Penn State five-star prospects earn lofty comparisons

The options for Penn State’s Class of 2022 are endless.

Still, tasked with making comparisons for the top prospects throughout the national class, Charles Power wanted to nail down specifics. 

In a Feb. 1 feature, the National Director of Scouting and Rankings for On3 examined the best comps for all of the 2022 five-star prospects nationally. 

Among them, Penn State brings three who meet the criteria, with quarterback Drew Allar (No. 7 overall), running back Nick Singleton (No. 16), and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (No. 20) all checking in among the nation’s 32 best. 

So what type of players will Penn State be featuring moving forward in Allar, Singleton, and Dennis-Sutton? 

Let’s look at what Power had to say:

Penn State Class of 2022 five-stars

Drew Allar – Quarterback – 6-5, 225

Power pointed to a Super Bowl MVP and winning quarterback in his comparison for Allar in Joe Flacco.

Transferring from Pittsburgh to the University of Delaware after two seasons with the Panthers, Flacco blossomed into a first-round NFL Draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens. Selected 18th overall in the 2008 draft, Flacco went on to have a 10-year career there before journeying to the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles in recent years. 

Still, as Power would go on to explain, Allar doesn’t have a perfect or even great comp in either the college or NFL level, making the new Nittany Lion quarterback something of a unique prospect.

“Drew Allar is unique in that there are not many pocket passers at his size (6-foot-5, 230 pounds) with his arm dexterity. The Penn State signal-caller not only has plus arm strength – he delivers throws from multiple arm slots and gets considerable rotation throughout his upper body allowing for off-platform throws. 

“There does not appear to be a great comp for Allar. We considered Philip Rivers and Josh Allen before ultimately settling on Flacco. Rivers has a unique playing style and release and it’s tough to project Allar ending up as a similar athlete and rush threat to Allen. While he’s an inch or two shorter than Flacco, we see some similarities in the plus arm talent, movement skills, and even some of the delivery from Flacco’s time at Delaware and ultimately in the NFL.”

Nick Singleton – Running Back – 6-0, 215

Who does Singleton share the most characteristics with? 

According to Power, former Georgia star running back and current Cleveland Brown, Nick Chubb.

Citing his size and running style, Power noted the areas that Singleton shares most resembles the three-time Pro Bowl selection.

“Both five-star prospects are compact, explosive, and violently powerful runners,” Power wrote. “Chubb was 5-foot-11, 217 pounds with a 10.69 second time in the 100 meters as a prospect in the 2014 cycle. Singleton checks in at 6-foot, 210-215 pounds, and has a personal best of 10.89 seconds in the 100 meters. Chubb was a prolific rusher at Cedartown (Ga.) High, running for 2,690 yards and 41 touchdowns on 276 carries (9.7 yards per carry). Singleton was the Gatorade National Player of the Year in 2021 after running for 2,049 yards and 41 touchdowns on just 165 attempts (12.4 yards per carry).”

Now a 26-year old having just finished his fourth season in the NFL, Chubb has established himself as one of the league’s top running backs. 

Will Singleton find a similar future in store?

“The running styles are similar as well – both have outstanding bursts, the power to run through arm tackles, and the speed to pull away in the open field.”

Dani Dennis-Sutton – Defensive End – 6-5, 255

Climbing into the On3 ranks of five-stars in the final update ahead of Wednesday’s late signing period, Dennis-Sutton called to mind a seven-year NFL veteran for a comparison.

According to Power, Dennis-Sutton is most comparable to current Green Bay Packer Preston Smith.

“We still ultimately see Dennis-Sutton becoming a similar style player to Smith as a big, powerful defensive end with plus athleticism,” Power wrote. “Dennis-Sutton is around 6-foot-5, 250 pounds and has the room to continue adding mass once he’s in Penn State’s strength program. Smith was around 6-foot-5, 271 pounds at the NFL Combine after four years at Mississippi State.”

Other Penn State mentions

Beyond Penn State’s Class of 2022 members, a pair of former Nittany Lions were referenced through the course of the piece.

According to Power, wide receiver Chris Marshall, a Texas A&M commitment ranked No. 40 nationally, compares most similarly to former Nittany Lion wideout Allen Robinson.

Meanwhile, fellow Aggie Enai White, ranked No. 44 overall, can call Penn State defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos the blueprint to his future success.