STATE COLLEGE — Penn State star Nick Singleton went back and forth — or in his words, “right and left” — on what to do: leave for the 2025 NFL draft or come back for one more year.
After Penn State’s season ended at the Orange Bowl, Singleton sat down with his family to weigh his options. And on Jan. 13, four days after the College Football Playoff semifinal loss to Notre Dame, Singleton announced that he would return for his senior season.
On Tuesday night, Singleton met with reporters for the first time since that CFP defeat. The last time we heard from Singleton was when he was emotionally spent at the Hard Rock Stadium postgame podium, acknowledging that he didn’t know what his future held.
Fast forward three months, and Singleton is working on his craft in spring camp, looking to lead the Nittany Lions back to the CFP with the goal of winning it all.
“The reason why I came back was just how the season ended,” Singleton said. “Everybody was upset, and most of the players that we came in with as freshmen were coming back to compete for a national championship. So that kind of made me want to come back.”
Singleton kickstarted a joyous day for fans Jan. 13. At 2:16 p.m., the star running back posted on social media that he would be back for the 2025 season. Kaytron Allen, his backfield co-star, did the same 10 minutes later. Dani Dennis-Sutton, the disruptive first-round talent at defensive end, joined the party a couple hours later.
Those declarations, along with quarterback Drew Allar making his intentions known before the CFP and players like Zakee Wheatley and Zane Durant announcing their returns shortly after the Orange Bowl, set the tone for Penn State’s offseason.
Sure, Abdul Carter left to become a top-five draft pick. That was expected. But the vast majority of Penn State’s foundational 2022 recruiting class decided that the NFL could wait. The band was getting back together for another national championship push.
Singleton is a big reason why Penn State is considered a preseason title contender. The former Governor Mifflin standout has been both a workhorse and an electric playmaker for the Nittany Lions, racking up 3,680 total yards and 40 touchdowns over the last three years.
Singleton was particularly good last postseason. In three CFP games and the Big Ten title tilt against Oregon, Singleton exploded for 449 yards and six scores. He and Allen were running rampant, putting Penn State on the cusp of a national title berth.
Singleton’s stellar play on the big stage had to make his NFL decision that much tougher. He was healthy and firing on all cylinders, and NFL coaches and executives took notice. But there were several factors working against an early exit.
Singleton said his decision “wasn’t about the money,” but NIL has undoubtedly played a role in high-profile players staying in school longer than they otherwise would. Singleton also had yet to secure his degree.
From an on-field development standpoint, Singleton believes there’s more work to be done to become a complete, three-down back. This spring, he and new running backs coach Stan Drayton are focusing on making players miss in the second and third levels of the defense. Vision and stiff-arm drills have helped. So has the fresh perspective of Drayton, an accomplished coach hired to replace Ja’Juan Seider.
If he continues to improve, there’s a real chance Singleton can contend for national awards, break program records and be the top tailback in the 2026 NFL draft. This year’s draft class, headlined by Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, was deeper than usual, which may have played a factor, as well.
Then, of course, there was the heartbreaking loss in Miami.
Asked about the way last season ended, Singleton said he has “put it to bed.” But inherently, that disappointment has fueled the Nittany Lions through this offseason, and it fueled stars like Singleton to return. He made that abundantly clear days after the Orange Bowl.
“We have accomplished a lot here, and we took another big step forward this season,” Singleton wrote Jan. 13. “But we know we are capable of being even better.”