Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1503568
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3 41 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 / / / / / / / BY THE NUMBERS 6 Number of 100-yard rushing performances by Nittany Lion running backs during the 2022 season. It was a vast improvement over the previous campaign, in which Penn State didn't see a single ball carrier reach the 100-yard plateau in any game. Split carries diminished the likelihood of anyone eclipsing the century mark, but big plays helped reverse the trend. 23 Rushing touchdowns last year by players who are returning for the 2023 season. Penn State scored 28 rushing touchdowns as a team, with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combining to account for 22. Quarterbacks Sean Clifford (5) and Drew Allar (1) scored the others. Clifford has graduated, but Allar is back for his sophomore season. 181.1 Rushing yards per game by Penn State during the 2022 season, good for fourth in the Big Ten behind Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State. During the 2021 season, the number was 107.8, the second- lowest average in the conference. PERSONNEL POSITION COACH Ja'Juan Seider: A quarterback at both West Vir- ginia and Florida A&M, Seider took his first coach- ing job overseeing the running backs at Glades Central (Fla.) High in 2001. He is now one of the nation's top recruiters of Sunshine State talent and is considered to be one of college football's top position coaches. Heading into the 2022 season, Seider had already enjoyed considerable success at Penn State, having helped develop Miles Sanders, Noah Cain, Journey Brown and Keyvone Lee into effective college ball carriers. Sanders would later go on to become one of the top running backs in the NFL and was recently a priority free agent acquisition of the Carolina Panthers. Last year was a strong one for Seider's posi- tion group. Indeed, with the arrival of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, the veteran assistant coach appears to have a duo with the potential to outperform his prior pupils. Having turned down other coaching opportuni- ties throughout his five seasons with the Nittany Lions, including two jobs with prominent Florida programs, Seider now holds two titles at PSU. In addition to serving as running backs coach, he's also listed as a co-offensive coordinator. RETURNING SCHOLARSHIP PLAYERS KAYTRON ALLEN So. | 5-11 | 218 • Ran for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns as a freshman in 2022 while also totaling 20 catches for 188 yards and a score. • Season highlights included a 3-touchdown afternoon at Indiana and a 2-touchdown performance against Auburn. In addition, Allen had 117 yards on 11 carries at Rutgers, including carries of 32 and 59 yards. • Twice earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, first against Central Michigan in Sep- tember, then at Rutgers in November. • Was an honorable mention All-Big Ten choice by the media and shared the team's offensive MVP honor. NICHOLAS SINGLETON So. | 6-0 | 228 • Finished with 1,061 yards and 12 touch- downs on the ground as a freshman. • Emerged as a home run threat for Penn State, including a 70-yard score against Ohio for his first career score, as well as subse- quent touchdown runs of 27, 30, 44, 45, 54 and 87 yards. • Averaged 24.9 yards as a kick returner, in- cluding a game-breaking 100-yard score in the Nittany Lions' win at Rutgers. • Earned Big Ten Thompson-Randle El Fresh- man of the Year honors. NEWCOMERS LONDON MONTGOMERY Fr. | 5-10 | 180 • Earned three-star status in the On3 Industry Ranking, along with the No. 512 spot among all prospects nationally, No. 36 spot among running backs and No. 9 ranking in Penn- sylvania. • Was a two-year team captain at Scranton Prep, including back-to-back district titles in his junior and senior seasons. • Rushed for 2,356 yards and 36 touchdowns as a junior before missing his entire senior season with a knee injury. TREY POTTS R-Sr. | 5-9 | 215 • Arrives at Penn State with two seasons of eligibility remaining after a four-year career at Minnesota. • Starred for the Gophers during the 2021 season before suffering a significant injury midway through the campaign. In five games, four of which he started, Potts aver- aged 110.4 yards on the ground. • Was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree for the 2020, '21 and '22 seasons. CAM WALLACE Fr. | 5-9 | 175 • Was rated a three-star prospect by all the major recruiting services and was No. 72 among running backs in the On3 Industry Ranking and No. 101 in Georgia for the class of 2023. • Was a Georgia Class A state champion in the 4x200-meter relay. • Picked Penn State over Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan State and Indiana. Kaytron Allen averaged 5.2 yards per carry as a true freshman and finished second on the team with 10 rushing touchdowns. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE