Nicholas Singleton, SI's No. 1 Running Back, Wins Gatorade Player of the Year Award

Before signing with Penn State, Singleton wins the prestigious award and meets Saquon Barkley.

Author:
Mark Wogenrich
Dec 14, 2021 1:10 PM EST

Nicholas Singleton, the 2,000-yard rusher from Gov. Mifflin (Pa.) High who will sign with Penn State on Wednesday, is the Gatorade National Football Player of the Year. And a former Penn State All-American presented the award.

New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley met Singleton virtually Tuesday to present the 37th annual award, which recognizes the nation's top high school football player. Singleton is the first Pennsylvania player to win the Gatorade national award since Ron Powlus in 1992.

The nation's top-ranked running back according to Sports Illustrated, Singleton also was named Gatorade's Pennsylvania Player of the Year after rushing for 2,043 yards and 41 touchdowns for Gov. Mifflin High, which went 10-1. He averaged 13.2 yards per touch, including 12.4 yards per rushing attempt, and scored every 3.89 times he touched the ball.

Singleton has a 3.51 grade-point average and participates in multiple volunteer opportunities, including Gov. Mifflin's elementary school literacy program.

"There’s a reason the Gatorade Player of the Year award is the most prestigious award in high school sports," Gatorade Senior Vice President and General Manager Brett O’Brien said in a release. "Winners have to be just as impressive on the field as they are in the classroom and in their community, so it’s no surprise Nick Singleton has earned this honor as he continues to go above and beyond in all three pillars of the award."

Singleton (6-0, 215 pounds) is a "superstar" running back in the 2022 class, according to John Garcia, Jr., Sports Illustrated's director of recruiting. He began the season as the nation's top-ranked back in the SI99 and will finish that way, Garcia, Jr. said.

"This is a superstar running back, and we know what [Penn State] has done at running back," Garcia, Jr. said. "And I think Singleton is just the next guy up in that long lineage of strong backs. He's a balanced three-down back, meaning he can play inside, he can play outside, he can absolutely factor into the passing game as well. And he's physically built, ready to go right now from a height and weight standpoint at right over 200 pounds."

Past Gatorade National Football Players of the Year have combined for six NFL MVP awards and made 31 Pro Bowl appearances. Here's the list.