STATE COLLEGE – Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen watched Saturday from the Beaver Stadium sideline to see younger running backs compete for the third spot behind them on the depth chart.
Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace stated their case in Penn State’s annual Blue-White Game.
Martin, a true freshman from Belle Vernon, carried six times for 34 yards and two touchdowns to lead the White to a 27-0 win.
“He had some bumps and bruises, so he missed a decent amount of time this spring,” Nittany Lions coach James Franklin said. “I don’t have a true evaluation of him. I will tell you that he’s an awesome kid. He’s learned the offense really well. He has really good vision.
“Between now and West Virginia (Penn State’s season opener), he has a lot of work to do. I think he’ll do it.”
Wallace, a redshirt freshman from Mount Vernon, Ga., who didn’t play last season, ran seven times for 36 yards and caught one pass for 6 yards.
“Cam had a really good spring and was out there more to be evaluated,” Franklin said. “The No. 1 ability in football is availability and to be out there and developed every single day.”
Singleton and Allen, who will be juniors in the fall, have shared the load at running back the last two seasons. The two have combined for 3,582 rushing yards at Penn State.
Singleton, the former Gov. Mifflin star, was in uniform Saturday but did not play.
“Nick got a little banged-up this week in practice,” Franklin said. “We were going to modify his time.”
Allen missed most of spring practice with an undisclosed injury.
“It’s nothing that’s going to be a problem for him in the summer or training camp,” Franklin said.
Berks report: Former Berks standouts J’ven Williams (Wyomissing) and Joey Schlaffer (Exeter) saw extensive action Saturday.
Williams started at left tackle and played the entire game for the White team, which was made up of mostly first-team players. He filled in nicely for Downingtown West product Drew Shelton, who missed all of spring practice because of an upper-body injury and who’s expected to start at left tackle in the fall.
J.B. Nelson, who can play guard and tackle, and Anthony Donkoh, who’s expected to compete with Wisconsin transfer and Warwick grad Nolan Rucci to be the starting right tackle, did not play Saturday.
“Drew Shelton didn’t go this spring,” Franklin said. “That was really valuable for Rucci and J’ven. They got a thousand reps this spring, which was great.”
Schlaffer, who was redshirted as a freshman last year, was the leading receiver for the Blue team with three catches for 9 yards.
Missing regulars: At least seven Penn State regulars were in street clothes and did not play probably because of undisclosed injuries.
Running back Kaytron Allen, offensive linemen Sal Wormley, Drew Shelton and J.B. Nelson, defensive tackle Hakeem Beamon, defensive end Zuriah FIsher and safety K.J. Winston all sat out.
Award winners: Wide receiver Liam Clifford and cornerback Audavion Collins were announced Saturday as the winners of the top spring awards.
Clifford, the younger brother of former Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, received the Red Worrell Award as the most improved offensive player. He caught 13 passes for 130 yards last season.
Collins, who transferred last year from Mississippi State, received the Jim O’Hora Award as the most improved defensive player. He had three tackles in six games last season.
In addition, junior cornerback Cam Miller and redshirt senior Nick Dawkins received the Frank Patrick Total Commitment Award. Punter Riley Thompson won the Coaches Special Teams Award.