UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Running back Akeel Lynch knows all too well what life is like to be a backup.
Playing time comes and goes with carries dictated by whoever has the hot hand. A fumble or a gaffe in pass protection usually meant a return trip to the bench. He has been part of timeshares in the backfield, but last season he stepped up when injuries depleted the unit and finished with a team-leading 147 carries for 678 yards.
He burst onto the scene as a freshman in the 2013 Blue-White game with 83 yards and a touchdown.