Trio of Penn State players named to Maxwell Award watch list
This week saw three of Penn State's finest named to the watch list for the Maxwell Award by the Maxwell Football Club. The three players representing Penn State on the list are quarterback Drew Allar, and running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. All three offensive stars chose to return to Penn State this season to attend to some unfinished business. Allar, Singleton, and Allen give Penn State one of the top backfields in college football coming back this season and are a big reason why the Nittany Lions are being labeled a top preseason Big Ten and national championship contender.
Singleton was named a preseason All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation for the 2025 season after a being an honorable mention All-Big Ten player on offense and special teams as a return specialist. Singleton will start the season as the nation's leading rusher returning this season with 2,912 career rushing yards and 32 career rushing touchdowns.
Allen earned second-team All-Big Ten honors last season despite playing in the same backfield and splitting playing time with Singleton. Allen has rushed for 2,877 yards in his career with 24 rushing touchdowns and an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt. Only Singleton has more career rushing yards among players returning in 2025 across the nation. Head coach James Franklin believes these two could end their careers taking over the top two spots in the Penn State rushing record book when all is said and done.
Allar was a Davey O'Brien semifinalist last season after passing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushing for 302 yards and six touchdowns. He will enter the 2025 season ranked sixth in all-time in Penn State history wiht 6,302 career passing yards. Allar was an honorable mention All-BigTen player a season ago after leading the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten championship game and a run to the semifinal in the College Football Playoff.
The Maxwell Award is presented to the nation's college football player of the year and has been awarded annually since 1937. The Heisman Trophy may be the most notable individual award in college football, but the Maxwell Award is a high honor as well. Penn State has had seven all-time winners of the Maxwell Award, tied with Notre Dame for the most. Penn State's previous winners are Richie Lucas (1959), Glenn Ressler (1964), Mike Reid (1969), John Cappelletti (1973), Chuck Fusina (1978), Kerry Collins (1994), and Larry Johnson (2002).
Last year's winner of the Maxwell Award was Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. The last Big Ten player to win the award was Penn State's Larry Johnson in 2002. Although it is worth recognizing that USC and Washington had back-to-back winners with Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. in 2002 and 2023, respectively, as members of the Pac-12.
Follow Kevin McGuire on Threads, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on X, Facebook, and Threads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Notre Dame's Aamil Wagner named to the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
The preseason accolades keep rolling in for Notre Dame football, and this time its an honoree along the trenches. Senior offensive lineman Aamil Wagner is one of a record 116 nominees to the 2025 Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Watch List, the foundation announced. The award recognizes college football players across the FBS who exemplify community service, academic excellence and athletic achievement. The honor celebrates student-athletes who use their platforms to create positive change, and it is named after 1996 Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel, who has created a lasting legacy of leadership and humanitarianism. The finalists and recipient will be selected by a national voting committee, with input from a fan vote. The winner will be announced live on The Home Depot College Football Awards show on December 12, airing on ESPN. The Allstate Wuerffel Trophy Presentation Gala will follow on January 31, 2026, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Wagner is the president of the Notre Dame chapter of Uplifting Athletes, an organization that supports the rare disease community and their families. He also leads initiatives to improve the lives of athletes off the field, from youth athletics to college student-athletes. He also volunteers at his local senior center, homeless shelter and church. Former Fighting Irish linebacker Drue Tranquill won the award in 2018 and was a finalist in 2017. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Top 2027 Pennsylvania offensive tackle Terrance Smith lists Notre Dame in top group
Top 12!!! #AGTG @BigMenNTrenches @TomLoy247 @BrianDohn247 @247recruiting @247Sports Notre Dame has made Terrance Smith's top 12 schools as he continues to search for the best fit for him. The top Class of 2027 Pennsylvania offensive tackle from Lansdale Catholic (Lansdale, PA) announced his finalists on X (formerly Twitter), and the Fighting Irish remain in the mix. Marcus Freeman and his staff may have a tough time landing a pledge from the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder, though, as Penn State has made him a priority target in its 2027 class. Smith picked up an offer from the Nittany Lions in early April and traveled to State College for the annual Blue-White spring game later in the month. He then attended PSU's annual Lasch Bash recruiting barbecue at the end of June. Joining Notre Dame and Penn State in Smith's top 12 are Ohio State, Missouri, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, Rutgers, Oregon, NC State and Syracuse. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes and opinions. Follow Dave on X: Miller_Dave
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Fever vs. Wings prediction: WNBA odds, picks, best bets for Friday
New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you click or buy through our links. Featured pricing is subject to change. It looks as though fans will be deprived yet again of seeing Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers face each other in the WNBA. Clark is expected to miss her 15th game this season due to injury when the Indiana Fever visit the Dallas Wings on Friday. She also missed the July meeting. Clark and Bueckers last met in the 2024 Final Four with Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes outlasting UConn in a game that came down to the final seconds. WNBA fans are eager to see the first pro chapter of what is expected to be a long-standing rivalry. The All-Star guards have been chosen with the top draft pick in consecutive years. The Fever are three-point road favorites with a total of 169 points. As a handicapper, the key is to analyze the Fever in games that Clark has missed, as only those apply to this matchup. Indy has won three straight games and is 7-7 without its star guard, compared to 8-5 with her. The Fever are a better and more explosive team with Clark. However, they still maintain their high pace with Aari McDonald running the point in Clark's place. For example, they just scored 107 points in their last game. Indiana Fever guard Aari McDonald (2) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at United Center. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Dallas has shown improvement recently, but ultimately, this team is lottery-bound because of its bad defense. The Wings allow 86.4 points per game, which ranks fourth-worst. Injuries have also played a role, but Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale are now healthy, and Dallas is making some noise. The Wings just beat the reigning champion Liberty by scoring 92 points and lost in the final seconds to the Atlanta Dream. Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps I expect another competitive, back-and-forth game. Additionally, I anticipate a high-scoring showdown because both teams identify with their high-octane offense. That is furthered by Dallas recently incorporating a smaller starting lineup with the 6-foot-1 Haley Jones replacing 6-7 Li Yueru. I have a 58-47-1 ATS record in this Post sports section, and my next play is Over 169 points. Why Trust New York Post Betting Doug Kezirian is a New York Post contributor who has over two decades of experience in the betting space, including spending 11 years at ESPN as a host, columnist and betting analyst. He's also the rare personality who has documented success – 14th place in 2023 Circa Million and Las Vegas SuperContest ($37K), two top-10 finishes in 2022 William Hill College Football Challenge ($58K) and also grabbed headlines with a $297K win on the 2021 NFL Draft.
