James Franklin evaluates how to help star freshmen improve in second year

Penn State came up a little short of a College Football Playoff appearance in 2022, unable to get past rivals Michigan and Ohio State. But during the 11-win campaign a handful of star freshmen emerged.

Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were the most notable of the star freshmen, and if they and others can take a big second-year leap the Nittany Lions could be cooking.

“Obviously you guys know as well as I do those guys had huge years, so what you try to do is do everything you possibly can that they can take a step from Year 1,” coach James Franklin said this spring. “And you’d love it to be as pronounced as maybe a guy that redshirted or a guy that played a complimentary role, backup role, and only got a few reps a game.”

Any tangible step forward for Singleton or Allen would likely mean Penn State has one of the best run games in the country.

The star freshmen combined for 1,928 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last year, with Singleton accounting for 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns and Allen racking up 867 yards and 10 scores.

Franklin likes the way they carried themselves this spring.

“They’ve approached things the right way,” he said. “They’re obviously bigger, stronger and faster than they were a year ago. Not only are they faster out here running 40s, but they’re faster in terms of understanding the playbook, understanding college defenses and schemes. So they won’t be thinking as much this year. They’ve been in the same system now for two years, so I think there will be value coming from that.”

There’s another factor that could lead to a jump for the star freshmen: improvement around them.

“I also think we’ll be improved on the offensive line and I think we’ll be similar if not improved at tight end,” Franklin said. “So those things I think will help us. The other thing is wide receiver, that’s why that third wide receiver is important, because if we have people on the outside that people are scared of obviously it changes how you defend us.”

Penn State is likely to begin the season as a top-10 team, so all season-long goals will be on the table. Big Ten championship, College Football Playoff, maybe even national championship.

Of course, some of that will rely on the star freshmen at least replicating their first season at Penn State.

If they can better it, even better.

“I think everyone would be excited, obviously, fans, media, and everybody else if those two guys, as productive as they were last year, if they could take a significant step this year, and I think they can,” Franklin said.