Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1480138
3 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M witnessing something unique with his two freshman ball carriers. "I have not seen two guys have this type of success [this early] in their ca- reer," he said following the win at Auburn. "We were pretty excited signing them. We were pretty excited once they got on campus, because recruiting is wonderful, but you never truly know until they show up on campus. "They kept making plays and doing things. They have a complementary style, and they both have the ability to make plays. I think Kaytron has got really good vision and turns a 4-yard run into a 12- or 16-yard run on a consistent basis. And, as we know, Nick has the ability to go 80. "So, they're doing well. I think [run- ning backs coach] Ja'Juan Seider has done a great job of getting them ready from a mental perspective as well — protections and all that stuff. I've been pretty im- pressed." Franklin has taken a low-key approach with his young running backs that mir- rors the personalities of the players them- selves. He said both are unfazed by the growing excitement about their perfor- mances. "I think a lot of these young players are more prepared for this stuff than ever be- fore, just with the way media coverage has changed, the way social media has changed, the opportunities that some of these high-profile young players get when it comes to travel or all-star games or ex- posure that you really didn't have before," he said. "I think some of policies we have in place [at Penn State] help, because it takes some things off their plate. "And then we try to do things in the summer and throughout the year where we're educating them and preparing them for life after football, for life outside of football, and trying to prepare them for many things that will come. We try to in- clude the parents in the process, too, so they can be helpful." Singleton has gotten the most atten- tion of any of Penn State's freshmen, and Franklin said he has taken his quick rise to stardom in stride. "Right now, Nick is handling things pretty well," Franklin said. "I think that's his personality. The players give him a hard time, because after he scores a touchdown or something, they say he has no swag. No swag, all substance. They love to give him a hard time, but it doesn't faze him. "He's said 17 words since he's been at Penn State. Very Steady Eddie, level- headed, doesn't get too high or get too low. I think how he was raised with his family as well as the program that he came from, Governor Mifflin, [did] a really good job preparing him for this. And I think the relationships that he's built with our staff have helped. So far, so good." A Surprise Move Although they've been the most cel- ebrated of the team's true freshman con- tributors, Singleton and Allen aren't alone in having made a splash. Heading into the Lions' fifth game of the season against Northwestern, seven of this year's new- comers were poised to forgo their chance of redshirting. On the offensive side of the ball, in ad- dition to the two running backs, the list included five-star quarterback Drew Allar and receiver Omari Evans. Defensively, On3 Consensus five-star edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and tackle Zane Durant were joined by linebacker Abdul Carter. Through the season's first four weeks, it also looked as though cornerback Cam Miller and safety Kevin Winston Jr. were trending in the same direction. Franklin caught many Penn State watchers off-guard on Aug. 29 when he named Allar the backup quarterback ahead of his team's season opener against the Boilermakers. The 6-foot-5, 238-pound quarter- back has lived up to the advance billing he received coming out of Medina High in Ohio. He made his first career appearance in relief of super senior Sean Clifford in the third quarter of the win in West Lafayette. The Lions called on him in that game because Clifford was cramping up, but the Drew Allar was named Penn State's backup quarterback just prior to the season opener against Purdue. He saw action in each of the Lions' first four games and had a pair of touchdown passes against Ohio. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE