SHILLINGTON, Pa. (BVM) – Governor Mifflin High School head football coach Jeffrey Lang knew Nicholas Singleton was going to be special.

Singleton is currently listed at 6-foot, 219 pounds. Even at a young age, having known the Penn State freshman running back and his family since Singleton was in second grade playing flag football, Lang said that Singleton was physically stronger and faster than other kids. 

Along with Singleton’s physical traits, it was his father, Timmy, that worked with him starting at a young age.

“He was very knowledgeable about the game,” Lang said. “I think that came from his upbringing and working with his dad in the backyard and doing a lot of football stuff.”

Starting in seventh grade, Singleton got involved at Garage Strength Gym in Fleetwood. His trainer, Dane Miller, is a certified international level coach in USA Weightlifting and track and field that coached four Olympians that participated in the 2021 Summer Olympics.

Being surrounded by professional trainers, Singleton began to grow a passion for the weight room.

“He learned how to lift, how to do it with light weights, and proper technique and he fell in love with it,” Lang said. “He just kept getting stronger and stronger.”

On his first day with the Mustangs’ varsity team, as the freshman began lifting with senior offensive lineman, Lang said their jaws dropped to the ground.

In Governor Mifflin’s option offense, Singleton began his 2018-19 freshman year as the slot option. After a loss to Wilson High School, where the only positive was him gaining positive yards on sweeps, Lang decided to make a change to put Singleton at fullback.

Having to adjust to a new position in the middle of the season, it would take time for the freshman to learn the role.

“Mick Vecchio, who was the former head coach, would take the quarterback and Nick while the defense and special teams were practicing and go around the field for the rest of practice,” Lang said. “You know just to get Nick used to getting out of his stance, taking the handoff and hitting. I think they did that 1,000 times.”

After his freshman season at fullback that saw him accumulate 1,266 yards and 24 touchdowns, Singleton transitioned to running back to fully utilize his strength of running in open space. With more I-formation plays being run, his numbers rose to 1,690 yards and 32 touchdowns.

By his senior season, Singleton had collected a Berks County MVP honor during the 2020 season. He had broken out as a four-star recruit who had made visits to Penn State, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Alabama and Texas A&M over the summer.

He would back up the hype during the season by recording 2,059 rushing yards and 44 total touchdowns. His individual excellence helped lead the Mustangs to a 10-1 record and a District 5A title. 

Singleton’s success also led him to be named 2021 Gatorade National Player of the Year, a semifinalist for the Maxwell’s Football Club National Offensive Player of the Year, Berks County MVP and a selection to play in the 2022 All-American Bowl.

During his rise, Lang was hoping that Singleton wouldn’t plateau off as other kids might catch up to him. Singleton wouldn’t let it happen.

“He continued his training with strength and conditioning and you know, he had some trainers helping him,” Lang said. “They worked on his speed and agility and [Singleton] just kept going and embracing it.”

“You know, there were not many times that kids wanted to step in front of him, but he was always at full speed,” Lang added. “He would be full speed for 20 yards and then we’d have to blow the whistle to get back to the play.”

As the No. 4 running back and No. 53 ranked prospect according to ESPN’s Top 100, the Berks County all-time leading rusher with 6,326 yards and 116 touchdowns signed his letter of intent on December 15, 2021 and officially enrolled on January 9, 2022.

Three years removed from the Saquon Barkley-Miles Sanders era, the Nittany Lions ranked the 13th-lowest in rushing yards among Division-I teams with 107.8 yards a game in 2021. After a favorable first impression during spring workouts, Singleton will work to carve out a role in the Nittany Lions’ offense over the summer.

In Singleton, Lang said that they’ll be getting a coachable player that just needs a chance on the field.

“I expect him to do anything that the Penn State coaching staff wants him to do and then some,” Lang said. “I think he wants to spend time with the coaches and the veteran running backs to learn more about the running back position. But he’s not a kid that’s gonna sit around and wait his turn.”

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