How Penn State Built the Nation’s Best Backfield

Just four days after the Orange Bowl, Penn State running back Niccolas Singleton made headlines by announcing his return for a fourth season. Ten minutes later, fellow running back Kaytron Allen did the same.

The Singleton-Allen tandem now enters its fourth season, giving each back a chance to etch his name in Penn State football history. Singleton sits 1,021 yards away from surpassing Evan Royster atop the program’s career-rushing list. Allen needs 1,056 yards, so they’ll race to the title. Little wonder that Pro Football Focus ranks Penn State’s running backs room No. 1 in the country.

But the Nittany Lions don’t stop there. Penn State has seven scholarship running backs on its roster, as none chose to enter the transfer portal this offseason and two freshmen enrolled with the 2025 recruiting class. Though Penn State coach James Franklin said he wants to play three backs at the position, there’s not enough ball to go around the room.

So who will join Singleton and Allen in Penn State’s busy backfield? We continue our position-by-position look at the 2025 Penn State Nittany Lions with the running backs. 

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Senior Nick Singleton

Singleton burst onto the scene in 2022 at Auburn, where he rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns in his third collegiate game. He capped the performance with a 54-yard touchdown, finding a gaping hole and put the country on notice with his breakaway speed.

The former No. 1 running back recruit in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite, has built quite the resume. He has accumulated 2,912 yards and 32 touchdowns rushing in three seasons while also playing a prominent role in the passing game, totaling 768 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.  

Singleton is truly a do-it-all back and showed it in his career-best season last year. He posted personal bests in rushing yards (1,099), receiving yards (375) and total touchdowns (17). But Singleton still has aspects of his game to improve, one reason he returned. Penn State coach James Franklin highlighted one component during spring drills.  

“He’s been a guy that obviously, extremely strong, extremely explosive, extremely fast, but we want to work on those open-field runs so he can get more 80-yard, 90-yard runs, which we think he is capable of getting,” Franklin said in April.

Senior Kaytron Allen

Franklin admitted to being surprised that both Singleton and Allen returned together, even though they shared the position for three seasons. Their differences are one reason. Allen (5-11, 217 pounds) is a bruising, physical back who is hard to tackle.

The Virginia native doesn’t have the breakaway speed Singleton possesses but compensates with his sheer power. The formula for Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki is simple: Allen wears opposing defenses down, and Singleton takes advantage with his explosive plays. 

Allen logged a career-high 220 carries (to Singleton’s 172) last season and led the team in rushing yards and 100-yard games. He was at his best in the postseason, posting a 14-carry, 124-yard performance against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game and a 17-carry, 134-yard showcase in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise State. 

Allen has been one of the most consistent backs in college football since his debut in 2022, eclipsing the 850-yard mark three times. But he also has aspects of his game to sharpen. Allen has minimal explosiveness; his longest rush last year was 32 yards. Franklin saw Allen make strides in that area this offseason. 

“He looks faster,” Franklin said in April. “He looks more explosive … I think that explosiveness and that speed he’s playing with right now is gonna be big for him.”

Both backs also could benefit from a fresh perspective. After spending three seasons with running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider, who recruited them, Singleton and Allen will work with former Temple head coach Stan Drayton, a key new member of Penn State’s coaching staff.

Redshirt freshman Quinton Martin Jr.

Martin, a Pennsylvania native, was a 4-star prospect in Penn State’s 2024 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. The Belle Vernon High School graduate, who carried 13 times for 36 yards last season, enters his second year at Penn State as a lead candidate for the No. 3 spot. 

“I’ve seen a difference in Quinton Martin,” Penn State strength coach Chuck Losey said this offseason. “That kid is dialed in right now. He understands the player he wants to be and he doesn’t want to watch on the sideline with me over there.”

Redshirt freshman Corey Smith

Smith rushed for 152 yards on 22 carries last season, getting 78 of them on a touchdown run vs. Washington in the 2024 Penn State White Out. Smith (5-10, 193 pounds) has a burst and doesn’t shy from the backfield competition. 

“This is a real competitive room, and that’s good for us; we’re competitive running backs,” Smith said in February. “We all compete with each other.”

Redshirt sophomore Cam Wallace

Wallace left the fourth quarter of Penn State’s 56-0 win over Kent State last year with a “long-term” injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Before his departure, Wallace was the No. 3 running back on the depth chart. He rushed for 66 yards on 18 attempts in just three games. 

While he was the third back in 2024, it’s hard to presume he re-enters that role in 2025, particularly with Martin and Smith progressing. Wallace likely will be eased into game action this year as he fully recovers from his injury. 

Freshman Tikey Hayes

A 4-star back in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, Hayes hopes his dominance in high school translates to college. In his four years at Aliquippa High School, Hayes was a workhorse, totaling 6,995 rushing yards and 99 touchdowns on 746 attempts, including two seasons eclipsing 2,000 yards. Hayes also was a two-year captain and four-time all-state player.

Hayes enrolled early and showed some bounce in the Blue-White Game. The depth chart is busy ahead of him, but Hayes will earn some carries even if he redshirts.

Freshman Jabree Coleman

Another Pennsylvania high school back, Coleman was a 4-star prospect at Imhotep Charter and enrolled during the spring. He is the only scholarship back who wasn’t on the roster for spring drills and has some catch-up to conduct.

Coleman, who committed to Georgia in 2022 before ultimately choosing Penn State, was a four-year letterman and two-year team captain at Imhotep. He rushed for 1,610 yards as a junior and 1,135 as a senior.

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