With few exceptions, this will be the last dance for Penn State football’s 2022 recruiting class, and Nick Singleton has been a huge part of that.
Singleton came to Penn State as one of the most anticipated recruits in one of most anticipated classes in program history.
Penn State fans expected big things from the No. 1 prep RB in America, and Singleton has delivered. Splitting carries with a back of classmate Kaytron Allen’s caliber has its challenges, but even with fewer reps than other backs get, Singleton has been a factor almost from day one.
Through three seasons, Singleton is 10th all-time on the Penn State rushing list.
He could be numero uno when all is said and done.
Height: 6-feet
Weight: 220 pounds
Hometown: Shillington, Pennsylvania
Before Penn State: Nick Singleton came to Penn State with more anticipation than any 2022 signee with the possible exception of quarterback Drew Allar.
Singleton’s performance at Governor Mifflin High School in 2021 (2,059 yards and 44 touchdowns rushing) was good enough for him to earn both regional and national accolades. He won the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year, Mr. PA Football and was selected to participate in the US Army All-American Bowl.
Penn State RB Commit Nick Singleton Named National Gatorade Player of the Year
Singleton was rated the No. 1 running back in the 2022 class by 247Sports’ composite rankings. He chose Penn State over Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Wisconsin.
2022: Singleton electrified as a true freshman, ending the season with 1,061 yards, 12 touchdowns and a 6.8 yards per carry average. The signature play of Singleton’s first season was this 87-yard touchdown run in the Rose Bowl, the third-longest in the history of the great game.
2023: For one reason or another, Singleton’s production dipped. He ended 2023 with 409 fewer yards, four fewer touchdowns and 2.4 fewer yards per carry despite running the ball 15 more times. Singleton put up better numbers in the receiving game, with 26 receptions (up from 11 the year before), 308 yards (up from 85) and 11.8 yards per catch (up from 7.7.) But running the ball is what Singleton’s known for, and many Penn State pundits and fans alike didn’t feel he did that well enough in 2023.
Last year: Singleton had an up and down regular season. He started the season with a pair of 100-yard games, then later went more than a month without breaking 50, due largely to him not being fully healthy.
Then, Singleton took off.
In the regular-season finale against Maryland, he went for 87 yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries. Then, he lit up Oregon for 105 yards on 10 carries in the Big Ten Championship Game. He didn’t slow down in the College Football Playoff, going for a combined 266 yards and five touchdowns on 41 carries (6.3 YPC).
He ended the season with 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns on 172 carries. To quote Frank Sinatra, “it was a very good year.”
Where he stands: It’s pretty clear where Singleton stands. Everybody knows what he can do, and being another year older with a year of experience in Andy Kotelnicki’s offense shouldn’t only enhance his potential.
He’s only 1,021 yards away from breaking Evan Royster’s school rushing record, and there’s no reason to think he can’t do it.
A quote by Singleton: “The reason why I came back was just how the season ended. Everybody was upset, and most of the players that we came in with as freshmen were coming back to compete for a championship. So that kind of made me want to come back.” — Singleton to reporters on why he decided to return to Penn State and forgo the NFL Draft
A quote about Singleton: “With Nick, it was a little bit like an Olu (Fashanu) situation where getting his degree, finishing what he started, taking a few more steps. I think that was a factor for him.” — James Franklin
