STATE COLLEGE — Penn State running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider made it clear Tuesday night that freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen will play in the season opener next week at Purdue.
Speaking after a Beaver Stadium practice, Seider praised Singleton, a five-star prospect from Gov. Mifflin star, and Allen, a four-star prospect from IMG Academy in Florida.
“I’m just going to tell you — the two freshmen are going to play,” Seider said. “I know everybody wants to know that. I’m high on them. I’m very high on them.”
The 6-0, 219-pound Singleton and the 5-11, 211-pound Allen are competing with 6-0, 234-pound Keyvone Lee, Penn State’s leading rusher the last two seasons, and 5-11, 191-pound Devyn Ford, who’s in his fourth season in the program.
They’re the only scholarship running backs on the roster after Caziah Holmes left the team earlier this month.
“I will guarantee you that you will see four backs playing at some point in this game,” Seider said. “I’m not saying they’re all going to be in the backfield. We have four guys who deserve to play.”
Singleton and Allen, nicknamed “Fatman,” have created a stir inside and outside the Penn State program since they arrived on campus in January.
“All those kids can take it the distance,” Seider said, “but Nick’s got speed that you can’t coach. It’s a violent run. It’s fast.
“I always compare him to Journey (former Penn State back Journey Brown). You never knew how fast Journey was because he was so effortless. You know how fast Nick is. It’s like if you get in front of a freight train.”
Seider said Singleton and Allen are mature beyond their years.
“They got an old-school (feeling) to them,” he said. “They play the game the way you think running backs are supposed to play. If you get in front of them and try to stop them, they’ll run through you. To me, that’s what you like.
“Once you understand who you are as a player, you become a better player. These two young kids got an idea of who they are early. That’s what makes them pretty good players right now.”
Seider said Singleton and Allen are still working to perfect their pass protection and pass catching.
“In our offense you gotta be able to protect that QB,” Seider said. “That’s huge. That’s always a challenge for young guys. These young guys were here in the spring, so they got a large dose of that in the spring and in the summer and a lot in fall camp. Are they going to be perfect? No.
“We got two young kids who are extremely strong for their age, so power won’t be an issue for either one of those guys. They’re willing blockers. If you want to do it, you’ll get the job done.”
Lee ran for 530 yards and two touchdowns last year when he averaged 4.9 yards a carry. He was the last Penn State back to rush for 100 yards in a game, picking up 134 in a 2020 victory at Michigan.
Ford played in nine games last season and carried just 14 times for 61 yards.
“He’s in the conversation,” Seider said. “The kid busts his tail. He’s one of the smartest running backs I’ve ever coached. He can run a meeting room. If he ever wanted to get into coaching and I was a head coach, I’d hire him.
“He can play in any situation. He can be a starter. He can be a special player for us. He can be a sub. I trust him. I can put him in the game at any time.”
Seider didn’t hold back in his praise for Singleton and Allen, who were two of the top high school running backs in the country last season.
“(They have) the it factor,” he said. “Some kids get it right away. Some kids take time. They’re the type of kids who are ready right now.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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