Saquon Barkley’s Quadzilla crown under threat as freakish pass-catching RB enters NFL Draft

Apr 14, 2026 - 10:30

The last time a 6ft, 220lb speedster running back entered the NFL out of Penn State, it was a home run.

Saquon Barkley has taken the league by storm since the New York Giants selected him second overall in 2018.

Barkley ran his way into the second overall pick at Penn State

After being allowed to walk away and finally play behind a star O-line, he won the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Nicknamed Quadzilla thanks to the tree trunks he calls legs and an insane 585lb squat, few — if any — running backs are packing the same heat above their knees.

AJ Dillon may have a case, and the Nittany Lions are throwing another specimen into the mix.

Nick Singleton awaits NFL Draft fate

Nick Singleton appeared on Good Morning Football ahead of April’s draft and revealed his insane high school workouts.

“Penn State RB Nick Singleton confirms to @gmfb that he squatted 400lbs as a 7th grader, and benched over 200. This is madness,” host Kyle Brandt posted to X.

Singleton attended Governor Mifflin High School in Shillington, Pennsylvania, recording 116 touchdowns and 6,326 rushing yards.

As a senior, he ran for 2,043 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns to be crowned Gatorade Football Player of the Year.

A five-star recruit and No. 1 back of his class, he chose Penn State over Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State.

Touted as a mid-round pick, Singleton would have been hoping to put on a display at the Combine to fire his way up boards.

Unfortunately, he was unable to join on-field testing as he broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Senior Bowl practice.

Many a defender has bounced off a low tackle

Singleton has a similar build to Barkley but the production is lacking

He attended the combine but was unable to take the field

The prospect attended in order to speak to teams and measured at 6ft, 219 lbs — the same height as Barkley and 14 lbs lighter.

Singleton topped 1,000 yards and averaged 6.4 per carry in 2024 but saw his production fall in 2025 despite a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns.

He will not go anywhere near Barkley but has the raw physical tools to make an impact — especially if he can work on his footwork and vision.

“Well-built back with explosive speed whose 2025 season was flat after a strong 2024,” wrote NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein. “Singleton is a linear runner who plays like his brake lines have been cut, affecting his ability to gather and elude tacklers or cut on demand.

“He has the speed to make defenses pay but displayed a lack of vision and instincts to put himself in position to do so, relative to his teammate Kaytron Allen.

“His size and speed will get attention, but his ability to return kicks and play on third downs could ultimately earn him a roster spot as a RB3.”

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Singleton is a talented pass-catcher with home-run ability and was graded similar to Buffalo Bills standout James Cook by Bleacher Report.

A player comp of David Johnson shows an extremely high ceiling, but the outlet has the Penn State star as its ninth best RB recruit.

If you’re looking for this year’s Saquon 2.0, Jeremiyah Love is your man.

Draft Analyst Jordan Reid told talkSPORT’s Brian T. Smith that the Notre Dame sensation is his No. 1 prospect in any position.

He has also been mocked to the Giants. Watch this space.

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