Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen wanted to finish Penn State careers ‘together’

Penn State football returns, not just one but two of the top running backs in the country for the 2025 season. In January, the Nittany Lions offense received a major boost when Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen put off the NFL Draft in favor of one more year in Happy Valley.

How did the dynamic duo decide that returning for their senior seasons was the best option? Opening up on the move following spring practice on Tuesday night, Singleton explained that the two reached the same conclusion independently.

“We kind of [chatted] a little bit [after the Orange Bowl loss],” Singleton commented. “We tried to give each other space after the game; kind of deal with that. But then we came together, we decided we wanted to come back and finish our last year together and just go out and play.”

Singleton and Allen combined for 2,786 yards on the ground and in the air in 2024. The first teammates to each rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season in Penn State football history, the pair made up 40% of the Nittany Lions’ total offensive production last fall.

With questions at wide receiver still surrounding the Penn State passing attack, James Franklin and new running backs coach Stan Drayton are hoping to get even more out of their star tailbacks this season.

“I think Stan has done a phenomenal job,” Franklin said on Tuesday. “You guys have had a chance to be close, up and personal with Stan at his drills. I think Stan’s drills have been really intentional. And those guys [Singleton and Allen], I think, are really doing well right now…Really both of those guys [are] just working really hard at trying to be more explosive in the running game and then also continue to expand their role in the passing game.”

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