When Columbia, South Carolina running back CJ Stokes received an offer from Penn State last Sunday, he didn't have to work too hard to familiarize himself with a Big Ten school nearly 500 miles from his hometown.

Saquon Barkley's college highlight tape had made Penn State's introduction for them.

"I watched [Penn State] a lot," Stokes, a Class of 2022 RB, said in a recent phone interview. "Saquon was one of my favorites. I've really been watching his highlights since he left college, but I've been watching even more since Penn State offered me. I've been just watching him, watching Miles Sanders, watching a lot of Penn State backs, just seeing how they do things."

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