Nick Singleton planning to make early start at Penn State

Nick Singleton won’t be challenging for a gold medal in the Firing Meet 100 come May.

He’ll be a college student by then.

The Gov. Mifflin rushing champ is planning to enroll at Penn State in January in order to begin training with the Nittany Lions football team and get ready for his freshman season in the Big 10.

Singleton, ranked among the top running back prospects in the nation, committed to Penn State in July.

Some believe he has a strong chance to compete for the Nittany Lions’ starting tailback job next season.

“He’s gonna be able to work out with the team, do offseason training, get with the veteran players,” said Mifflin coach Jeff Lang. “He’ll get to play spring ball with them. He’s one of a kind, doing that.”

Singleton is believed to be the first student-athlete at Gov. Mifflin to enroll early in a college program.

Steve Murray, Gov. Mifflin’s principal, said Wyomissing’s Alex Anzalone did the same thing when he skipped his spring semester and enrolled at Florida in January 2013. Anzalone is a linebacker for the Detroit Lions.

Murray said some high-achieving Mifflin students have left early in the past, some graduating in three years, but for purely academic reasons. He can’t recall a Mifflin athlete taking this course.

Lang said the early enrollment will aid Singleton in both his academic and athletic pursuits.

“Academically, it gets him on campus,” said Lang, “he gets to take a couple classes early, and will have a chance to get into that (college) routine.”

In order to qualify Singleton had to meet academic requirements established by both Gov. Mifflin and the NCAA. He began preparing for this several years ago by taking summer courses.

Lang realized after Singleton’s freshman season, when he rushed for over 1,000 yards and began drawing Division I interest, that Singleton could be in position to make such a move.

Many elite college football recruits in Singleton’s position enroll early.

“We knew about this possibility three years ago, so we made sure academically he was taking the extra classes he needed to take to be able to do something like this,” Lang said. “I said: ‘This kid’s pretty special, what do we have to do here (to make this happen)?”

Lang said Penn State coaches and advisors helped Singleton lay out a course of action.

In the years since Singleton has stock skyrocketed and he became one of the nation’s hottest recruits. He made official visits to five schools in the spring and summer, including Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Wisconsin, before announcing for Penn State.

Penn State was the first major college to offer him.

In the years since, Singleton has become a dominant force on the field. Earlier this season he became Berks’ all-time rushing leader. He heads into Friday’s game at Exeter with 5,289 career yards, as well as with Berks records for touchdowns (94), rushing touchdowns (86) and points (568).

He is the only player in Berks history to rush for 1,000 yards four times. He has a Berks-leading 1,022 yards and 22 TDs in five games.

As a junior Singleton recorded a personal best 10.89 in the 100 at the Twin Valley Invitational. He finished second in the Firing Meet in 11.32 and fourth in the District 3 Class 3A finals in 10.97.

He was also fourth at the Firing Meet in the shot put and the 200, and he earned all-division honors running with Mifflin’s 400 relay.

Though his Gov. Mifflin transcript will be complete Singleton will not be considered officially graduated until the school ceremony in late May.

“He’s welcome to come back for prom and graduation,” Murray said. “We hope to see him back.”