Penn State 4-star signee Nicholas Singleton hopes to follow in Saquon Barkley’s footsteps

STATE COLLEGE — Nicholas Singleton chuckled a little bit as he described his anticipation of signing with Penn State on National Signing Day.

“It’s going to feel good, I’ll tell you that,” the Governor Mifflin running back said Tuesday. “It’s a lot of pressure off because there’s still coaches that are still contacting me, telling me it’s not too late to sign with a different team, so once I sign … the pressure will be relieved.”

Less than an hour earlier, Singleton learned he was the 2021-22 Gatorade National Football Player of the Year, and the news had been delivered by former Penn State superstar Saquon Barkley. As he sat on Zoom, Singleton was still in shock, both from the honor and the messenger.

“I didn’t envision myself being here … but I knew all the hard work I’ve been putting in would pay off one of these days, and happily, it was today,” Singleton said. “There’s still room to improve. My parents always say that, my coaches, even my teammates, too, so just to be here, it’s just really great.”

Here’s where Singleton ranks according to recruiting services:

247Sports composite: 4 stars; No. 2 in PA; No. 4 RB; No. 49 overall

247Sports: 5 stars; No. 1 in PA; No. 1 RB; No. 20 overall

Rivals: 4 stars; No. 3 in PA; No. 5 RB; No. 110 overall

ESPN: 4 stars; No. 2 in PA; No. 4 RB; No. 53 overall

On3: 5 stars; No. 1 in PA; No. 1 RB; No. 21 overall

On3 consensus: 5 stars; No. 1 in PA; No. 1 RB; No. 30 overall

In addition to being a national player of the year, Singleton is regarded as a five-star recruit and the top running back in the country by multiple recruiting services. He’s coming off a sensational senior season in which he gained 2,043 yards and scored 41 touchdowns on 165 carries, plus four catches for 98 yards and two more scores.

Singleton became the most prolific player in Berks County history, and his resume made him a sought after playmaker with Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Alabama and Texas A&M all factoring in his recruitment. But in July, Singleton picked Penn State. And players like Barkley were part of the reason why.

“Saquon had a big impact on me picking Penn State just because you could see how he did there,” Singleton said. “The running back tradition they produce at Penn State. Not just him, Miles Sanders, Journey Brown and Coach (Ja’Juan) Seider. He’s a really good person. He told me this is your state and you should play for it.”

After Barkley delivered the news to Singleton, the two running backs chatted over Zoom for a couple minutes. Barkley asked Singleton if he was coming for his Penn State records. Singleton said yes, and Barkley responded affirmatively.

There should be opportunities for Singleton to compete for playing time immediately. The Penn State running game struggled mightily in 2021 as the offensive line and ball carriers couldn’t get on the same page. Singleton might be the type of talent, much like Barkley, who could help cover up for any issues and make plays on his own.

Singleton is also the member of a two-running back class with IMG Academy (Fla.) four-star Kaytron Allen signing Wednesday. The opportunities will be there, and the competition will be, too.

On Tuesday, though, Singleton took a little time to reflect on how he ended up in that chair as one of the nation’s top high school football players.

“It was real great, (Singleton’s Governor Mifflin’s teammates) being there, cheering me on because they’re all yelling and screaming,” Singleton said. “It just felt good for them to be there because they’re the reasons why I got this award.”