Penn State has a long and storied history when it comes to the running back position. Saquon Barkley, Curt Warner, Ki-Jana Carter, Franco Harris, and the school’s only Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti are just a few of the legendary backs who have worn the blue and white.
That tradition has continued to the current-day Nittany Lions, with the explosive duo of [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] and Nick Singleton leading a powerful rushing attack over the past two seasons. The junior runners will look to continue their dominance under new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in 2024, and the new-look offense could make them even more effective in 2024.
Kotelnicki has been praised for his ability to create explosive plays in the passing game while at Kansas, but his creativity in the run game could be even more important. This example here shows how he will diversify the run game this season.
Digging into Andy Kotelnicki’s offense as he prepares to take the Penn State OC job. What I love is there’s no limits to the run game. Spread option, wildcat formations, motions from and into the backfield, QB off center, it’s so damn creative.
Whole field is used offensively. pic.twitter.com/ZjimwdpcnI
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) November 30, 2023
Creating confusion for the opposing defense is the best way to create wide-open rushing lanes. While more space to take advantage of is theoretically better for the more explosive Singleton, Allen will benefit as well. He may not have the speed or acceleration that his teammate, but Allen has much better power, vision, and patience as a runner.
That combination helped him consistently churn out tough yards while outperforming Singleton in yards (902 vs 752) and yards per attempt (5.2 vs 4.4). Giving him more open lanes will allow him to get a full head of steam to detonate would-be tacklers in the open field. His vision will also help ensure that even if there isn’t a ton of space he can at least get positive yardage.
As I have said in previous stat predictions, Penn State’s new offense complicates things. While I expect the backfield workload to be split nearly 50/50 again in 2024, Singleton or Allen may show to be the better fit and end up receiving a bigger role.
For now, it seems unlikely that Kotelnicki would mess with a good thing. Both backs have different but equally useful skill sets, and I expect them both to be a big part of the offense this season.
Final Stats Prediction: 950 yards rushing on 175 carries, 20 receptions for 120 yards, 10 total touchdowns