Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley Put Bragging Rights on the Line Ahead of Penn State-Clemson Pinstripe Bowl Clash
PHILADELPHIA - Inside the Eagles’ locker room, the friendly trash talk has already started. Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley - teammates now in Philadelphia, former college stars at Penn State and Clemson, respectively - are gearing up for a bowl game they won’t play in but absolutely have a stake in.
Their lockers are side by side at the NovaCare Complex, which makes it easy for the banter to fly. And lately, it’s been flying.
“We go back and forth,” Barkley said with a grin this past Saturday. He couldn’t resist reminding Shipley that Clemson was “good for, like, five years.” Naturally, Shipley fired back.
Now, that playful rivalry gets a little more real. Barkley’s Nittany Lions and Shipley’s Tigers are set to face off in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27 at Yankee Stadium. And while the two running backs won’t be in uniform, they’ve got a friendly wager on the line - and some serious locker room pride.
“We just talked about it today,” Shipley said Wednesday, repping his alma mater in an orange Clemson long sleeve. “We’re excited about it.”
The stakes? Simple, but high-impact.
If Penn State pulls out the win under interim head coach Terry Smith, Shipley will have to rock one of Barkley’s old Penn State jerseys. But if Clemson, led by Dabo Swinney, comes out on top?
“I don’t have any of my Clemson jerseys here,” Shipley said. “But I’m going to have him in some Clemson gear, decked out in all orange. He’s going to be looking like a traffic cone.”
Barkley laughed at the idea, but make no mistake - both players are locked in on this one.
Neither will be in the stands at Yankee Stadium, but they’ll be nearby. The Eagles travel to face the Bills in Orchard Park the very next day. Shipley said he’s hoping to be at the team hotel in time to catch the game live, though it’s unclear if he and Barkley will be watching together.
One thing they both know: the teams taking the field won’t look exactly like the ones that started the season.
Penn State, coming off a 6-6 campaign, will be without several key contributors. Running back Nick Singleton, defensive lineman Zane Durant, and safety Zakee Wheatley are among those expected to sit out - and more could follow.
Clemson, which finished 7-5, is also dealing with roster turnover. Defensive standouts like Peter Woods and T.J.
Parker, as well as cornerback Aveion Terrell and receiver Antonio Williams, have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Their status for the bowl game remains uncertain.
“I know both squads are going to be missing some guys,” Shipley said. “That’s college football nowadays. But we’re riding with the Tigers all day.”
It’s a matchup that may not have national championship implications, but don’t tell that to Barkley or Shipley. For them, it’s personal - a battle for bragging rights, a little locker room glory, and maybe a photo or two in some deeply uncomfortable school colors.
One thing’s for sure: come Dec. 27, someone’s walking into that Eagles locker room with a big smile - and someone else might be looking a lot like a traffic cone.