Schools tried to poach Penn State’s Nick Singleton. Why did the star RB stay loyal?

Nick Singleton and his parents hopped on a Zoom call with his name, image and likeness agents earlier this offseason. The star Penn State running back, after breaking onto the national scene as a freshman, was coming off a frustrating sophomore season. But Singleton had no intention of leaving via the transfer portal.

Still, his agents felt it was worthwhile to bring something to Singleton’s attention: There were other top college football programs willing to throw big money his way.

Again, Singleton was not in the portal, nor did he plan on submitting his name and seeking out a new team. But there were schools out there that made it clear to his agents that Singleton could play for them and make more money than he would in Happy Valley.

“There was money put out there. But Nicholas was never going to leave,” Singleton’s father, Tim, told PennLive, when asked if teams reached out to the All-Big Ten back this offseason. “It was more important to stay at Penn State with his teammates and coaches. He wanted to be loyal as opposed to leaving and going somewhere else for more money.”

The fact that Singleton was presented with the opportunity shouldn’t come as a shock.

Singleton and Kaytron Allen are two of the best running backs not only in the Big Ten but in college football. They could go almost anywhere and be the No. 1 option, which is why James Franklin and Penn State have made a concerted effort to make sure both are happy. They’ve been co-starters, rotating every couple series and splitting reps. They’re both getting their touches while staying fresh for the NFL.

And yet, in this age of NIL where recklessness often reigns, there was the ever-present possibility that Singleton or Allen could transfer. A school could have swooped in and poached them with a splashy monetary offer through a donor collective.

Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider acknowledged last October that was something Penn State had to deal with following the 2022 season: “Someone could have plucked them. I know other teams tried to do that this offseason, tried to play one against the other.”

The same thing happened after the 2023 season. But those attempts, just like they did in 2022, didn’t materialize.

Singleton and Allen are back at Penn State, revving up for their junior season, which kicks off Saturday at West Virginia. Penn State is eyeing a berth in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, and the two tailbacks will be integral pieces in that push.

When Singleton was on Zoom with his agents, calling in from State College, his father could tell right away it wasn’t going to sway his son to leave ahead of such a high-stakes season.

“I looked at his face, and it was, ‘Nah,’ ” Tim Singleton said. “We didn’t even want to hear the numbers, to be honest. I just saw his face. That wasn’t something that he would’ve done.

“If you’re at this level you have an ego, and you hear what other players are getting. You have to weigh that. You can go to School X and get $1 million or $800,000 or whatever. Or you can stay here. Penn State isn’t paying that, at least what I know of. But you’re happy. Your family can come see you. You’re comfortable. With Seider and Franklin, I couldn’t even see him going in the room and telling them that. All because of money? That’s not him or us. … He made a commitment to Penn State, and all the other stuff will come. The money will come.”

It helps that Singleton’s profile is big enough to enjoy NIL opportunities with national brands.

The former five-star prospect from Governor Mifflin was the 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior in high school; he still has a partnership with Gatorade. He also signed an NIL deal with West Shore Home before suiting up for the Nittany Lions.

Singleton secured more NIL opportunities after capping his explosive 2022 season with a memorable performance in the Rose Bowl. Last August, Singleton inked NIL deals with Beats by Dre and Rhoback. Last November, he became an ambassador for Dunkin’.

Singleton’s father didn’t divulge how much money Singleton is making off those deals, other than to say he’s “doing well” for a 20-year-old college student.

One thing Singleton’s father emphasized — and this is something his coaches have said in the past, too — is that the added attention and the NIL deals haven’t shifted Singleton’s focus away from the football field.

Singleton’s first season went smoothly. He rushed for 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns and earned the reputation as a big-play threat, ripping off seven runs of 40 yards or more — ranking second among all FBS running backs. For those who weren’t familiar with his game, Singleton announced himself on the national stage with an 87-yard touchdown run in the Rose Bowl.

Singleton was riding a wave of momentum into the 2023 season. He was even considered a Heisman Trophy dark horse as a sophomore. But last year wasn’t as kind to Singleton. He rushed for fewer yards (752) and touchdowns (eight) and didn’t record a rush of 30-plus yards, let alone the 40 and 50-yarders that became semi-regular in 2022.

Singleton’s dip in production can be partly attributed to Penn State’s offense taking a step back. Drew Allar was efficient but the passing game wasn’t as explosive as some hoped it would be. The wide receivers struggled to create separation. Brenton Strange’s blocking at tight end was missed. After losses to Ohio State and Michigan, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was fired.

“They wanted him to be a more complete back between the tackles. If you tell Nicholas to do X, Y and Z, he’s going to do X, Y and Z. And when you start doing that, it slows you down. You’re not playing with instincts,” Singleton’s father said. “I know Seider, by the middle of the year, was telling him, ‘You’ve got to start looking at it differently. Sometimes you just have to go for it.’ But it got to the point where it became a habit. It became a snowball effect. Now you’re pressing.

“Sometimes it was frustrating. But I understood that everything is a process. You’re going to go through ups and downs. You just have to keep working. You trust Coach Seider and Coach Franklin. They’re going to get Nicholas to where he needs to be. Everything isn’t going to be perfect all the time. Last year was probably the first time he struggled since flag football.”

The relationship Singleton has with Franklin and Seider, especially the latter, was a major factor why the running back didn’t entertain entering the transfer portal. That understanding — and the introduction of a new offense — is also a primary source of optimism.

Penn State appreciates what kind of talent it has in Singleton. Seider knows it. Franklin knows it. And after being hired in December, new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki knows it.

There’s reason to believe that Singleton and Allen will thrive under Kotelnicki. The former Kansas and Buffalo coordinator is a creative play-caller who is known to put the ball in the hands of his best players. Singleton is unequivocally one of those players.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Singleton return to his explosive 2022 form, reassert himself as one of the best backs in the country and have an NFL decision on his hands in the winter. Singleton’s father said nothing has been decided yet; his son wants to focus on the season, knowing that, as Franklin always says, team success leads to individual attention.

But if Singleton gets to that point — if he’s selected in the 2025 NFL Draft — he’ll hear his name announced as: “Nick Singleton, running back, Penn State.” Not any school other than Penn State — just as he and his family always intended.