STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It has been a struggle-filled season for Nicholas Singleton, Penn State’s speedy senior running back.
But it was not always like this.
In eight starts as a freshman, the Shillington, Pa., native rushed for 1,061 yards on 156 carries and added 13 total touchdowns. His breakaway speed flashed with an 87-yard rushing touchdown in the 2023 Rose Bowl, which placed an exclamation point on an impressive rookie campaign.
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Over the next two seasons, Singleton added 2,534 all-purpose yards and 27 touchdowns. Some draft experts projected that he would go as high as the second round if he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.
But Singleton stayed in Happy Valley. He wanted another chance at a national title, another opportunity to prove his worth on the national stage. But in a 2025 season filled with shocking revelations for Penn State, Singleton’s struggles have ranked near the top.
Through the Nittany Lions’ first eight games, the senior running back rushed 82 times for 292 yards. It marked a career-worst 3.5 yards per carry, a stark dropoff from last season’s 6.4. Singleton peaked at 39 rushing yards across Penn State’s first five Big Ten contests and scored just twice during that span.
Andy Kotelnicki, the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator, blamed himself for not giving Singleton enough opportunities to showcase his speed. Kotelnicki said Singleton’s “superpower” is quickly bursting through holes when they open, rushing lanes that had not often presented themselves to that point in the season.
“It’s about continued opportunities and making sure that those opportunities are ones where [Singleton] is going to have a chance to do what he does well, and that’s utilize his speed,” Kotelnicki said during a recent press conference.
Singleton’s struggles in those eight games were exacerbated because Kaytron Allen, his roommate and counterpart in Penn State’s backfield, was enjoying a career season. Allen routinely found open rushing lanes when Singleton could not, halting the potential “poor offensive line play” excuse.
Bottom line: Singleton didn’t look like himself. His typical explosive runs were nonexistent, and his impact on Penn State’s offense seemingly lessened with each carry.
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But team officials inside the Lasch Building, the site of the team’s training facility, never wavered. They believed Singleton’s spark would return. And they have made sure he knew that
“The people who kept me going are the coaches, my teammates,” Singleton said. “They have always been there every step of the way throughout the whole season. I know it’s been long and a rough start, but they’ve been sticking together, coming out here and [helping me] get better every day.”
Singleton kept his head down and his legs churning. He knew his breakthrough moment was near. And against No. 2 Indiana, his preparation met opportunity.
Inside a packed Beaver Stadium on Nov. 8, Singleton capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown to even the score. His rushes, mainly outside the numbers, were generating more yards than they had in recent weeks. On several occasions, he was one broken tackle away from a big gain.
Then came his breakthrough moment.
With Penn State trailing 20-10 at the start of the fourth quarter, Singleton burst through a hole and outraced the Hoosiers’ trailing secondary until a shoestring tackle brought him down at the 1-yard line.
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The real Singleton had finally returned.
“I told [Singleton] after that long run, ‘This is who you are,’” said Ethan Grunkemeyer, Penn State’s starting quarterback. “When he broke that long run, you could just feel the energy.”
The Beaver Stadium fans rose to their feet as the 21-year-old capped the drive with a 1-yard score. It was his second rushing TD of the game and 41st of his career, which placed him second on the program’s all-time rushing touchdowns list behind only Saquon Barkley (43).
Khalil Dinkins, Penn State’s starting tight end, said Singleton simply “flipped a switch.” Singleton’s teammates knew he had his usual burst buried somewhere. He just had to find it.
Against Indiana, he did.
“Nick is an amazing football player and an amazing person,” wide receiver Devonte Ross said. “He’s always had [skill], so I think the last couple of weeks he’s been just showing what he can do.”
The 224-pound rusher was not done yet. On the ensuing drive, he took a screen pass 19 yards for the go-ahead score. It marked the third three-touchdown game of his career.
Singleton finished with a season-best 93 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. The next week against Michigan State, he rushed 15 times for 56 yards, the first time he had broken 50 rushing yards in consecutive games since Weeks 2 and 3.
“Just getting back to the drawing board. Taking it one day at a time,” Singleton said. “Just [trying to] get better every day.”
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