ATLANTA– In multiple ways, Drew Allar and Nicholas Singleton had similar paths to Penn State.
Both were in the same recruiting class.
Both were five stars, and both came in with many people expecting them to each play big roles in leading Penn State back to formidability after going 11-11 combined in the two seasons before they arrived on campus.
Now, with two regular seasons wrapped up, both are regulars in Penn State’s offense.
But it wasn’t always that way.
Allar spent 2022 backing up Sean Clifford, who was Penn State’s QB1 for four seasons. Singelton was Penn State’s main running back by Week 4.
The differences in roles were evident in the first bowl game either had played in. Penn State beat Utah, 35-21, and Singleton was one of the biggest stars. The kid from Shillington, Pennsylvania, ran the ball just seven times but picked up 120 yards, 87 of which came on this iconic run.
Allar didn’t come in until the outcome was already sealed, only attempting one pass.
For Allar, this will be his first bowl game start, and it’s on a big stage.
The Peach Bowl isn’t the “Granddaddy of Them All,” but it is a New Year’s Six game, one in which Penn State will be taking on an SEC team that went 10-2 and is ranked No. 11 in Ole Miss.
Allar’s excited about the bowl game for a number of reasons, but personally, he’s approaching it as he would any game.
“This is a great opportunity,” Allar told reporters Tuesday in Atlanta, “not only for me, but for the whole team. We’ve been talking about it the whole bowl prep. If we win this game, we’re the first team ever in college history to win all six New Year’s bowl games, and we don’t take that lightly.
Again, we want to send the seniors out the right way because of how much they’ve given to this program and how much they’ve sacrificed throughout their careers to get the program to this point. For me, it’s just another game. I’m not taking it any differently. I’m taking it very seriously and just have another opportunity to go out and play the game that I love to play.
For Singleton, the Rose Bowl was the first time many college football fans watched him play, and he put on a show.
It will be tough for him to top what he did in Pasadena in Atlanta but like Allar, Singleton’s just worried about doing what he needs to do regardless of circumstance.
“I always take every game as just another game,” Singleton said. “I don’t look at other teams, like how big they are. But Ole Miss is a good team. We’re excited to play. Like Drew said, we have a chance to make history, be the first team to win six New Year’s Six bowl wins, so we’re trying to do that.”
