Coming into the 2025 college season, the Penn State Nittany Lions were considered a strong national championship contender. It didn’t work out that way, as the Nittany Lions season crumbled into oblivion. However, the program still produced several prospects that are of interest to the New Orleans Saints and the rest of the league in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. One of those prospects is Nicholas Singleton, part of a dynamic Penn State duo at running back.New Orleans may not look to draft a running back early on after the signing of Travis Etienne in free agency.
However, Alvin Kamara may be in decline, Kendre Miller is injury-prone, and Devin Neal is relatively unproven. Because of those factors, don’t be surprised if the Saints add another back in the mid-rounds of the draft. Singleton is among a handful of talented runners who could still be on the board in that range.
Nick Singleton bio
- Position: Running back
- College: Penn State Nittany Lions
- Height: 6-feet
- Weight: 219 pounds
An incredible scholastic career for Singleton at Governor Mifflin High School in Eastern Pennsylvania totaled over 6,300 career rushing yards with 116 touchdowns and concluded with him being named the 2022 Gatorade Football Player of the Year. He was part of a star recruiting class by the Nittany Lions that year that included fellow running back Kaytron Allen and quarterback Drew Allar. Singleton led Penn State in rushing as a freshman in 2022, picking up 1,061 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while winning Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earning 2nd Team All-Big Ten honors.
In 2023, Singleton’s 752 rushing yards were edged out by Allen (902) for the team lead, but he’d pace the Nittany Lions with 8 touchdowns. Both backs rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2024. Singleton had 1,099 yards to Allen’s 1,108, but Singleton’s 12 touchdowns led the squad. The 2025 campaign plummeted into disaster for Penn State.
Singleton’s rushing numbers fell to a career-worst 549 yards, but his 13 scores were a career-high and led the team. Singleton concluded his Penn State career with 3,461 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns. He is the storied program’s career leader in rushing touchdowns and third in all-time rushing yardage.
Strengths
- Enticing blend of size and speed
- Explosive breakaway speed
- Instant acceleration through open holes
- Underrated power to break through tackles
- Good receiving skills (102-987 yards, 9 scores)
- Adds value as a kickoff returner
Weaknesses
- Needs to show better vision and feel for cutback lanes
- Gets strung out east-to-west by defenses too easily
- Must have better elusiveness at second level
- Doesn’t have great cutting ability
Nick Singleton 2026 draft outlook
If he’d entered the 2025 draft, Singleton may have been an early Day 2 or perhaps even a late first round surprise. Penn State’s miserable season also exposed a few of his own shortcomings as a player to this point, causing a drop in stock that could even take him midway into Day 3. Singleton doesn’t possess the power of Nittany Lions teammate Allen, which leaves a question to where his fit in an offense could be.
Thinking that Nick Singleton doesn’t have potentially tremendous upside could be a big mistake. He’s an explosive player capable of a big play at any moment who has a terrific ceiling if he improves either his power or open field elusiveness. Singleton also could be a valuable receiver out of the backfield and adds a big-play element as a kickoff returner, something the Saints sorely lack on the current roster.
Either Penn State running back has immediate value with the upside of being a draft steal, but each for different reasons. In Singleton’s case, he’ll have to show that he can pick up inside yards and read an NFL defense, but his potential as a home-run threat certainly makes him an enticing choice. If still on the board in Day 3, the Saints could see that kind of potential and add another needed weapon to their offense.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Scouting Penn State RB Nick Singleton for Saints