Nick Singleton chose to return to Penn State for another season in hopes of chasing a national championship, but that goal ultimately fell short. The Nittany Lions stumbled out of the gate under former head coach James Franklin, and their struggles continued as they finished just 3-6 in Big Ten play.
Singleton made an appearance at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, but his challenges continued, as an injury prevented him from taking part in the on-field drills.
Nick Singleton Shares Honest Confession About Recovery Struggles Before Turning Pro
Singleton aimed to impress scouts and coaches with his burst at this year’s NFL Combine, but he arrived at the interview podium riding a knee scooter and secured in a walking boot. He suffered a broken foot at the Senior Bowl and spent much of his media session on Friday fielding questions about the injury, his recovery timeline, and his standing as a potential wild card in this year’s draft.
Singleton believes he will be back at full speed shortly before the NFL Draft.
“During the Super Bowl, obviously, but you know, the week before the jazz should be ready to go,” Singleton said. “So on Monday, I should be able to get off this boot and start walking around.”
The Senior Bowl, where Singleton sustained the injury, carried added importance since he didn’t produce at the level he expected during his final season at Penn State. He was hurt during a one-on-one drill in practice at Hancock Whitney Stadium. After walking off the field, he was evaluated by trainers on the sideline before limping into the locker room.
Singleton is Penn State’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards. However, the 2025 season did little to boost his draft outlook, as he ran for 549 yards on 123 carries, both of which were his career lows.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar said on Friday that Kaytron Allen and Singleton are the top running backs in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, Allen clearly emerged as the more productive option for the Nittany Lions in 2025, as over their final six games, Singleton logged 53 carries compared to Allen’s 140. Allen closed the season ranked No. 8 nationally in the PFSN’s CFB RB Impact Metric with an 89.8 grade.
However, it is worth mentioning that Singleton earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors in 2023 and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2022. He was a former five-star recruit out of high school, as he was rated the No. 1 running back and the top overall prospect in Pennsylvania during the 2022 recruiting cycle.
He also earned Gatorade Football Player of the Year honors and picked up offers from every major college program before choosing Penn State.
