Film Evaluation: Nick Singleton
One of the biggest pieces of the Penn State recruiting class fell into place on Tuesday. Governor Mifflin running back Nick Singleton chose the Nittany Lions over Notre Dame, Alabama, Wisconsin and Texas A&M in a hotly contested race between top Power 5 schools.
Now that Ja'Juan Seider has landed the four-star tailback, what are the Nittany Lions getting in the player that many consider the top tailback on PSU's recruiting board?
Analyst Thomas Frank Carr watched his junior film and found what makes Singleton tick as a runner.
Related: Nick Singleton's trainer opens up about new PSU running back
Strengths
Big Play Ability: Part of Singleton’s reputation as a big-play runner is the Governor Mifflin triple-option, which puts him in position to rip off big runs on the perimeter of the defense. That being said, Singleton takes full advantage of it, using an explosive initial burst and track speed in the open field to get to the end zone untouched. He routinely outruns defender’s pursuit angles and chews up chunks of yardage.
Hammer: Despite the speed and good elusiveness, Singleton is a no-nonsense runner that is more of a hammer than anything. He has developed a good body lean and pad level on contact and runs with a low profile into contact. This leads to broken tackles, and consistent yardage falling forward. They say you can’t teach speed, but you also can’t teach tenacity, which Singleton has in spades.
Following Blocks: Singleton is a disciplined running back with very good vision and patience. He doesn’t try to turn the corner and outrun the defense to the sideline on every run, which would be easy given that 90 percent of his runs are pitch plays. He patiently waits for his blocks and cuts upfield decisively to maximize his yardage. The sudden change of direction skills, vision and patience make him a mature runner.
Areas of Development
Power: If you’re going to be a hammer, you need the tools to run like a hammer. Singleton is on a very good trajectory and should easily be able to add the lower-body mass and power needed to consistently break more tackles and gain more yardage after contact. His frame can easily support the strength necessary to achieve this and should not be a problem.
Creativity: Singleton is such a mature runner that we can move on to more advanced aspects of playing the position to fine-tune his profile. This comes down more to style, but Singleton could stand to be a bit more creative and spontaneous with his moves in space.
Passing Game: Singleton was almost never used as a receiver last season so his abilities are unknown. It may be a huge stretch, but he seems very natural dealing with pitches from the quarterback and doesn’t fight the ball in flight. Clearly more information is needed on his abilities as a receiver and his work as a blocker is still in development.
Projection
Lead Back: Size, speed, power, tenacity. Singleton has just about everything you could ask for in a lead tailback who can hit home runs while also keeping you ahead of the chains. His frame is perfect for the position and his running style is well-suited to gaining extra yards on every play. While his play in space can improve, it should not be seen as an overt negative, and more of a description of his style. Singleton is an excellent prospect and has the potential to see the field early in his career.
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