In the NIL Era, Penn State's Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen Chart a Tandem Course

Staying with Penn State "says a lot about these two kids in this world," according to Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider.

Penn State running backs Nicholas Singleton (10) and Kaytron Allen pictured at the 2022 Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Ja'Juan Seider, Penn State's running backs coach, might have one of the most delicate jobs on staff. How does he manage to keep backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen happy in a position room, and an offense, that actively considers them co-starters? Further, how does he manage to keep them together on a roster when one could transfer elsewhere potentially for more carries, yards or NIL money?

Asked about this recently, Seider said he does so by being "honest and transparent." And then he was pretty transparent about his approach.

"It wasn’t easy, because we all know that people were calling these kids behind closed doors and trying to play one against the other," Seider said. "But it says a lot about who they are as men and how loyal they are. ... I knew some things were going on. There's not a secret out there that I don't talk to those guys about, because they know I've got their best interests at heart. There's nobody who's going to fight for them more than I am. I'm going to take the heat for them."

Singleton and Allen enter their junior seasons at Penn State in unique positions. Neither back has finished a season with 175 carries. Allen's high is 172, Singleton's is 171. In college football last year, 30 running backs nationwide topped 200 carries. Missouri's Cody Schrader, a first-team All-American, totaled 276 carries. At Ole Miss, Quinshon Judkins (now with Ohio State) ran 271 times.

Partly because of that, Singleton and Allen have combined for just one 1,000-yard rushing season (Singleton's 1,061 yards as a freshman). And they continue to say they're fine with it. As Singleton said, "We just don't have that, I want to say the word is greediness. We love each other. We always look out for each other."

And, Seider said, they have a coach looking out for them. In his seventh season at Penn State, Seider has recruited some top-flight backs while watching several leave through the NCAA Transfer Portal. Playing time often was a reason for those who departed. But now, he has two backs who have chosen to stay with Penn State, in this system, and appear to be thriving. How? Again, Seider referenced being "honest and transparent."

Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider catches a ball during warmups before facing West Virginia at Beaver Stadium in 2023. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Everything I told them during the recruiting process happened," Seider said. "I said there's going to be a chance you're going to play early. It happens. I said there's a chance you both can play together. It happens. I said there's a chance you guys are going to be co-starters. It's happening. So never once have I lied to those kids. And I think that's the relationship we have.

"And then I've got a really good track record of developing guys to get them to where they want to go in the NFL. And also, [Singleton and Allen] are going to leave here healthier than most guys that play that position. So I think that's important when you talk about getting those guys to the next level, because they're pros. They're going to be pros, so how can I get those guys to get not one contract but then the second contract? And they bought in."

This is where an initiative like Happy Valley United's "Retain the Roar" project plays a role as well. Penn State's official NIL collective launched a $500,00 player-retention campaign this year designed to keep players such as Singleton and Allen on the roster for at least three years. But Seider said that the backs themselves have embrace their roles with the program.

"They know, 'I can still achieve all my goals and have a chance to do what we all want to do — and that's win and still at the end of the day have an opportunity to play in the NFL,'" Seider said. "Could it have been different if they were the feature back? Yeah. We all know they could be 1,600-, 1,700-yard rushers easily. But they put individual goals aside for team goals. And that says a lot about these two kids in this world where we can all be selfish."

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.