When Nick Singleton committed to Penn State over Notre Dame in 2021, he never thought he’d play against the Fighting Irish.
But that will happen when the Nittany Lions (13-2) meet Notre Dame (13-1) in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl Thursday night at 7:30 in South Florida.
“Notre Dame was obviously a good visit,” Singleton said Saturday. “The coaches and the team were nice. It came down to the atmosphere. Penn State treated me like family ever since I came here as a recruit. They treated my family like family, too.
“It was an easy choice, too. The tradition of running backs and how many have been produced here. It was close to home. Being from PA, there’s no other place to be.”
The former Gov. Mifflin star has run for 1,015 yards, his second 1,000-yard season in three years with the Lions. With 2,828 career rushing yards, he ranks 11th in school history, 1 yard behind 1994 Heisman Trophy runner-up Ki-Jana Carter.
Singleton is deciding whether to return to Penn State for his senior season or opt for the NFL. He’s projected to be drafted between the second and fourth round.
“We’d love him back,” Lions coach James Franklin said. “If he decides to come out (to the NFL), we’ll fight like heck to get him drafted as high as possible. It’s really important for him to play well in this game and keep this season going.
“I’m a big fan of Nick and his mom and dad and Gov. Mifflin High School. If it was just about Penn State and being greedy, I’d love him back. But ultimately I want him to do what’s best for him.”
In his last four games against Maryland, Oregon, SMU and Boise State, Singleton has carried 49 times for 379 yards, a 7.7 average and four touchdowns.
“I’m still worried about finishing the season the right way,” he said. “We have a chance to do something we haven’t done in a while, compete for a national championship. Right now I’m just focused on that. I’ll make a decision at the end of the season.”
Carter update: Franklin indicated that defensive end Abdul Carter, who missed almost the final three quarters against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, is on track to play in the Orange Bowl.
Carter suffered an upper-body injury on the first play of the second quarter of Penn State’s 31-14 victory over the Broncos and did not return.
“At this point I don’t think there’s anything that is stopping him from playing,” Franklin said. “But it’s going to come down to how he is able to play. We’ll see.
“He has a big smile on his face. I think he’s excited about this week. It’s too early to say at this stage (if he will play).”
A consensus first-team All-American, Carter leads Penn State with 21.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. Amin Vanover, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Smith Vilbert stepped up in his absence against Boise State.
“He’s doing great,” Franklin said. “His attitude is great. His mentality has been really good. We’ll see. I think he’s taking the right approach and mentality. It’s going to come down to how he feels and how much practice he’s going to be able to get during the week.”
Press box falls: The Beaver Stadium press box was brought down Saturday morning as part of the stadium renovation project, which will be completed before the 2027 season.
The press box was originally part of new Beaver Field on the west side of Penn State’s campus before it and the grandstands were moved after the 1959 season and reassembled on the east side of campus as part of Beaver Stadium.
“Somebody said, ‘Thank God because it was the worst press box in the Big Ten,’ ” Franklin said. “Whether you agree with that or not, we were fighting to be in the argument. I think it’s a great thing (that it came down as part of the renovation).”
