If you have bought into the vibe that running backs have been devalued over the last year or two then you haven’t been paying attention when Penn State Football running back Nick Singleton has been on the field.
If a rushing average of 4.4 yards per carry and eight touchdowns last season is considered a sophomore slump then I’m pretty excited about the upcoming 2024 season.
While I don’t believe that his 6.8 yards per carry his freshman year was an anomaly, Singleton’s junior season should look closer to that than last year’s numbers.
His explosiveness, quickness, and breakaway speed have him primed for a bounce-back season, especially with the addition of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki whose Kansas team finished eighth in the nation in rushing, 17th in scoring, and 21st in scoring offense last year.
It’s no secret that the Nittany Lions’ offense was anemic last year and Kotelnicki comes to Happy Valley with the aura of being the “chunk play” whisperer.
With a seriously upgraded wide receiver room, and a new offensive scheme, defenses will have no choice but to be much more mindful of looking pass-first which could open some space for the junior stud who dazzled college scouts with his play at Governor Mifflin High School in Reading, PA.
Combine that with the addition of two former Pac-12 teams in USC and Washington and the opportunities for Singleton to shine are eye-popping.
For proof one needn’t look much further than the last two Bowl games for Penn State. Singleton logged 6.2 yards per carry vs Ole Miss last year and he popped for a 17.1 average against Utah in the Rose Bowl his freshman season with two scores, including an 87-yard wire-to-wire breath taking burst.
Nick Singleton: 3 Fast Facts
- He chose Penn State over Notre Dame, Alabama, and Ohio State.
- One of only three players in Penn State history to rush for over 1,000 yards as a freshman joining Saquon Barkley and D.J. Dozier.
- Despite what some considered a “down” year Singleton finished 3rd in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards (105.6).
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2 Bold Predictions for 2024 Season
Nick Singleton Will Surpass 1,200 Rushing Yards
While he will once again split carries with his alter-ego Kaytron Allen, Singleton will emerge once again as Penn State’s top back and for the second time in three seasons will amass 1,200 yards in 2024.
Singleton will set a personal best for Explosive Plays
Singleton has 16 runs for over 20 yards over the last two seasons. He will eclipse that number next season alone.
MORE: Drew Allar Bold Predictions for 2024 Season
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
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