We’ve already examined the signal caller and now it’s time to pivot to the best position on Penn State’s offense. The Nittany Lions feature two running backs who could reasonably start on most teams in college football and would still likely be stars. Instead, they’re both in Happy Valley and set to make an outsized impact once again.
Let’s take a look at where the team stands at the position heading into the 2023 season.
Projected starter: Sophomore Nick Singleton
There technically has to be a starter and the best bet here is on Singleton. He and Kaytron Allen will likely share the backfield, just like they did last year, but the Singleton has a little bit more upside, giving him the nod here.
The sophomore running back is as athletically gifted as you’ll find. He has elite speed and uses it to blow past defenders in the open field. Tack that onto his 6-foot, 228-pound frame and you get the height, weight and speed combo that can lead a player to becoming an elite running back in college and the NFL.
Of course, that alone won’t get a player to Singleton’s level. What separated him last season was what he showed in flashes early and more consistently late in the year — the ability to find an opening in the defense and burst through it. Singleton has elite acceleration and showed the vision to find creases in the defense to get down the field and make plays. He’s nearly impossible to bring down in one on one situations and it’s almost a guarantee that an arm tackle won’t suffice in dragging him to the turf. Singleton can run between the tackles, despite showing a propensity for bouncing everything outside early on last season. Once he started to hit the hole up the middle, his game took a step forward and allowed him to be more of an every down back rather than a big play threat in the running game. It’s important that he’s able to turn two yard gains into four yard gains with his power rather than trying to turn every handoff into a touchdown. Outside of that, there’s not much negative to say about Singleton as a ball-carrier. He’s one of the best pure runners in all of college football and is primed for an elite season carrying the ball.
The most prominent deficiency he has is actually in the passing game where he needs to improve as a pass blocker. Now, it’s probably better to utilize him more as a receiver than a blocker, but there will be times he has to stay in and protect Drew Allar this year. In those situations he has to find the free rusher and get a hit on them before they can get to his quarterback.
When that isn’t the case — and he slips out to catch passes — Singleton should be the same home run threat he always is in the open field.
There’s reason to believe that all of those positives, along with the relatively fixable area for growth, can help Singleton put together one of the best seasons for any running back in Penn State history.
Key backup: Sophomore Kaytron Allen
It feels weird to call Allen a backup because this really could be a nearly 50-50 split of carries in the backfield, but somebody will likely come off the bench.
And for all of the praise I just heaped on Singleton, there’s another dose of it right here for Allen. The 5-foot-11, 218-pound sophomore bases his game more on vision and contact balance than elite athleticism. That’s not to say he’s slow, but he definitely isn’t the elite athlete Singleton is right now. Still, Allen has enough speed to break away from opposing defenses when he gets to the third level.
Leading up to that point is where he’s best. Allen has terrific vision, finding the smallest creases in the trenches to get a few yards downfield, with the strength and balance to stay steady when defenders try to bring him to the ground. It usually takes more than one to get him down, and even then he finds a way to fall forward and gain an extra yard or two. He’s an ideal complement to Singleton’s explosive running style and is a terror for opposing defenses in short yardage situations.
Allen is not the same threat as a pass catcher as Singleton, but can still make plays on screens because his strength is an even bigger advantage out on the perimeter against defensive backs. Like his classmate, Allen also has to improve at picking up blitzes, but that should come with time.
It’s hard to believe just how good this backfield duo is, and re-watching last year’s games only solidified that opinion. This might be the best running back duo in all of college football this year and that’s only going to help an offense that’s going to rely on a first-time starter at quarterback.
Freshman to watch: True freshman Cameron Wallace
Penn State has one running back coming in as a freshman this year and he brings even more speed to the backfield. Wallace was a late addition to Penn State’s 2023 recruiting class, committing in December and signing shortly thereafter during the early signing period.
He’s only 5-foot-9 and weighs 175 pounds but Wallace should be able to stick at running back, even if it’s not as a three-down back. His best role might be as a third-down back, coming onto the field in passing situations to help as a pass catcher. He has the level of short area quickness necessary to be a threat and go beyond the basic routes most running backs run. Wallace is unlikely to see the field early in his Penn State career, but he’s the type of athlete who could morph into an elite role player in an elite offense down the road in his time as a Nittany Lion. There’s a chance he gets even stronger and becomes a true runner as well, but the best bet is on him taking advantage of his athleticism outside the tackles.