If nothing else, the decisions at Penn State have come quickly after the College Football Playoff (CFP) semifinal loss to Notre Dame. The defensive line is already beginning to reshape itself, with Abdul Carter being the major piece opting to enter the NFL Draft. Additionally, quarterback Drew Allar has announced he is returning. Similarly, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the team’s star running backs, announced that they are running it back at Penn State for another season. This is a huge win for head coach James Franklin and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki.
Running It Back at Penn State
Senior Season
Both Singleton and Allen will be returning seniors. This is significant for the team and for them personally. Along with Allar, the foundation of the quarterback and running back positions will be returning for a third year. This brings consistency and leadership in the second year of Kotelnicki’s offense. Singleton and Allen are also different types of runners. The thunder-and-lightning combination will arguably be the strongest running back room in the nation. For the players personally, it gives them the opportunity to improve what is already a favorable NFL draft status. Given the wear and tear that running backs go through, not many with the skill of Singleton and Allen play their senior seasons. However, these backs split carries, reducing the mileage that they will ultimately leave college with. Singleton and Allen are also close friends, and that likely played a role in their decisions.
Nick Singleton: Lightning
As the bigger-play threat of the two, Nick Singleton can run for a touchdown anytime he touches the ball. This was on display during the playoffs. In the win over Boise State, Singleton clinched the game with a back-breaking 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring. He also had rushes of over 40 yards this season against the Oregon defense in the Big Ten Championship game, as well as against West Virginia and Bowling Green.
On the season, Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards (second on the team behind Allen) despite topping 100 yards only three times. His 12 touchdowns, including three against Notre Dame, led the team. For his career, Singleton has amassed 2,912 yards on the ground with 32 touchdowns on an average of 5.8 yards per carry. He topped 1,000 yards in two of his three seasons so far.
Singleton is also a threat catching the ball out of the backfield. He caught 41 passes this season. This was by far the most of any running back on the team and was third on the squad behind Tyler Warren and Harrison Wallace III. Singleton’s five receiving touchdowns were tied for second on the team. Singleton will be running it back at Penn State both on the ground and through the air next season.
Kaytron Allen: Thunder
A great complement to Singleton’s big-play potential is the power running style of Kaytron Allen. The coaching staff has a ton of confidence, and rightly so, in Allen’s ability to succeed in short-yardage situations. He is relied upon to wear down defenses, opening up the potential for big plays not only by Singleton running but also by Allar in the passing game. Kotelnicki has traditionally used the running game to open up the passing attack, and Allen plays the part well.
This past season, Allen led the team with 1,108 yards and gained over 100 yards on four different occasions. One such game was against Boise State, where he ran for 134 yards on 17 carries. Allen averaged 5.0 yards per carry, and his eight touchdowns were second on the team behind Singleton. He scored twice in the win over SMU. Allen has amassed 2,877 yards on the ground for his career, with 24 touchdowns on an average of 5.1 yards per carry. This season was the first where he topped 1,000 yards. Allen will be running it back at Penn State next season with a lot of momentum from this year.
Though not as much of a receiving threat as Singleton, Allen did contribute to the passing game throughout his career thus far. This season, he caught 18 passes and scored two touchdowns through the year. For his three-season career to this point, he sits at 52 catches and four touchdowns.
The post Running It Back at Penn State appeared first on Last Word on College Football.