Saquon Barkley’s unbelievable hype surrounding the Super Bowl is already taking over the national football league. Now, just try to paint a hypothetical picture of Barkley standing on the stage on Sunday, lifting the Lombardi Trophy in Eagles’ Green and a history unfolding in front of your eyes. Fascinating, right? Barkley, the standout running back, came off as everything that the Eagles could have asked for. Everything is sweet and sugar for the Barkley family till now. But if you take a turn, there is a contradicting reality swirling over his younger brother, Ali Barkley’s recent career move.

Saquon’s roller-coaster career spanning the college football trajectory to the massive NFL realm has been quite a journey. His incredible athleticism and explosive moves on the field made him the most talked-about guy in the league. Standing at a decisive juncture in his career, the certified ‘superman’ of the NFL carries a testament to his blueblood genes. Wait, don’t you know the root of his paramount legacy? Recall his father, Alibay Barkley—a former boxer who successfully passed the torch of his toughness and discipline to his sons. While Saquon has been carrying it ever since with pride, the younger one, Ali Barkley, seemingly took a hitch.

Ali Barkley has signed to play college football for the West Chester Golden Rams. Now, it’s kind of happy yet sour news for the Barkley family and fans. Happy as in, Ali is off to a new start in his career and a bit salty because he was demoted from Division 1 to Division II.

While Saquon has been a celebrity in his own right, Ali has still been carving out his path. Although it might seem for the time that Ali has downgraded from his spot, maybe, just maybe, it’s because he wants to jump higher from here. He has better odds to get there as he has learned it from the best: His prolific father and the elder sibling.

Ali Barkley’s bumpy career path and a generational legacy in contrast: 

Alibay Barkley’s influence on his kids is profound. A former boxer, Alibay has instilled a trademark resilience and mental tenacity in his son’s DNA apart from all the athletic qualities. He used to be a careful watchdog in his sons’ discipline and practice in the growing years, even without knowing what they were shaping to be in the future.

His effort didn’t go in vain. I mean, just look at the overwhelming career stats of Saquon. Be it the Giants or the Eagles, Saquon’s generational leadership and grit shine through.

Ali Barkley has slowly started to follow in his brother’s footsteps. He has a distinct running back background—having starred for Whitehall High in Pennsylvania as a powerbomb 6’1″, 220-pounder. Ali Barkley also stepped into the city of Philadelphia before his Saquon joined the Eagles.

Ali Barkley walked on for Temple University in 2021 after rushing for over 1,000 yards in his senior year at Whitehall High. He joined the Owls in 2021 and showed some serious flashes of hope with the scouts—earning Scout Team Player of the Week ahead of the Akron contest of ’21.

However, he couldn’t manage to get adequate playing time throughout 2022 and 2023 and decided to hit the portal shortly after. He officially transferred to Akron on Oct. 26, 2023, but didn’t earn any snaps, and now it’s time to be the new kid on the block once again as the West Chester backfield allows him to thrive.