Penn State Football 2024 Forecast: An Important Season for the Running Backs

Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen return as tandem starters in a deep Nittany Lions backfield.

Penn State freshman running backs Nicholas Singleton (10) and Kaytron Allen share a laugh together during the 2023 Blue-White Game. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Running back easily represents one of Penn State’s most complete position groups heading into 2024. And with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen heading into their third years as co-starters, coach Ja’Juan Seider’s group shows no signs of stopping.

A pair of young names should vie for playing time behind Singleton and Allen. Meanwhile, the position’s dynamic has shifted only slightly thanks to the transfer portal. Let’s dive into this year’s “LawnBoyz” to continue our Penn State position breakdown series.

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The Storyline

Allen and Singleton — including their elite talent and contrast in styles — have not gone anywhere since picking up steam at the end of last season. Fans argue about which back is better, but both are top-tier backs in the Big Ten and are poised for another big season in Happy Valley. The main question is, Will this be their last? Allen and Singleton will be eligible to enter the 2025 NFL Draft and at this rate, both seem likely to do so.

With last year’s plug-and-play, third-string transfer Trey Potts in the NFL, the No. 3 spot holds some intrigue — not only for this fall but also for the future. Class of 2023 recruit London Montgomery entered the transfer portal, making it appear to be a two-man race between redshirt freshman Cam Wallace and early enrollee Quinton Martin.

The Alphas

Penn State fans are fully familiar with Allen and Singleton by now. Singleton crossed the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman in 2022 and followed that with 752 yards on 4.4 yards per carry and eight touchdowns in 2023. He proved he still has breakaway speed, even if he looked a step slower at times, and is a game-changer for Penn State. Singleton also won rave reviews from the coaching staff about his growth as an all-around runner, including his vision and physicality.

Allen, meanwhile, topped his 2022 total with 902 yards and rushed for six touchdowns. While he doesn’t have Singleton’s speed, he is a crafty and physical ballcarrier, consistently able to find narrow holes through the line of scrimmage and perpetually fall forward for extra yardage. There’s a reason these two were named Penn State’s offensive MVPs at the end of last season.

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The Players You Don’t Know Yet

Wallace and Martin got their chances to shine at the Blue-White Game and did exactly that. Wallace was busy, taking seven carries for 36 yards, good for an efficient 5.1 yard-per-carry mark. Martin toted the ball six times, picking up 34 yards and a pair of good-looking touchdowns. Their competition should be fun to watch this year.

Wallace did not see action as he redshirted in 2023, but he's a great athlete who showed solid speed and agility in his spring-game action. There’s some buzz about him among coaches and teammates. 

Martin, Pennsylvania’s No. 3 prospect and the nation’s No. 6 running back out of high school, has plenty of potential, both as a back and a pass-catcher. He’s still raw, as coaches have said he needed time to adjust to Penn State’s offseason workout program. But he’ll touch the ball this fall and can make a house call at any time. Expect him to compete to return kicks and punts as well.

The Issues at the Position

Penn State’s receiving out of the backfield has been lackluster recently. Singleton made big plays at the end of the season after Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle took over as interim offensive coordinators, but he was inconsistent on pass plays. Allen averaged just 6.23 yards on 14 catches.

Singleton said once again this spring that pass-catching remains one of his biggest focus points. Allen has also teased that first-year offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki will have his running backs split out as wide receivers at times.

Development in the passing game would allow Penn State’s talented backs to get the ball in space more often, subsequently creating better opportunities for explosive plays that eluded the offense last season. After all, it took Singleton until the Ohio State game on Oct. 21 and Allen until Michigan on Nov. 11 to record their first 20-yard runs of the campaign.

RELATED: The offensive line forecast for 2024

Can Penn State win the Big Ten with this Position Group?

Yes, 100 percent. Only Ohio State, which added Ole Miss back Quinshon Judkins from the transfer portal, or maybe Michigan with the return of Donovan Edwards, could claim on paper to have running back rooms on par with Penn State’s. And even then, Penn State probably wins those arguments because of the depth Wallace and Martin should provide.

Singleton and Allen’s performances took a dip, at least according to the eye test, in 2023. But poor play in the passing game and frequently questionable play-calling affected the group’s success. After turning Kansas into a top-10 rushing attack in the NCAA, Kotelnicki should have a field day in Happy Valley.

Max Ralph is a Penn State senior studying Broadcast Journalism with minors in sports studies and Japanese. He previously covered Penn State football for two years with The Daily Collegian and has reported with the Associated Press and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Follow him on Twitter (X) @maxralph_ and Instagram @mralph_59.