Greg McElroy explains ranking for Nick Singleton on Top 10 college football running back list

Greg McElroy explained why he had Nick Singleton at No. 4 in his top 10 running backs in college football, putting him above most of the best guys in the country. The Penn State RB returned for the 2025 season, alongside teammate Kaytron Allen.

Allen was ranked No. 3 in McElroy’s rankings. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with Singleton or Allen if you had to choose one.

They’re that close at this point, but McElroy offered a tiny caveat regarding Singleton. If things are set up nice, there’s no one you’d rather have. Allen might be slightly better in a worse situation, but it’s really close.

“At number four, I have Nick Singleton of Penn State. At number three, I have Kaytron Allen of Penn State. Now that’s flipped for most people,” McElroy said on Always College Football. “Most people have Singleton ahead of Allen. I actually like it the other way around … I think Allen at three, singleton at four makes a little more sense for me, and it is by no means a slight towards Nick Singleton. Here’s what I love most about watching Nick when the hole is there and he hits it at 100 miles an hour, it’s different. Game breaking speed is different. You just don’t see it very often. You don’t see a guy when he takes the ball and the line blocks and does their job and the holes there where it’s supposed to be. 

“I don’t think there’s a guy in college football that I am more confident in hitting that hole and taking the distance that outside of maybe my number one overall guy. But Singleton, when things are perfect, is amazing. And things, by the way, have been perfect an awful lot. He’s been outrageously successful. I mean, the guy’s within striking distance of the Penn State all-time, (rushing record). If he has a big year this upcoming year, could be a career 4,000 yard back. It’s within the realm of possibility, and the fact that he decided to return, alongside Kaytron Allen, to me, makes a ton of sense now.”

Singleton had a bit of a return to form last year by cracking 1,000 yards. In 2023, he was limited to just 753. He’s also more of a receiving back than Allen and you really can’t go wrong with either running back. Last year, Singleton had 172 carries, 1,099 yards, 12 touchdowns, 6.4 yards per carry, 41 catches, 375 yards and five touchdown receptions.