Just a week out from Penn State’s season opener against Purdue fans can expect to see plenty of familiar faces during the 2022 campaign but can also anticipate being introduced to a new handful of players who could end up soon becoming household names. Possibly as early as next week.
“I’m just going to tell you — the two freshmen are going to play,” Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider said on Wednesday. “I know everybody wants to know that. I’m high on them. I’m very high on them.”
The two backs in question: former five-star Pennsylvania product Nicholas Singleton and fellow freshman Kaytron Allen from IMG Academy in Florida. The duo making for a highly touted combination, led by Singleton, the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year. At 6 feet and 219 pounds Singleton has size and weight on his counterpart Allen, who hits the scales at 5-foot-11 and 211 pounds, according to the most recently updated roster, but both bring plenty of punch and speed to table.
In either case, the duo will have to outperform returning running back Keyvone Lee who boasts an even bigger frame at 6 feet and 234 pounds after a few years Penn State’s strength and conditioning program. Lee works alongside Devyn Ford in his fourth year with the program as the quartet of backs look to improve Penn State’s struggling ground attack in 2021 — Penn State finished the year ranked No. 117 in the nation in yards per carry at just 3.21.
“I will guarantee you that you will see four backs playing at some point in this game,” Seider added. “I’m not saying they’re all going to be in the backfield. We have four guys who deserve to play.”
Seider’s distinction could prove to be some degree of foreshadowing in Penn State’s special teams return game. Even if Singleton or Allen prove to be worthy of carries over Lee, both could be used immediately in a return game with no absolutely obvious option following the departure of receiver Jahan Dotson. And as Singleton proved time and time again in high school, he has speed and vision, a key to any good returner.
“All those kids can take it the distance,” Seider added, “but Nick’s got speed that you can’t coach. It’s a violent run. It’s fast.”
If Lee or Singleton were to make a big impact in the running game it would be the first time since Saquon Barkley’s freshman season in 2015 that a young running back would oust a returning or presumed veteran starter for a bigger role in the offense. That year, Barkley had just one carry in Penn State’s season-opening loss to Temple, playing behind Akeel Lynch, before rushing for over 300 yards the next two games against Buffalo and Rutgers.
