SCOUTING REPORT — NICK SINGLETON | RB | PENN STATE

DynastySignal | 2026 NFL Draft

The Short Version

Nick Singleton is an elite-efficiency, zone-scheme running back whose calling card is vision, decisiveness, and home-run speed — not power or broken tackles. The case for him is straightforward: he led the entire 2026 RB draft class in EPA/Play (0.22), EPA/Rush (0.22), and Success Rate (55.4%), while also posting the lowest Stuff % (8.9%) — numbers that paint a picture of a back who rarely makes a wrong decision, consistently moves the chains, and creates explosives when the defense over-commits. The case against him is equally clear: his Broken Tackle % (29.9%) is the lowest among major class peers, his YACt/Att is average, and he shared carries throughout his Penn State career with Kaytron Allen, meaning his workload ceiling and durability under a true featured-back volume remain unproven. Ceiling is a lead-back in a zone scheme; floor is a high-efficiency, RB2/3 who contributes in the passing game.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|---|---|

| Name | Nicholas Singleton |

| Position | Running Back |

| School | Penn State Nittany Lions |

| Class | Senior (entered 2022, 4 seasons) |

| Height | ~6'0" |

| Weight | ~215–220 lbs |

| Age at 2026 Draft | ~21 (born Aug. 2004) |

| Recruit Ranking | 5-star, top national recruit (2022) |

| Jersey Number | #10 |

| Backfield Mate | Kaytron Allen (shared carries throughout career) |

| OC Scheme | Zone-heavy (inside zone, gap/power concepts) |

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source | Prefix | Frames | Key Content |

|---|---|---|---|

| Tengwall Film Network — Penn State RB Nick Singleton & The Art Of Open-Field Running (12:15) | film_ | 18 | Detailed X's-and-O's breakdown; pre-snap reads, gap identification, blocking scheme annotations, games vs. WVU, Maryland, BYU, Minnesota, Washington |

| Big Ten Football — 2026 NFL Draft Highlights: RB Nick Singleton (19:57) | official_ | 18 | Broadcast game clips spanning 2022–2025; goal-line/short yardage, open-field speed, red-zone production vs. Ohio, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Indiana, Delaware, Northwestern, Rose Bowl (Utah), Fiesta Bowl (Boise State) |

| RayGQue / NFL Draft & College Football — Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton's Elite NFL Draft Potential (13:27) | highlights_ | 19 | Analytics dashboards (statistical comparisons vs. Jeanty, Hampton, K. Johnson, Judkins, Henderson, Allen, Jeremiyah Love, Makhi Hughes); game clips vs. WVU, Notre Dame (CFP), Maryland; host analysis |

What The Film Shows

1. Vision & Patience

Grade: 9.0 / 10

This is Singleton's best trait and the one that separates him from the average speed back. Film consistently shows him holding his run until the block structure develops before attacking the crease — you don't see him flinching or taking ghost cuts. His YBCt/Att of 2.0 (best among class peers in the analytics comparison, highlights_003) is the statistical confirmation of what the film shows: he consistently maximizes available yards before anyone touches him. In film_017 and film_018, the analyst's telestrator highlights how Singleton reads the Minnesota front — identifying a stunting DT circled by the analyst, then pressing the adjacent gap as it opens. In film_007, a yellow cursor circles Singleton as he fits perfectly through a tight window vs. BYU, cutting off the first block and accelerating through. He doesn't dance — he hesitates just enough, then goes. That is a refinable, sustainable NFL trait. His Stuff % of 8.9% — lowest (best) in the class — is the hard validation: he almost never wastes a down by running into a wall.

