Although Penn State has six official captains, every week, different players are responsible for going to midfield for the coin toss.
For last week’s 34-12 season-opening win at West Virginia, the guys walking out were Tyler Warren (offense), KJ Winston (defense) Dom DeLuca (special teams) and Riley Thompson (special teams.)
Winston, DeLuca and Warren are three of the team’s six season captions.
This week, Penn State is rocking with three captains, none of which are full-time. The three coach James Franklin announced for this week are Zane Durant (defense), Nicholas Singleton (offense) and Tyler Elsdon (special teams).
PENN STATE CAPTAIN: ZANE DURANT
Zane Durant celebrates a Nittany Lions third down stop.
Durant proved last season that he’s good enough to start in the Big Ten. Now, the big question is if he’ll be good enough to where declaring for the NFL Draft— which he’ll be able to do this season, as it is his third year of eligibility. If Durant takes the next step, that would do wonders for a Penn State defense which should again rank amongst America’s best. He started that next step in Morgantown, where he was the first Penn State player to get a sack, doing so in the second half after a 139-minute weather delay.
PENN STATE CAPTAIN: NICHOLAS SINGLETON
Nick Singleton during pregame warmups.
A lot of Singleton’s success could depend on new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. It should excite Penn State fans that Kotelnicki has had great success with running backs.
Last season at Kansas, Devin Neal exploded in Kotelnicki’s scheme, going for 1,280 yards, 16 touchdowns and averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
There’s no reason to think Singleton can’t match those numbers, if not eclipse them. He got off to a good start Saturday by rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown run in which he showcased his speed.
Nicholas Singleton’s TD on GT Power
The explosiveness and speed is jarring, but the patience he displays with the ability to get skinny is truly translatable stuff pic.twitter.com/wQtd11X21S
— NTB_43 (@NTB_43) September 3, 2024
PSU CAPTAIN: TYLER ELSDON
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Tyler Elsdon
Elsdon is one of the most experienced players on Penn State’s roster, and that experience will be invaluable to a team looking to make its first trip to the College Football Playoff.
