The standout running back for Penn State, Nick Singleton, has decided what he will do in the NFL.
Singleton will skip this year’s NFL draft and return to Penn State for the 2025 campaign. Days after Penn State’s season ended in the College Football Playoff semifinal, he made his decision public on social media on Monday.
Wearing the blue and white for the past three seasons has been an absolute privilege, Singleton wrote. As soon as I walk into Beaver Stadium, I realize how unique this location is. I have never taken it for granted to play in front of the biggest football fans in college.
Being able to play for Coach Franklin, Coach Seider, and the rest of this amazing coaching staff has been an absolute blessing. I will always be grateful to the men in the running back room and the rest of my teammates. Those men mean the world to me, and it has been an honor to play alongside them. The Lasch Building has a genuine family atmosphere.
We have made significant progress this season and have achieved a lot here. However, we are aware that we can do even better. My family and I have decided that I will return to Penn State for the 2025 football season.
As a team, we still have objectives to accomplish, and I want to support my teammates in achieving them. A degree from Penn State University has always been a goal of mine, and I am set to graduate this September.
For the Nittany Lions, who hope to make another push at the College Football Playoffs, Singleton’s decision to return to Happy Valley for a fourth season is big news.
Over the past three years, Singleton has been one of Penn State’s two standout running backs. Together with Kaytron Allen, the former Governor Mifflin standout has been explosive and exciting, making them maybe the best tailback combo in college football.
Since joining Penn State as a 2022 recruit, Singleton, the former Gatorade National Player of the Year, has played a significant role in the school’s accomplishments. The home run batter has recorded 768 receiving yards, 2,912 rushing yards, and 41 total touchdowns over the course of three seasons.
As a blue-chip talent, Singleton arrived at Penn State and made an immediate impression as a true freshman, with 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns. In the Rose Bowl victory over Utah, he scored a stunning 87-yard touchdown run to finish off his incredible 2022 campaign.
Singleton only managed to rush for 752 yards and eight touchdowns in his less successful sophomore campaign. But in the latter stages of 2024, he recovered from a persistent midseason ailment. Singleton had 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns at the end of his junior year.
Singleton had to make a tough choice about his future. According to ESPN, he was the fifth-ranked running back and the 67th-ranked prospect overall in the 2025 draft class. Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (No. 4 overall), Omarion Hampton of North Carolina (No. 37), Kaleb Johnson of Iowa (No. 39), and Quinshon Judkins of Ohio State (No. 53) were the only backs who were ahead of Singleton.
However, James Franklin stated that he and the Nittany Lions would be thrilled to have him return to Happy Valley before to the CFP semifinal matchup with Notre Dame. And their request was granted.
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Johnny McGonigal