2. Explosiveness & Speed

Grade: 9.5 / 10

The most undeniable trait on every reel. Film_013 shows him hurdling a Maryland defender in open space with ease — the kind of athleticism that shifts momentum in any building. Official_002 is the signature frame: Singleton in the Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State, completely separating from an entire defense in the open field, #5 trailing and already beaten by 5+ yards, with Penn State's blocker serving as escort. This isn't scheme-assisted speed — this is legitimate home-run capability. Official_009 confirms it again at the Rose Bowl (tied 14-14, #11 Penn State vs. #8 Utah in the 3rd quarter): Singleton running alone into the Utah end zone on a 3rd & 2 conversion, fully extending his stride with a defender trailing helplessly. Multiple frames in the film_ series (film_012, film_016) show him clearing the second level against Big Ten defenses with a burst that suggests sub-4.4 speed. In highlights_008, when Penn State broke him past the WVU second level, the gap between him and pursuit was 10+ yards. This is elite open-field speed backed by multiple examples against Power 5 competition on the biggest stages.

3. Contact Balance & Power

Grade: 6.5 / 10

This is where a legitimate concern emerges. His 29.9% Broken Tackle % (lowest among class peers — highlights_003) tells a story that the film partially confirms. He is not a back who routinely breaks arms off defenders or drags people across the goal line in the traditional sense. However, the picture is more nuanced: film_004, film_005, and official_003 all show him absorbing initial contact while maintaining forward lean and leg drive — he's not going down on first contact. The film analyst (film_) highlights his contact sequences with yellow circles showing him staying upright through diving tackles. Official_007 (4th & 1 vs. Maryland, down 0-0 in the 2nd quarter with Penn State's trust on the line) shows him driving through a reaching defender with low pad level and appropriate power for a short-yardage carry. Official_003 captures him fighting through a sideline tackle near the WVU boundary with multiple defenders converging. The concern isn't that he can't handle contact — it's that he won't regularly turn a 5-yard gain into 9 by running through arm tackles the way Jeanty (49.7% BrkTack%) or Jeremiyah Love (42.5%) do. He's a scheme-dependent runner; without optimal blocking, his contact ability limits how much he can manufacture on his own.

4. Receiving Ability

Grade: 8.5 / 10

Genuinely underrated aspect of his game that should boost his dynasty value significantly. His EPA/Target of 0.25 is the best in the class (highlights_003), and his 77.1% Catch % with 8.7 Yds/Rec shows consistent reliability as a receiver. Official_004 and official_010 capture him in the end zone and near-goal situations catching balls naturally, hands outside his body frame, not body-catching. The highlights_003 comparison chart shows him dramatically outperforming his own backfield mate Kaytron Allen (0.25 EPA/Target vs. Allen's -0.15), confirming Singleton is the preferred passing-game option despite the shared workload. His Yds/Target of 6.7 is strong. For dynasty purposes, a back with this receiving efficiency profile can contribute meaningfully as an early-down rusher and pass-game asset simultaneously — reducing the risk of regression if his running back role is shared.

5. Pass Protection

Grade: N/A — Insufficient Film Evidence

None of the 55 frames explicitly capture Singleton in a pass protection assignment or picking up a blitz. Film_006 and film_011 show pre-snap alignments from Penn State's gun formation where he's aligned in protection-eligible positions, but no rep is conclusively shown. This is a genuine information gap. Penn State used him as a shared back with Allen, and it's unclear how they divided protection assignments. This is a red flag for immediate NFL three-down value — teams will need to evaluate his pro-day blitz pickup work or evaluate during pre-draft workouts. An inability to pass protect limits his immediate three-down upside and could push him toward a rotation role early in his career.

6. Scheme Fit

Grade: 8.5 / 10 (Zone) / 6.5 / 10 (Gap/Power)

Singleton is a zone back. The entire Penn State system is built on inside zone with occasional gap concepts, and he thrives in it. Film_017 and film_018 (vs. Minnesota) show him perfectly reading the zone blocking structure to find cutback lanes. Film_007 and film_010 (vs. BYU, annotated) show him pressing and fitting through tight zone creases. His vision-to-burst sequence — read, pause, explode — is exactly what zone running demands. For gap/power concepts, the film evidence shows competence (he's a willing, physical runner in short yardage, as seen in official_016 and official_017 vs. Indiana and Nebraska at the goal line) but not dominance. He's not a true power back. NFL teams running gap-heavy or power systems (think Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Green Bay) would be less optimal landing spots than zone-heavy operations like San Francisco, Dallas, or Houston.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

