Penn State star running back Saquon Barkley rushed for more than 1,2000 yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore, and on Wednesday he was recognized for his efforts by the Big Ten.

Named as the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year and the Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year, Barkley's accolades are some of the most noteworthy accomplishments by a Nittany Lion. Only four other Nittany Lions have won offensive player of the year, including Kerry Collins (1994), Curtis Enis (1997) and Michael Robinson (2005).

The conference's best RB has been honored in such capacity since only 2011. Therefore Barkley, a native of Coplay, Pa., is the first Penn State player to earn the recognition. He's also the only sophomore to have won the award since it was established.

Additionally, Barkley was a unanimous pick by both coaches and media as an All-Big Ten first-team choice.

Barkley has an exact 1,219 yards on the ground this season, behind only Northwestern's Justin Jackson. His 15 TDs leads all other RBs.

Adding another 320-plus yards on 21 receptions, Barkley leads the league in all-purpose yards. He also has two catches that went for a touchdown. His 5.35 yards-per-carry average is also fifth-best in the country.

This season Barkley also became the first Nittany Lion since Larry Johnson in 2002 to post back-to-back games with more than 200 all-purpose yards, with 211 against Iowa and 277 at Purdue.