Penn State fans have many reasons to be excited about the running game going into the 2023 season. After stellar freshman seasons by both [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag], the bar has been set high for their expectations in the fall as they enter their sophomore seasons. And we have already seen this combo mentioned as arguably the nation’s best running back duo by one college football writer. Now, another ranking of the top rushing combos sees Singleton and Allen ranked among the best in the country.
247Sports ranked the top six running back backfields in the nation for the upcoming season, and the Big Ten claimed the top three spots on the list. Penn State’s tandem of Singleton and Allen came in second, however. Michigan took the top spot with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, which is a fair assessment. Corum was a legitimate Heisman Trophy contender last season before an injury late in the season, and Edwards came on strong when needed in the final games of Michigan’s season. Ohio State is third on the list, followed by Ole Miss, Arkansas, and Alabama, respectively.
Singleton and Allen combined for 1,928 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. Allen would have set the Penn State freshman rushing record for touchdowns in a season if not for Singleton. Singleton rushed for 12 touchdowns and Allen added 10.
Penn State hopes to get similar production out of its running game again this season with these two, if not more. Penn State’s offensive line continues to get bigger and stronger, which should allow for more opportunities for success on the ground, and the luxury of having two talented running backs to rely on in the backfield should help take some of the pressure off starting quarterback Drew Allar in his first year leading the offense as a starter.
CBS Sports writer Tom Fornelli recently called Singleton and Allen as his top running back duo in the country for the 2023 season.
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