Penn State Football: What the win over Auburn means for recruiting

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Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Penn State Nittany Lions at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. /

2. Playing right away

Penn State football played plenty of true freshmen in this game. Not only did they play, but they had key roles.

Freshmen running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 176 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries. These two have separated themselves as the top two backs in Penn State’s offense.

Additionally on offense, freshman quarterback Drew Allar received a series in the fourth quarter as the game was winding down. He’s now played in all three games.

On defense, linebacker Abdul Carter led the Nittany Lions with six tackles and a sack. Fellow true freshman Dani Dennis-Sutton also had a sack.

Despite there being plenty of veterans on this Penn State team, freshmen are playing. These freshmen aren’t just playing, but they’re playing in big spots in big games, just not mop up duty against teams like Ohio.

This is a strong selling point for any program on the recruiting trail, but Penn State has real examples to point to when a highly touted recruit asks if he will see playing time right away.

Penn State isn’t playing the most experienced player in most cases, they’re playing the most talented player and that’s big for recruiting.

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