Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 3 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / R U N N I N G B A C K S / / / / / / / 2022 vs. 2023: Stock Up Or Down? Improving upon a record-setting performance is not easy. In discussing the opportunities that lie ahead for sophomores Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen in 2023, Penn State coach James Franklin has repeatedly acknowl- edged that reality. For a normal sophomore, Year 2 is when everything really starts coming together. The game begins to slow down, the playbook becomes second na- ture, and the on-field results reflect a growing sense of self-assurance. Singleton and Allen aren't normal sophomores, though. Last year, Singleton posted 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns on 156 carries. Allen put up 867 yards and 10 touchdowns over 167 carries. Combined, they became the first freshman duo in Big Ten history to eclipse 700 rushing yards apiece. In the process, Singleton earned the league's Freshman of the Year honor. Since the end of the 2022 season, the Nittany Lion coaching and weight training staffs have worked to maximize the growth that both players can achieve. By the end of spring practice, Franklin hailed them as bigger, stron- ger and faster than they'd been just months earlier. And, with the addition of football instruction under unrushed conditions, their instinctual movements have a chance to be even better. The possibility of a sophomore slump has been acknowledged as a poten- tial danger for any player coming off the type of success Singleton and Allen achieved last season. Still, the work ethic and thirst for improvement that the two players have exhibited throughout the offseason have primed them for even more productivity this year. As good as they were last season, their stock is trending up. X-Factor An argument could be made for Trey Potts as the X-factor at the position. Coming from Minnesota, where he was a productive contributor before an in- jury forced him out of action in 2021, Potts is certainly an unknown who would nevertheless be called upon if either Singleton or Allen were to be sidelined. But the status quo between Penn State's two outstanding sophomore running backs is the actual X-factor. Can Singleton and Allen stay healthy throughout the 2023 season? Given Penn State's desire to use both play- ers extensively, as well as the defensive attention certain to be directed toward them, the dynamic duo is going to put some miles on their tires this year. For the Nittany Lions to reach their goals as a program, both need to stay healthy and highly effective for the duration. Freshman Outlook Penn State reached into the transfer portal and nabbed Potts, a four-year performer for the Golden Gophers, to help alleviate its concerns over the lack of experienced depth in the backfield. That's not a knock on the two true freshmen who are coming into the program, London Montgomery and Cam Wallace. They were welcome ad- ditions to Penn State's 2023 recruiting class, with both holding three-star status in the On3 Industry Ranking. But Montgomery missed his entire senior season at Scranton (Pa.) Prep due to a knee injury, and both players lack experience at the collegiate level. That's why the coaches felt as though they needed an insurance policy. When it comes to the backfield, the magic number at Penn State is three. In any given season, three running backs are virtually assured of getting carries. When circumstances dictate, that number can grow to four. With both Montgomery and Wallace enrolling in May, though, their early impressions would need to surpass expectations for them to carve out roles in the Nittany Lion offense in 2023. — Nate Bauer PSU was able to incorporate both Kaytron Allen (left) and Nicholas Singleton into its offense last year, with the former earning three starts and the latter eight. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE