Penn State's Singleton, Carter, Allen receive Freshman All-America honors

Dec. 6—Former Gov. Mifflin standout Nick Singleton and two other Penn State teammates have been recognized on the College Football News Freshman All-America Team, it was announced Tuesday.

Abdul Carter was named to the first team, and Singleton to the second team. Kaytron Allen received honorable mention.

Carter, a 6-3, 235-pound linebacker from La Salle College High School, also has been named a finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award. He was named to the All-Big Ten second team by the media and to the third team by the coaches.

He's second on the team with 55 tackles and leads the Nittany Lions with 10.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. He also has five quarterback hurries and four pass break-ups. He's first among Football Bowl Subdivision freshmen in tackles for loss and sacks.

"Obviously he's a really talented guy," Penn State coach James Franklin said a few days ago, "when you talk about size, speed and how explosive he is and his burst. His burst is as good as I've seen on the defensive side of the ball. There's been one other guy we've had (Micah Parsons) that's had that type of acceleration to the ball carrier.

"To me, the thing that's really stood out is his maturity and his discipline. His mental approach, as a true freshman, has been phenomenal."

Singleton, a 6-0, 219-pound running back, was selected the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last week and to the All-Big Ten third team after rushing for 961 yards (6.3 per carry) and 10 touchdowns, a Penn State record for a freshman, in the regular season. He also has 11 catches for 85 yards and another TD.

Singleton also was named to the All-Big Ten second team by the media and received honorable mention as a kick returner. He averaged 25.8 yards per return, including one for a 100-yard touchdown against Rutgers.

"It's unusual to do it (run effectively) with a freshman, let alone two true freshmen," Franklin said. "Both of them (Singleton and Allen) have complemented each other really well. We were able to not only run the ball but I think it created more explosive plays for us.

"Those guys have been big-time players for us all year long. We're going to need them at the Rose Bowl, too."

Allen, a 5-11, 211-pound running back, received All-Big Ten honorable mention from the media. He's rushed for 830 yards (5.3 per carry) and nine touchdowns and has 17 catches for 172 yards and another score.