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STATE COLLEGE — For quite some time, Penn State football coach James Franklin didn’t know whether running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen would stay in his program or go to the NFL.
“It was a scramble,” Franklin said Tuesday. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out. It wasn’t just us talking to them. The agents were talking to them as well. Everyone was providing information about the NFL, so I wasn’t really sure.
“I thought there was a good chance early on that we would get one of them back. But then it started to look like we may be able to get both of them back.”
Singleton and Allen announced within hours last month that they would play for the Nittany Lions in 2025, bolstering their championship hopes. Both players had 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2024 and helped lead Penn State to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl.
They made their decisions expecting Ja’Juan Seider, their position coach during their Penn State careers, also would be returning. But news broke earlier this week that Seider, who had the second-longest tenure on the staff, is leaving to become the running backs coach at Notre Dame.
“Ja’Juan Seider did a great job for us,” Franklin said in his first media availability since the 27-24 CFP semifinal loss to the Fighting Irish. “I’m very appreciative of Ja’Juan and his family. His son (Jaden) played for us. We wish him nothing but the best.
“In some ways it’s a shame that in college football seven years is a long time. He gave our program and our community seven years. He did a really good job for us.”
Seider was instrumental in recruiting and developing Singleton and Allen.
Allen rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns this past season and Singleton ran for 1,099 yards and 12 TDs. In addition, Singleton…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/star-running-backs-returning-james-044700723.html
Author : Reading Eagle, Pa.
Publish date : 2025-02-12 04:47:00
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