Hall of Famer Jack Ham has watched Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen from the Penn State radio booth the last three seasons.
Longtime Nittany Lions offensive coordinator and running backs coach Fran Ganter has observed Singleton and Allen from his seat in the east stands at Beaver Stadium.
Both marvel at arguably the best backfield in the country and perhaps the best pair at Penn State since Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris were their teammates more than 50 years ago.
“I’m probably going to get into a lot of trouble with guys I coached by saying this,” Ganter said, “but I can’t remember Penn State having two this good at the same time. We had six or seven first-round draft picks over a period of time. I can’t picture two like these two.”
Singleton and Allen have a chance to finish their careers as the Lions’ top two leading rushers. They’re the first classmates since Mitchell and Harris to top 2,000 yards and two of the chief reasons why Penn State has such great expectations this season.
“To be candid, I’m looking for big things from both of these guys,” said Ham, the only Penn State alum to be inducted into the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. “These guys realize besides trying to win a national championship, they’re auditioning for the NFL. It seems like both of those guys have taken it very seriously.”
Singleton and Allen could have opted for the NFL after last season. They chose to return to seek the same glory, including helping the Lions win a national title and becoming All-Americans.
They also want to win the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back and the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s outstanding player. They know only one of them can do that, yet their bond is as strong as their legs as they begin their fourth season as backfield mates and their third season as roommates.
“This is so unique,” Ham said. “They’re so supportive when the other guy is in the game. You can’t fake that. It’s a very unique situation. They pull for each other like brothers. I admire that.”
Mitchell and Harris also were very close, according to Ham and Ganter, who were one year ahead of them at Penn State.
Former Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris, right, shares a moment with Nittany Lions coach Joe Paterno before a dinner in Pittsburgh in 2006. (AP Photo)
Ham was an All-American linebacker with the Lions and a six-time All-Pro with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He can remember Harris and Mitchell being on the scout team in 1968 when freshmen weren’t eligible to play varsity and Ham was a starter as a sophomore.
“You could see the talent of Franco and Lydell compared to what we had,” Ham recalled. “That was as good a scout team as you’re going to go up against. You could tell they were going to be special.
“I remember going to (running backs) Fran Ganter, Joel Ramich and Gary Deuel and saying, ‘You may want to get in all of your carries this year. It may not happen for you after that.’ ”
Mitchell rushed for 2,934 yards and 38 touchdowns in his career, including 1,567 yards and 26 TDs as a senior in 1971. He was a first-team All-American and was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
He was drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Colts and was a three-time Pro Bowl pick in his nine NFL seasons.
“Lydell had a lot of finesse,” Ganter said. “He could make you miss. He could spin. He could juke and jive. He had great feet.”
Harris finished with 2,002 yards and 24 TDs in his Penn State career, including 684 yards as a senior in 1971. He was drafted in the first round by the Steelers, rushed for 12,120 yards in his 13 NFL seasons, scored 100 touchdowns, was a Super Bowl MVP and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He died suddenly in December 2022.
“Franco kind of thundered through a hole and ran through tackles,” Ganter said. “A lot of people don’t understand how big of a man Franco was. He was a strong guy.
“He and Lydell were great college backs. They were a perfect combination, just like Singleton and Allen.”
Singleton enjoyed a spectacular high school career at Gov. Mifflin, where he set Berks County career records for rushing yards and touchdowns. He became a five-star recruit and the first Gatorade National High School Player of the Year to commit to Penn State.
As a freshman in 2022, he ran for 1,061 yards and 12 TDs, including a dazzling 87-yard burst in the Rose Bowl win over Utah. He dipped to 752 yards as a sophomore before rebounding with 1,099 yards and 12 scores last season.
“He’s probably about 225 and runs a 4.3 (in the 40-yard dash),” Ham said. “He has that quickness in the hole. He has the ability when to bounce it outside and when to put his foot in the ground and go forward.
“He can be physical. You’ve seen him near the goal line. But he also can be that nifty guy and turn a 5-yard run into a 50-yard run.”
Singleton is on track to break Penn State career records for rushing touchdowns, overall touchdowns and all-purpose yards. All three of those marks are held by Saquon Barkley.
College Football Hall of Famer Lydell Mitchell rushed for 2,934 yards and 38 touchdowns at Penn State from 1969-71. (AP Photo/John Marshall Mantel)
His breakaway speed has been compared to those of Barkley and 1994 Heisman Trophy runner-up Ki-Jana Carter. He has 12 runs of at least 40 yards in his career.
“Singleton has unbelievable speed,” Ganter said. “I don’t know if we had anybody who ran as fast as he does. When he gets into the secondary, you hold your breath. He can take it the distance any time and he’s not going to get caught.”
Allen grew up in Norfolk, Va., and played three seasons at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He was a four-star prospect who committed to Penn State 10 days after Singleton did.
He’s been extremely consistent, averaging between 5.0 and 5.2 per carry in each of his three seasons. He led Penn State with 1,108 rushing yards last season when they became the first Lions teammates to reach 1,000 in the same year.
Some project him to be a better pro prospect than Singleton because of his punishing inside running.
“He never gives up,” Ganter said. “He’s always fighting for extra yardage. He must have tremendously strong legs because he carries people. He has some power.”
Allen has lost about 10 pounds without losing his brute force. It’s been noticeable during preseason practice.
“I was at practice one day and I mistook him for Singleton,” Ham said. “He’s committed. He’s dropped weight. He’s quicker. I remember a run he had last year that might have been called back. He was dragging people.
“He is such an effort guy. He is such a physical guy. He’s running through arm tackles in the third and fourth quarter.”
Both have worked on and improved their pass-catching ability and their pass protection since they were freshmen.
“Every time a quarterback drops back, I always watch the running backs to see if they’re good, tough blockers and pick up a blitz,” Ganter said. “Both of these kids are tough and stick their noses in there. That’s not the case with a lot of backs around the country.”
Singleton and Allen are unselfish and Penn State’s two best playmakers on offense. They were especially effective in the 2024-25 postseason, combining to rush for 776 yards and eight touchdowns and average 6.9 per carry against Oregon, SMU, Boise State and Notre Dame.
Singleton begins this season ranked 10th in school history with 2,912 yards, 35 ahead of Allen in 11th. They’re both chasing the all-time record held by Evan Royster, who gained 3,932 from 2007-10.
They also returned to try to improve their draft stock with their sights set on the first round.
Because they’ve shared the load in college, they have less wear and tear on their bodies. Ham said they’ll both be “productive and durable” as pros.
“I like their futures,” Ganter said. “I think they’re both going to be NFL players for a lot of years. They look like big-time backs.”
