Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Penn State Gets Big Return For 2025 After Orange Bowl Loss

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 3:11 PM ET

Penn State will keep its prolific ground game intact next season.

Following College Football Playoff wins over SMU and Boise State, Penn State fell just shy of playing in the National Championship Game. The Nittany Lions lost 27-24 to Notre Dame in a tightly contested Orange Bowl last Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium.

On Monday, James Franklin's program received good news for its chances of making another title push in 2025. Star running back Nicholas Singleton announced his return for a senior season.

Singleton will graduate this fall but has other on-field goals he wants to achieve before leaving Penn State.

"We have accomplished a lot here, and we took another big step forward this season," Singleton said. "But we know we are capable of being even better."

Through three seasons, Singleton has tallied 3,680 scrimmage yards and 40 touchdowns. He turned 172 carries into 1,099 yards and 12 scores this season, adding a career-high 375 receiving yards on 41 catches.

STATE COLLEGE, PA - DECEMBER 21: Kaytron Allen #13 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates with fellow running back Nicholas Singleton #10 after scoring a touchdown against the Southern Methodist Mustangs during the second half at Beaver Stadium on December 21, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Singleton closed the year strong. After scoring four times in Penn State's final three regular-season games, he registered 148 yards and a touchdown in a Big Ten Championship Game loss to Oregon. He then collected 261 yards and five touchdowns -- three against Notre Dame -- in three CFP matchups.

Singleton could etch his place into Penn State's record book with a strong senior year. He's 1,020 rushing yards shy of matching Evan Royster's all-time program rushing record and 11 rushing touchdowns from tying Saquon Barkley's school benchmark.

However, Singleton will keep sharing the backfield with his longtime teammate in 2025.

Ten minutes after Singleton's announcement, fellow Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen also declared his return in a social media post with a similarly styled graphic. Allen amassed 1,108 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in his junior year, including a season-high 134 rushing yards in Penn State's Fiesta Bowl victory over Boise State.

"Penn State has been an extraordinary experience for me. This has led to my decision to return for the 2025 season," Allen wrote. "Throughout my life, my family and support system has been critical in helping me in my football journey. Through discussions with them, my coaches, and teammates, it's clear that we still have a lot more to accomplish as a team at Penn State."

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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