Penn State Football: Three reasons why Nick Singleton will breakout in 2022

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Penn State freshman running back Nicholas Singleton (10) lines up to be recognized with his fellow members of the 2022 recruit class at the 2022 Blue-White game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in State College.Hes Dr 042322 Bluewhite /

3. Versatility

In addition to being an impressive ball carrier, Nick Singleton has a chance to impact the game in other ways.

His speed makes him a prime candidate to return kicks for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has struggled in the kick return game since K.J. Hamler left after the 2019 season, Singleton can certainly give this group a much-needed jolt.

Singleton’s speed and athleticism will also make him a factor in the passing game. As mentioned earlier, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich is going to find ways to get Singleton the ball in space and let his speed take over. We should see plenty of screen passes for Singleton and possibly the return of the wheel route that Saquon Barkley made famous, depending on how well Singleton adapts to his role as a receiver.

The more opportunities Singleton has with the ball in his hands, the better this offense will be.

If Singleton can learn to block as well as fellow running back Devyn Ford, he could see even more playing time. Blocking may be the one current question mark in Singleton’s game as he didn’t need to do much of it in high school.

Regardless, Singleton’s ability to impact the game in so many different ways is going to lead to big things for him and the offense in 2022.

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