In the Cold, Ryan Barker Stayed Red-Hot: Penn State Kicker Caps Record-Setting Season with Pinstripe Bowl Perfection
The temperature at Yankee Stadium on Saturday may have hovered at a bone-chilling 28 degrees, with 8 mph winds slicing through the air, but none of that fazed Ryan Barker. The Penn State kicker stepped up in the fourth quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl and delivered-just like he has all season.
With Penn State clinging to a narrow 6-3 lead over Clemson early in the final frame, Barker lined up for a 43-yard field goal. Pressure moment, frigid conditions, and a postseason stage-none of it mattered.
Barker drilled it. No hesitation, no drama.
Just three more points and a little more breathing room for the Nittany Lions in what ended as a hard-fought bowl victory.
“He drilled it,” said interim head coach Terry Smith. “It was easy, it was natural. We just sometimes take for granted something that's so difficult because they make it look so easy-and it's not easy.”
Barker’s performance on Saturday was flawless. He went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, starting with a 22-yarder on Penn State’s opening drive, followed by a 48-yard boot just before halftime. Then came the 43-yarder in the fourth-each kick a reminder of how far he’s come in a short amount of time.
And with that final make, Barker did more than just help seal a bowl win-he etched his name into the Penn State record books. His field goal percentage for the 2025 season?
A stunning 93.8%. That’s the best single-season mark in program history, topping the previous record of 91.7% held jointly by Tyler Davis (2016) and Jake Pinegar (2019).
Not bad for a guy who started as a walk-on just two years ago.
Barker, now a redshirt sophomore, has eligibility left and isn’t planning to go anywhere. With Penn State transitioning to new leadership under head coach Matt Campbell, Barker has already had a positive first impression.
“I've had one really good conversation with (Campbell) so far, and he thinks the world of me,” Barker said. “I think he's a great coach, and I think he's going to lead us to success. I’d love to stay.”
It’s been a steady climb for Barker. After redshirting in 2023, he got his shot midway through the 2024 season when the kicking job opened up following a 2-for-5 start by then-starter Sander Sahaydak. Barker made the most of the opportunity, going 15-for-18 that year and earning himself a scholarship heading into 2025.
The improvement wasn’t just physical-it was mental. Barker credits his growth to a consistent mindset and daily discipline.
"It's just kind of wanting to come in and get your work done with the same attitude every single day,” he said. “With long seasons like this, sometimes it can be tough... and that's something that I knew I needed to overcome and improve.”
That mental edge has paid off. Now, Barker isn’t just climbing the single-season ranks-he’s on pace to challenge Penn State’s career records as well.
His career field goal percentage currently sits at 88.2%. For context, the best in Penn State history is Tyler Davis at 79.6% from 2015 to 2017.
If Barker keeps this up, he won’t just be in the conversation-he’ll be the standard.
Inside the program, the trust in Barker is absolute.
“He's been so reliable and dependable that we just count those three (points) when he goes into the field,” Smith said.
That kind of confidence doesn’t come easy. It’s earned-kick by kick, game by game. And on a cold December day in the Bronx, Ryan Barker showed once again why he’s become one of the most dependable legs in college football.