STATE COLLEGE − Even coach James Franklin admitted that he wasn’t banking having both of his Penn State football star running backs for the upcoming season.
Maybe his electric, breakaway senior-to-be, Nick Singleton.
Or his relentless, pounding senior-to-be, Kaytron Allen.
“I thought there was a good chance early on that we would get one of them back,” similar, he said, to how co-starting tight end Tyler Warren returned for his senior season in 2024 while Theo Johnson left early for the NFL.
But to get both of his 1,000-yard rushers back for another College Football Playoff run?
It’s dynamic fortune for these Nittany Lions that comes during the middle of an intriguing and unexpected transition. Franklin must now hire a new assistant to coach them and the rest of his stocked running back room this spring, summer and fall.
With seven-year assistant Ja’Juan Seider reportedly leaving for Notre Dame, Penn State has a vacancy for “arguably the most attractive running back job in the country,” Franklin said during a Tuesday media session in the Pegula Ice Arena that included Nittany Lions freshmen.
A room led by Singleton and Allen, who both could break the school’s career rushing record this season.
“With Nick, (his return) was a little bit like (former offensive tackle Olu Fashanu), where getting his degree, finishing what he started, taking a few more steps. I think that was a factor for him,” Franklin said.
“One of the most exciting things about Kaytron is Kaytron has never really had an offseason. Every offseason, he’s had some injury that has really limited his development. So, you know, with him really having his first off-season where he’s been healthy, I think he’s really excited about what he can do, and I know we’re really excited.
“I think they also, now, are at a point of their career, that I think early on, maybe they struggled splitting time. I think now they understand the value of splitting time.”
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They will lead in an increasingly crowded room. Penn State’s roster features seven scholarship tailbacks, including redshirt sophomore Cam Wallace, redshirt freshmen Corey Smith and Quentin Martin and rookies Tiqwai Hayes and Jabree Wallace-Coleman.
Martin and Smith, for example, said they are not considering a transfer out.
“I was surprised, honestly,” Martin said, when asked about both Singleton and Allen returning. “They’re both fantastic backs.
“I definitely thought one of them was going to end up going to the (NFL) draft, but it is what it is. It happened. They decided to stay, they thought that was what’s best for them, so I’m going to be by their side.”
Penn State’s newest assistant coach should be in place well before spring practice begins in late March. Will it be more of a young, up-and-comer in the coaching world or a well-established veteran?
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Here’s what Franklin said he’s looking for:
“It’s about how are you going to get the return on your investment. What I mean by that is, there’s some young guys that you can hire that are on an upward trajectory, are going to have really good careers, but you may not get the return on your investment until year two.
“And then there’s other guys who are much more seasoned, but you want to make sure that they haven’t gotten to the point of their career where they’re starting to decline and go in the opposite direction. So, you kind of find that sweet spot of a guy who’s got enough experience, both in coaching and in recruiting at this level, and that we’re going to get the return on our investment quickly. “
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Why Nicholas Singleton, Kaytron Allen returned to Penn State football
