All eyes were on Ashton Jeanty, but a couple of Penn State standouts ended up stealing the show against Boise State
Heading into the Fiesta Bowl matchup between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Boise State Broncos, the headlines had already been written. It was David versus Goliath matchup, with many wondering if Boise State could pull off the massive upset. The other storyline centered around Bronco All-American running back Ashton Jeanty, and potentially capping […]
Heading into the Fiesta Bowl matchup between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Boise State Broncos, the headlines had already been written. It was David versus Goliath matchup, with many wondering if Boise State could pull off the massive upset. The other storyline centered around Bronco All-American running back Ashton Jeanty, and potentially capping off his historic season.
It was tough sledding for Jeanty during the 31-14 loss to Penn State. He finished the contest with 104 rushing yards, but it took him 30 carries and a 3.5 yard per carry average to do so. Jeanty also hauled in three receptions for 22 yards through the air as well. That pushed his season totals to 2,601 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns, finishing second all-time in rushing in a single season.
With so much attention on Jeanty, most people didn’t spend much time discussing Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton, who is a legitimate 2025 NFL Draft prospect in his own right. It was mostly a quiet night early for Singleton who ended it with 87 and a touchdown on just 12 carries, a healthy 7.3 yards per carry average. His biggest run of the night came at the end to put the contest out of reach, exploding for a 58-yard touchdown.
With how good Singleton was at times, his counterpart Kaytron Allen was even more productive. The junior ended his night with 134 yards on just 17 carries. While Allen is a good college running back, he is not the prospect that Singleton is. The 6-0, 227-pound runner is the type of running back the NFL is looking for.
From a 2025 NFL Draft perspective, Jeanty didn’t hurt himself on Tuesday. He’s put together some tremendous film the last two years, and everyone knows the type of player he is. With his compact frame, contact balance, and receiving skills, Jeanty is a really good overall prospect and could have a place in the top 15 selections.
Singleton is a unique case of a dynamic athlete who is still developing as a football player. We have seen a lot of good things out of the junior this season, rushing for 1,015 yards and nine touchdowns. He has also hauled in 39 receptions for 342 yards and five more scores as a pass receiver. That part of his game developing has been a great thing to see.
Where Singleton ends up going off the board this April if he chooses to declare is a little bit up in the air. There was some legitimate late Day Three (rounds 2-3) buzz heading into the season, and that should only continue to trend upward. Seeing a player like Singleton in comparison to Jeanty, and look even more explosive, will only help his case for his slot in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Boise State had their chances against Penn State, but a new issue became a fatal flaw in the Fiesta Bowl
In a lot of ways, Boise State beat Boise State.