Primary Comp: Tony Pollard (3rd round, 2019)

The parallels are real. Pollard came out of Memphis as a dynamic, speed-first back with elite efficiency, good hands, lower broken tackle numbers, and questions about three-down readiness. He shared a backfield throughout college, never carried a workhorse load, and drew pre-draft concerns about his pass protection. His upside was always obvious; the question was landing spot. Singleton profiles similarly — high-efficiency, big-play speed back who needs a zone-running NFL home to unlock ceiling. Pollard took time to develop into a lead back; Singleton likely follows the same arc. Best-case ceiling: Pollard-level producer as a starter in the right system.

Secondary Comp: Rashaad Penny (1st round, 2018 — cautionary)

The athleticism, speed, and vision are there. Penny was also a highly efficient college runner who struggled with the physicality demands and injury risk of being a featured NFL back. The comparison isn't meant to be a death sentence — it's meant to flag the risk that a speed-and-vision back who relies more on scheme and athleticism than brute force can be fragile when thrust into a heavy workload before being ready. Singleton's lower broken tackle rate and the unanswered pass protection questions are real considerations here.

Bottom Line

Nick Singleton is a genuinely elite college running back by efficiency metrics — there's no serious debate on that point. His ability to create yards before contact, his big-play speed against the best competition in college football, and his reliability as a pass-game option give him a multi-faceted NFL value proposition that a pure "speed back" label undersells. The legitimate concerns — broken tackle rate, pass protection unknown, shared workload history — are real and will determine whether he develops into a lead back or profiles as a premium committee piece. Land him in a zone-heavy system with a development runway, and the ceiling is a 1,000-yard, top-12 RB by Year 2–3 of his NFL career.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 83/100

Projected Pick: R1, Pick 20-32 or R2, Pick 33-48

Film Score: 83 / 100

Scout 2 Report: Nick Singleton, RB, Penn State

The Short Version

Singleton's a twitchy home-run threat with legit open-field magic, but the hype train ignores his average power and pass-pro apathy—Day 2 back who thrives in committees, not bellcow.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|-----------|--------|

| Height | 6'0" |

| Weight | 227 lbs |

| Age | 22 (DOB: Nov 22, 2003) |

| Class | Junior |

| Hometown | Reading, PA (Governor Mifflin HS) |

| Recruiting | 5-star (#1 RB, #6 overall per 247) |

| Career Stats | 2022: 779 rush yds, 12 TD; 2023: 733 yds, 11 TD; 2024/25: ~1100 yds projected |

| 40-Time (Est.) | 4.52 |

Film Sources

| Source | Duration | Frames | Prefix |

|--------|----------|--------|--------|

| Tengwall Film Network — Penn State RB Nick Singleton & The Art Of Open-Field Running | 12:15 | 18 | film_ |

| Big Ten Football — 2026 NFL DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: RB Nick Singleton | 19:57 | 18 | official_ |

| RayGQue — Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton's Elite NFL Draft Potential | 13:27 | 19 | highlights_ |

Film Analysis

Key Traits (RB Focus): Vision, Burst, Contact Balance, Long Speed, Change of Direction (COD), Power.

Overall Grade: B+

Strengths

Concerns

Dynasty Outlook

Year 1: RB2/Changeup in zone-stretch scheme (e.g., Dolphins/Miami). Year 2: Flex starter if OL clicks. Year 3: RB1 on contender with RBBC, 1000-1200 yds ceiling. Avoid workhorse teams like PIT.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Singleton's twitch makes him draftable, but he's no three-down hammer—contrarian fade on top-15 buzz; smart R2 value for speed-score addicts.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 82/100

Projected Pick: R2, Pick 35-50

Film Score: 82 / 100