Freshman of the Year? Penn State RB Nick Singleton an early pick
The just-wrapped recruiting Class of 2022 has 32 prospects rated as On3 Consensus five-stars, three coming from Penn State.
Led by defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton, who used a late surge to leap to the top of Penn State’s representatives at No. 23 overall, the Nittany Lions are not done there. Not far behind, Gatorade National Player of the Year Nick Singleton is No. 25 overall in the On3 Consensus rankings, while quarterback Drew Allar is No. 28.
Positionally, those rankings are No. 3, No. 1, and No. 4, respectively, helping push Penn State’s Class of 2022 team ranking to No. 7 nationally.
Taking a big-picture look at the college football recruiting landscape, On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings, Charles Power, identified his “Final bold takes on the 2022 cycle.”
And Singleton is among them.
Beginning his piece with a “Freshman of the Year” pick, Power identified Singleton as worthy for a variety of factors. Citing his position, early enrollment, and undeniable talent, this is what Power had to say about Singleton’s potential.
Charles Power’s take on Penn State RB Nick Singleton
“I’m going with Penn State running back Nick Singleton (No. 16). This pick is due to a confluence of several factors. Though it was a down year at running back nationally, Singleton is a surefire top talent at the position and would be a five-star in any cycle. The 6-foot, 215-pounder has an elite burst and violent, physical running style that bodes well for an early impact. He was named Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior after rushing for over 2,000 yards and 41 touchdowns at 12.4 yards per carry.
“Running back is also the easiest position to make an impact as a freshman. Singleton became the most talented back at Penn State when he stepped on campus in January. The Nittany Lions’ leading rusher in 2021 had just 530 yards, so the opportunity should be there this fall. I also wouldn’t be surprised if we saw five-star quarterback Drew Allar get some meaningful snaps in the the fall, though his hurdle to playing is higher than Singleton’s.”
Next steps for Singleton
Already participating in Penn State’s offseason lifting program and winter workouts, which started on-field work Tuesday this week, Singleton’s coming months will be busy.
Assessed by head coach James Franklin on the early signing day in December alongside Kaytron Allen, who also enrolled early, the potential for the pair was described “exciting.”
“They’ve still got to go out and earn the job and things like that. But both of them have a really impressive background, and being here at mid-semester, those things help,” Franklin said. “We’ll see how that plays out. It’s interesting because it’s like you look at Kaytron and he has a different style. He’s a physical guy. He is going to punish you. He’s been as big as 225 pounds. I think he’s about 215 now but has been as big as 225.
“But it’s funny because people talk about it’s almost like thunder and lightning and Nick is like this undersized scat back. Nick is 215 pounds and has the ability to go 80 [yards]. I don’t know if there is a better running back class signed in the country, and Nick being named Gatorade National Player of the Year is pretty cool.
“We’ll see how it plays out. We’re super excited about getting them. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but should be exciting.”
