Yep, Saquon Barkley was once committed to Rutgers. Here’s why it didn’t stick.

Something that’ll come up repeatedly during Penn State’s game against Rutgers on Saturday (noon ET, BTN/2): highlight machine Saquon Barkley’s former commitment to the Scarlet Knights.

Barkley was a Rutgers commit for six months in 2013 and 2014. He committed silently to Rutgers that August, revealed his pledge in September, and flipped it to Penn State by February. A year later, he was officially a Penn State signee in the class of 2015.

The rest is history. Barkley was an immediate sensation and is a leading Heisman candidate, with nearly 1,400 scrimmage yards through nine games. In two games against Rutgers so far in his career, Barkley has 287 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He’s likely add another hundred or so and more TDs Saturday.

Barkley’s commitment to Rutgers wasn’t as odd as it seems now.

"When they first started recruiting me, it was my dream school," Barkley said during his recruitment. "I loved the coaches, I loved the offensive style, and I just thought I would fit in well. They made me feel like I was home."

Barkley was a big-time recruit, so if you think it’s weird to read him call Rutgers his “dream school,” that’s understandable. He was a four-star talent, the No. 14 running back in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. Barkley grew up in Pennsylvania, making it even odder that he’d hold Rutgers in such high regard.

Barkley was born in the Bronx, but he grew up in Whitehall, Pa., which is about an hour closer to Piscataway than it is to State College.

Also, Rutgers was pretty decent when Barkley committed. The Knights had been 9-4 under first-year coach Kyle Flood in 2012, touching No. 18 in the AP Poll.

Barkley, for as touted as he became, was a late riser. Via NJ.com:

"Barkley committed to Rutgers because he and his family did not fully understand the recruiting process, and because he felt comfortable with the program and it was close to home," 247Sports national recruiting analyst Brian Dohn said. "He was committed before many programs knew about him, and he built a trust with the coaching staff."

When Barkley decommitted from Rutgers, he was part of a wave.

Rutgers hasn’t been as good since 2012, and its recruiting has suffered. The program had 17 decommitments between 2014 and ‘15, with 13 of them coming in the first class. Barkley’s decommitment came when he was a junior, around the same time lots of those 2014 prospects were decommitting.

Barkley, again via NJ.com:

It was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I felt like I was going against my word, and that's something that my family raised me on. They felt like we were going against our word, too. But we had to look at the bigger picture.

Barkley would’ve been one of Rutgers’ biggest gets ever.

He’d have been the eighth-highest rated recruit in program history. He could’ve been one of the school’s best players ever, just as he’s been at Penn State.

Rutgers also once had a commitment from current Wisconsin star freshman back Jonathan Taylor. The Scarlet Knights’ recent decommit history is tragic, also including former Miami tight end David Njoku and Penn State receiver Saeed Blacknall.

Everything in this story worked out for Barkley and Penn State. But Rutgers gets to have its own little chapter in an incredible college football career.