The Penn State Nittany Lions running back room, led by Nick Singleton, have high expectations in 2024.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have high expectations for the 2024 season as they look to reach the new 12-team College Football Playoff. One big reason for those high expectations is Penn State football’s strong running back room, with one of the best 1-2 punches in the nation in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. In this piece, we’ll touch on all the backs in the group and what Lions fans have to look forward to this season.
Nick Singleton
Nick Singleton burst onto the scene as a freshman, rushing for 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns (a Penn State freshman record) en route to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2022. Last season, Singleton rushed for 752 yards and eight touchdowns while also being more involved in the passing game. There, he caught 26 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns (up from a 11-85-1 line in 2022).
If 2024 is anything like 2023 and 2022, Singleton will be in an almost 50-50 split with Allen for touches this season. Singleton had just one more rushing attempt and 11 more touches than Allen last season. But as the old saying goes, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Things have gone just fine thus far for the two.
Kaytron Allen
If anything, Allen is pretty consistent. In 2022, he rushed 167 times for 867 yards, good for a 5.2 yards per carry average. In 2023, Allen carried 172 times for 902 yards. An average of, you guessed it, 5.2 yards per.
The junior running back from Norfolk, VA has 16 rushing touchdowns in two seasons. Could this be the year Allen reaches 1,000 yards on the ground? It’s very possible, especially if Happy Valley reaches the playoffs. While it’ll be another year before Allen takes over as the lead back in this offense, the 2024 season should provide plenty of opportunity.
Cam Wallace
After redshirting in 2023, Cam Wallace is set for his first true taste of collegiate football. Wallace is in line to be the No. 3 running back behind Singleton and Allen following the graduation of Trey Potts. The former three-star recruit had 1,300 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at Montgomery County High School in Georgia.
Quinton Martin Jr.
Quinton Martin Jr. joins Penn State as a true freshman this season and is already making some noise. Martin scored a touchdown during the Blue-White Game back in April, and is quickly making a case to be the No. 3 running back.
Martin was a four-star recruit and top-10 running back out of Belle Vernon High School in Pennsylvania. He was also the No. 1 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania. Martin helped lead Belle Vernon to the 3A state championship in 2023, rushing for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns along with 53 catches for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns. He totaled 58 rushing touchdowns in four years at Belle Vernon.
Wallace likely has the early edge as the No. 3 running back, but Martin is going to be right in the mix. Going forward, don’t be surprised to see him take over lead running back duties in the upcoming years.
Corey Smith
Another true freshman in the running back room, Corey Smith comes to Penn State from Milwaukee, WI. Wallace chose to play for the Nittany Lions over Wisconsin. Smith had 1,209 yards and 24 touchdowns on 146 carries last season. He gives Penn State excellent depth at running back and could eventually give the Nittany Lions another dynamic duo down the line with Martin.
