Penn State coach James Franklin goes to bat for RB Nick Singleton

Nick Singleton remained optimistic back in September. Stuck in a big play drought, Singleton — one of the most explosive running backs in college football a year ago — kept a level head fielding questions in the visiting media room after Penn State’s win over Illinois.

“We’ll break one eventually,” Singleton said Sept. 16. “I’m just going to be patient.”

Unfortunately for Singleton and everyone pulling for him, that patience hasn’t paid off. The 2022 Big Ten freshman of the year has struggled to hit high gear as a sophomore.

Last fall, the former five-star recruit and national Gatorade Player of the Year showed why he was so highly regarded, breaking out with 1,061 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as a freshman. Singleton led all Power Five players with seven rushes of 40-plus yards, threatening to take it the distance every time he touched the ball.

His first collegiate touchdown was a 70-yard house call against Ohio. He had rushes of 53 and 54 yards at Auburn. And he capped the Nittany Lions’ 2022 season with a 87-yard Rose Bowl run reminiscent of Ki-Jana Carter and Saquon Barkley.

Singleton was named to the preseason Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Doak Walker Award watch lists, and with good reason. After introducing himself to the nation as a freshman, he appeared poised to solidify himself as one of college football’s top rushers in 2023.

It just hasn’t happened for him. There are theories why Singleton hasn’t lived up to sky-high expectations. Maybe it’s the blocking. Maybe it’s the lack of a reliable passing game. Maybe it’s his vision. Maybe it’s the few pounds he put on in the offseason.

Whatever the cause, Singleton hasn’t produced like he did in 2022. Going into Friday’s regular season finale against Michigan State, Singleton is sitting on 584 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. His longest rush of the season is 20 yards.

Singleton is actually getting more touches, averaging 13.18 carries per game compared to 12 in 2022. Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider has been steadfast in rotating Singleton and Kaytron Allen despite the latter looking like the better back. Singleton’s yards per attempt have gone down from 6.8 to 4.03. The lack of explosive plays obviously plays a part in that.

After the loss to Michigan a couple weeks ago, Singleton was asked about Penn State’s running game overall. He harped on “staying the course.”

“Soon it will pop up,” Singleton said. “We just have to keep sticking to it.”

James Franklin was asked about Singleton specifically and how he’s handled the 2023 season. The head coach said at his Monday press conference that Singleton, despite what the numbers might suggest, has had “a better year” overall than 2022.

“To me, there’s a lot more to playing well than just the runs and just the stats,” Franklin said. “When we go back and grade Nick’s tape this year and compare it to last year, I think he’s going to grade out as well if not better in being a well-rounded football player.

“What I mean by that is, if you look at him blocking for Kaytron Allen on the goal-line touchdown the other day, he blocked his guy five yards into the end zone. That’s a distinct improvement from where he was last year. If you look at his ability to catch the ball, run routes and be a legitimate factor in the passing game, he’s dramatically improved in that area of his game.”

Singleton has 20 catches for 154 receiving yards and a touchdown this season. In 2022, he had 11 receptions for 85 yards and a score. It might not seem like that big of a difference. But when you consider Penn State’s aerial inconsistencies this year, anything extra helps.

“If you just look at the stats, I get it,” Franklin said. “But when you study the game, really study the tape, I think he’s improved as a football player. And I think down the road, when these things are evaluated by the people that evaluate players nationally, I think this year is really setting him up for a ton of success in his future, not only at Penn State but afterwards.”

Perhaps that’s true. Perhaps the way Singleton’s season is being viewed by some in the Beaver Stadium bleachers and press box alike is off base.

The numbers say one thing. The tape, Franklin contends, says another. Of course, Singleton has a chance to both improve those numbers and prove Franklin right on Friday.

Penn State is facing a 4-7 Michigan State team with nothing but pride to play for. The Spartans, mired in a miserable season after Mel Tucker’s dismissal, have allowed 171 rushing yards per game and nine rushing touchdowns over its last five games.

Singleton has preached patience all year long. Now, ahead of a likely New Year’s Six bowl game and a highly-anticipated 2024 offseason, would be the perfect time to break one.