Penn State’s most dynamic offensive weapon is finally back to 100% at the perfect time

In 2024 under first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State’s offensive identity has morphed around the versatility of tight end Tyler Warren. The former high school quarterback isn’t just the team’s leading receiver with 81 catches for nearly 1,000 yards, he’s also the most effective rusher, but coming into the year there was no expectation that Kotelnicki was devising a Warren-centric system. So, how did this unit come to be tailormade around the highly talented redshirt senior? Injury is one explanation. 

The Penn State passing game was also going to be limited in 2024. Drew Allar has taken an obvious step forward, but even the former five-star cannot elevate the lackluster wide receiver room that Kotelnicki inherited when last season’s WR1, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, left for Auburn through the transfer portal. There just isn’t enough talent on the outside, so Warren quickly emerged as Allar’s primary target, but Warren’s involvement in the Penn State ground game has a lot to do with Nicholas Singleton’s nagging injuries. 

Without a clear answer at wide receiver, Kotelnicki could at least feel confident in his running back duo. Singleton and Kaytron Allen had led the Nittany Lions offense for two straight years and coming into 2024 were considered one of the best backfield duos in the country. That reputation was cultivated in 2021 as a true freshman, but through most of this season, Singleton in particular, had failed to live up to it.

The junior running back spent most of 2023 at less than 100%, and for much of 2024, it was the same story. He missed Penn State’s Week 6 win over UCLA and across the five games from Week 5-12, he managed just one run of over 15 yards and forced three total missed tackles. His explosiveness was gone and that meant a heavy workload for Allen and even more touches for Warren. Then, in Penn State’s final two games of the regular season, one thing became clear; Singleton is back and James Franklin knows it. 

“Nick is back as close to 100% as he’s been in a long time, and you see the burst and the acceleration on tape,” Franklin told reporters following Penn State’s 44-7 win over Maryland in Week 14. Singleton agreed in his Monday press conference crediting the training room for “getting my body right.” If you don’t believe them, though, Singleton’s 66-yard kickoff return, in the first quarter provided it. 

Over the final two weeks of the year, Singleton ran for 150 yards on 26 carries (5.8 ypc) with four carries over 15 yards, eight missed tackles forced, and a 54% success rate. Against Maryland over 60% of his rushing yardage came on those breakaway runs of 15+ yards, his highest percentage since Week 2 when he had four breakaway runs for 97 total yards. 

Without overwhelming talent at wide receiver, Kotelnicki often has to get creative to scheme open explosive plays in the passing game, or silo targets to Warren to consistently move the chains. Singleton is one of the only players on the entire offense, Warren included, with the burst to simply run away from defenders and make them miss to squeeze more out of a play than just what Kotelnicki schemes up. Even the great play-callers need game-breaking players to punish good defenses. With Singleton back to 100%, Penn State will bring its most dynamic offensive weapon into the Big Ten Championship Game against Oregon. 

Dan Lanning’s Ducks will arrive in Indy with an offense loaded with game-breakers, Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart, and Jordan James to name a few, and for as well as Tom Allen’s defense has played, the Nittany Lions will have to score to hang around. The best version of Nicholas Singleton might give them a chance.