Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1486024
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 2 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M yards heading into the bowl game, while Allen has 830. With Lee unavailable for much of the season, and fourth-year junior Devyn Ford opting to leave the team after see- ing his role diminish in the early going, the development of the two newcomers was not so much a luxury as a necessity. Running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider said he considers Allen and Singleton "co-starters." Said Seider, "I really want them to rotate." The decision to promote Al- len ahead of the Ohio State game "had nothing to do with Nick," Seider said in October. "I actually think Nick is start- ing to play really well the last few games. I know his stats don't seem that way, but he has, and it was me just mixing it up. "It will be something I continue to do, because I think they both deserve to start. It's like having a hot hand. You want to run with both of those kids be- cause they're both playing well, and they both feed off each other." Ready To Compete Allen knew what he was getting into when he committed to Penn State. He announced for the Nittany Lions in July 2021, just 10 days after Singleton offered his verbal commitment. To Franklin, that in itself was a positive sign. "We want to recruit guys who aren't scared based on the room that they're coming into," he said. "They're choosing Penn State because of the academics and the campus and the environment and the culture. They say, 'Look, I'm going to come to Penn State and I'm going to compete. If I plan on playing at the next level, it's going to prepare me for that.' "I loved how those guys approached it," the coach added. "It never really im- pacted them." Allen's high school resume might have been overshadowed by Singleton's, the latter having won Gatorade National High School Player of the Year honors. But it was still gaudy. In addition to his stellar career at IMG, he had rushed for 1,465 yards as a freshman at Norview (Va.) High. By the time he enrolled at Penn State, he'd already shed about 10 pounds, down to 215. While much of the atten- tion was focused on Singleton, Allen was impressing the coaching staff in spring practice and establishing himself as a player who would bear watching as a true freshman. Franklin said that Allen's experience at IMG, where he played alongside elite prospects such as future Georgia signee Lovasea Carroll, helped prepare him to compete at Penn State. Franklin expects Allen's physical transformation to continue. While he's down to about 200 pounds right now, the coaching staff would like to see him pack a bit more muscle onto his frame. That work will begin in earnest when the offseason gets underway. For now, he's doing just fine as a "co-starter" with Singleton in a Penn State offense that has improved its per- carry rushing average from 3.2 yards in 2021 to 4.8 yards through 12 games this season. "He's thriving in a lot of ways," Franklin said. "He's a some- what quiet guy and not the most expressive guy, so to see him on Saturday and watch that kid smile and see his whole face light up and see the team react to him is cool. "He's really starting to break out of his shell. I'm really proud of him. He's a guy that's killed it academically since he stepped on campus. He's just thriving at Penn State, and I'm really happy for him." ■ With Allen (left) and Singleton sharing the spotlight, Penn State is the first team in Big Ten history to have two fresh- man running backs with more than 700 yards apiece. PHOTO BY DANIEL ALTHOUSE "Kaytron has the ability to set up blocks. He has tremen- dous vision. Like we saw [against Ohio State], he has the ability to finish runs with power. He's just a very well- rounded running back. He's got a very high football IQ." J A M E S F R A N K L I N