In a year where parity came to the forefront in the college football landscape, Penn State made the most of its opportunity. In an expanded 12-team format, Penn State was able to sneak into the CFP as the third-best team in the Big Ten. With major improvements on both sides of the ball, they made major strides to achieve this goal. However, the path ahead in 2025 is going to be much trickier to navigate for this iteration of the Nittany Lions.
After a disappointing CFP semifinal exit against Notre Dame, it was expected that a large portion of Penn State’s core would depart the program. However, that was not the case, and several key players on both sides of the ball decided to run it back and have another go at winning a championship. For them, it means everything. Combined with the continuity of Andy Kotelnicki as the OC and the arrival of Jim Knowles to helm the defense, Penn State will be looking to finally get the championship monkey off their back.
Nittany Lions Wire will be taking a deeper look at the top 25 players on the 2025 roster, in no specific order, going into the 2025 season. Today we will take a look at one of the starting running backs on the roster, Nicholas Singleton.
2024 in Review
To say that Nicholas Singleton was a vital aspect of the Nittany Lions’ offense is an understatement. Coming off of a sophomore season in which he earned all All-Big Ten third team nod, expectations for his growth were lofty. Plus, paired with Kaytron Allen in the backfield, it felt like destiny for these two players to have break through campaigns, especially Singleton. And break through he did.
In a stellar junior season, Singleton had 172 carries for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns, whilst adding 41 catches, 375 yards and 5 touchdowns receiving. To top it all off, he even returned kicks, with a long of 66 yards. His stats in the Big Ten also stood out, ranking first in all-purpose yardage with 1,805 and fourth in yards per carry, at 6.3. When you combine these stats with Allen’s and consider that they were one of two duos to each have 1,00 rushing yards in the FBS, it is even more impressive. You can say that Singleton certainly got the job done in many respects.
One of his best all around games in the season opener against West Virginia, where he went for 114 yards on just 13 carries. He added 56 return yards for a total of 183 all-purposes yards for a triumphant all-around performance for his squad. Penn State fans will be ecstatic if these kinds of performances continue from their lead back.
Biggest Question for 2025
The biggest question for Nicholas Singleton is also for the whole team as well: Can his return, as well as Allar’s and Allen’s offensively, combined with their transfer portal additions, finally get them over the hump? Anything short of a championship in Happy Valley will be viewed as a disappointment. After all, returning for that singular purpose will hurt even more without a championship to remember.
However, a more personal question pertaining to Singleton alone is how much of a role he will continue to have with new receivers to work into the offense for Allar. One thing that may have held Penn State back was their lack of offensive production from the wide receiver position. Thus, it wouldn’t be ludicrous if throughout the season, as Hudson, Ross, and Pena get worked into the offense, that Singleton’s role will get diminished. How he responds will be huge, because his presence alone can change any game he’s in.
If Singleton continues to be his usual self, a smaller role may not be a problem for him. Look for him to maybe be more effective as a pass-catching back in short-yardage situations while picking up crucial yardages as a physical back in short-yardage situations.
2025 will be a success if…
Nicholas Singleton simply has to continue to complement Allen and Allar in the backfield in whatever role is required of him. Chances are at leas one of the receivers Penn State added in the portal will be effective, but that does not mean Singleton can take his foot off the gas. There are no easy wins in the Big Ten and Penn State will need all of their offensive weapons in sync to truly click on the field in tough games.
They get Oregon at home in Week 4, but must travel to Ohio State smack dab in the middle of the season. Tough tests on the road against Iowa and UCLA also await, so even if Singleton is not the focal point of the offense, he can still be the difference in some of their more daunting games.
The bottom line for Singleton is he can ill-afford to phone it in as he is one of the returning leaders for this squad. Whether it be on or off the field, Singleton will succeed if he continues to make his presence felt. Some new additions to the squad will almost certainly be able to feed off his energy should he maintain a championship mentality. His teammates should expect nothing less from him anyway.
2025 will be a disappointment if..
Somehow both Singleton and Allen regress, or in diminished roles, they cannot affect the game like we were accustomed to seeing them do in 2024. Should this happen, Penn State fans might be in for a long and frustrating campaign not unlike several others almost a decade ago. Most importantly, Singleton can’t just do it against the cupcakes. He must prove he can consistently perform against the game’s elite. Otherwise, his return to Happy Valley will just be for naught.
You can bet your bottom dollar that Andy Kotelnicki will find ways for Singleton to continue to affect the game while also focusing on the passing attack. Maybe working him into short-yardage packages could see him wear down opposing defenses more, thus opening up new avenues for the passing game. Should this fail to happen however, then Singleton might be in for a huge regression that could negatively impact the Nittany Lions this year.
Realistic Outlook for 2025
If all things go as planned, there should be no reason to believe there will be a significant fall-off from Nicholas Singleton this year. After all, the return of Allen gives the Nittany Lions the best RB tandem in the nation and if Allar continues to show his maturity can carry over, then the Penn State backfield is the least of this teams’ worries.
It is the lofty championship expectations placed on this team’s shoulders that should give Penn State fans pause. While Singleton’s return signals that he is all in for a championship, it will be unacceptable if his play falters and Penn State don’t achieve it. The onus is well and truly on for the Nittany Lions, and especially a player of Singleton’s caliber, to continue their ascent up the Big Ten pecking order.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Penn State Top 25 Players for 2025, RB Nick Singleton
