Nick Singleton named On3 Preseason True Freshman All-American

Penn State’s internal impressions of true freshman running back Nick Singleton have been lofty since he set foot on campus in January. Tuesday, On3 raised the bar, naming Singleton to its Preseason True Freshman All-American team ahead of his debut with the Nittany Lions.

Part of a heralded group of dynamic college football rookies expected to make a splash in 2022, Singleton fits the bill according to On3 director of scouting and recruiting rankings, Charles Power.

Nick Singleton among nation’s best

On3 Preseason True Freshman All-American: Penn State RB Nick Singletonhttps://t.co/acHhf2Myth pic.twitter.com/fl7bjFShnT

— On3 (@On3sports) August 16, 2022

From Power’s assessment of Singleton:

“Nick Singleton finished the 2022 cycle as the top running back prospect in the On3 Consensus and On300. At On3, we viewed the Gatorade National Player of the Year as theclear top back in the cycle.

“Singleton is a top physical talent with a rocked up build and outstanding burst, top end speed and physical running style. He was highly productive at the high school level, rushing for 2,043 yards (12.3 yards per carry) and 41 touchdowns on just 165 carries as a senior at Reading (Pa.) Governor Mifflin.

“Singleton and fellow true freshman Kaytron Allen should add some much-needed juice to a Penn State run game that totaled just 1,404 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2021. Singleton was a five-star and finished as the No. 1 running back and No. 27 overall prospect in the 2022 On3 Consensus.”

Penn State’s impressions

The assessment matches that of Penn State’s own early evaluation of Singleton. Arriving to the Nittany Lions last winter as the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year for high school football, Singleton has cleared every hurdle along the way.

From his winter workout performances to spring practice, into the summer access period, and now in preseason camp, Singleton – and his backfield classmate, Kaytron Allen – have turned heads.

“They’ve been really good. Both of them have been,” Franklin told reporters last Wednesday. “There have been a lot of conversations about Nick Singleton, but him and Kaytron, there is a buzz within our program about those two guys and what they’re doing.

“I know Sean (Clifford) is excited about it. I know the young quarterbacks are excited because they’re gonna have more time with them. But I think it’s created really good competition in that room.”

The sentiment is one that has been echoed by Singleton’s teammates throughout the offseason.

Fifth-year safety Ji’Ayir Brown, when asked his impressions of both Singleton and Allen this preseason, didn’t hesitate to acknowledge the positive impact both have brought to the running backs this summer.

“This freshman class has done extraordinary. Kaytron, he’s more of your power, elusive, he’s a mixture of everything. And Nick is the same way,” Brown said. “I think Nick power cleaned about 375 and he shows it on the field. His breakaway speed is crazy. Once Nick gets in the open field, there’s no stopping him. This guy, he’s extremely fast and extremely talented and he’s ready to go as well.”

Next steps for Singleton

With the start of the 2022 season drawing near, now just 16 days away with a Sept. 1 opener at Purdue, the remaining challenges for Singleton are twofold. One is to continue to take strides through camp. Then, as explained by Franklin, translate what’s been plain at practice and in meeting rooms over to an in-game environment.

“Once again, they gotta go out and do it under the lights against Big Ten competition, and other teams and other conferences that we play,” Franklin said. “But, they are big enough, they are strong enough, they both seem to have pretty high football IQs. They don’t seem to be overwhelmed. 

“I think the fact that they both were able to be here in the spring and summer helped too. But they’re doing really well. They’re doing really well. And they both have really earned a lot of respect already in a short period of time.”