By Danielle Daniels

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior offensive lineman Olumuyiwa Fashanu and sophomore running back Nicholas Singleton were named to the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch list on Friday.

The Walter Camp Player of the Year is the fourth-oldest award in college football.

Olumuyiwa Fashanu · Jr. · OL · 6-6 · 319 · Waldorf, Md. · Gonzaga College HS

• Was also named to the Outland Trophy watch list.
• Voted a team captain for 2023.
• Named a Walter Camp second-team All-American in 2022 and recognized as a third-team All-American by Phil Steele.
• Earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and third-team by the media.
• Collected the team’s Dick Maginnis Memorial Award for most outstanding offensive lineman.
• According to Coaches by the Numbers, allowed zero sacks and only 10 pressures on 281 pass blocking snaps last season.
• Two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection as a supply chain and information systems major.
• Helped Penn State to top the 400-total yard mark in five of his starts in 2022, including 477 at Auburn and 482 against Ohio State.
• With Fashanu paving the way, Penn State posted 234 rushing yards against Ohio, 245 rushing yards at Auburn and 220 rushing yards against Northwestern. The Nittany Lions rushed for five touchdowns at Auburn.
• Penn State threw for over 300 yards in four of Fashanu’s eight starts, including 308 at Purdue, 338 against Ohio, 304 against Minnesota and 371 against Ohio State.
• Helped Nicholas Singleton (1,061) and Kaytron Allen (867) become the first freshmen teammates in Big Ten history each with 700+ rushing yards in a season.

Nicholas Singleton · So. · RB · 6-0 · 224 · Shillington, Pa. · Governor Mifflin

• Was also named to the Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award and Paul Hornung Award watch lists.
• Named Big Ten Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year in 2022.
• Earned Freshman All-American honors from the FWAA, ESPN.com, On3 and 247Sports.
• Voted third-team All-Big Ten as a running back and All-Big Ten second team as a return specialist.
• Led Nittany Lions with 1,061 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2022.
• Set Penn State freshman record with 12 rushing touchdowns and became the third PSU freshman running back to rush for over 1,000 yards.
• Became 16th Nittany Lion to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.
• Singleton and Kaytron Allen (867) became the first freshmen teammates in Big Ten history each with 700+ rushing yards in a season.
• Singleton and Allen are the only Penn State duo to each rush for 850+ yards and one of three 800+ rushing yard duos.
• Led the Big Ten in 30+ yard runs (9; 3rd nationally) and 40+ yard runs (7; 3rd) and tied for second in 50+ yard runs (4; T-4th), 60+ yard runs (2; T-9th) and 20+ yard runs (12; T-18th).
• Finished second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
• Led FBS freshmen in yards per carry and was second in all-purpose yardage (1,495).
• Tallied four 100-yard rushing games in 2022, including a season-high 179 against Ohio, and five multi-rushing touchdown games.
• Scored on an 87-yard run in the third quarter in the Rose Bowl Game against Utah. It is the third-longest run in Rose Bowl Game history.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation will narrow the watch list down to 10 semifinalists in mid-November. The Walter Camp Player of the Year will be announced on The Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 7. The winner will receive his trophy at the foundation’s 57th annual national awards banquet in New Haven, Conn. in early 2024.

Walter Camp, “The Father of American Football”, first selected an All-America team in 1889. The former Yale University athlete and coach is credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation was established in New Haven in 1967.

COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS