards, also returning the final kickoff of the game for 20 yards. At Northwestern, he made a career-high two catches for 11 yards. Against Michigan, he rushed six times for 25 yards. Against Rutgers, he rushed twice for 18 yards. Against Nebraska, he carried four times for 28 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards. At Maryland, he carried the ball a career-high seven times for 42 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards.
2018 Season: Junior Year
With Barkley’s departure from Penn State after the 2017 season, Sanders was named Penn State's starting running back. Sanders started all 13 games in the 2018 season.
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On September 1, in his junior season debut against Appalachian State, he carried the ball 19 times, rushing for 91 yards and two touchdowns. That also included the game-winning 4-yard touchdown in overtime. After this performance, he was named the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week. Against Pittsburgh, he rushed for 118 yards on 16 carries, earning his first career 100-yard rushing game. Against Kent State, he rushed for 86 yards on 14 carries. Sanders’s most notable game of the year came against Illinois on September 21. He rushed for a career-best 200 yards on 22 carries. Against Ohio State, he rushed for 43 yards on 16 carries and scored on a 1-yard run. Against Michigan State, he rushed for 162 yards on 17 carries. At Indiana, he rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, also catching six passes for 54 yards. Against Iowa, he had 17 rushes for 62 yards. At Michigan, he rushed for 14 yards and caught a 9-yard pass. Against Wisconsin, he rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. At Rutgers, he rushed for 88 yards on a career-high 27 carries. Against Maryland, he rushed for 128 yards on 14 carries.
To end the season, Sanders finished No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 15 in the nation with 1,274 rushing yards, was ranked No. 4 in the conference and No. 25 in the FBS with 98.0 rushing yards per game, and was No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 40 in the nation with 5.79 yards per carry. Sanders earned the program's 26th individual 1,000-yard rushing season, finishing the season with the 11th-most rushing yards in a PSU single season. He reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark against Wisconsin.
College Statistics and Rankings
Throughout his college career, Miles Sanders achieved impressive statistics and earned several rankings. He set the Penn State season record with 33 kickoff returns in 2016. In 2018, he finished No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 15 in the nation with 1,274 rushing yards. He was ranked No. 4 in the conference and No. 25 in the FBS with 98.0 rushing yards per game. He was also No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 40 in the nation with 5.79 yards per carry.
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