UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State junior quarterback Drew Allar and junior running back Nicholas Singleton were selected for the Maxwell Award Watch List on Monday, while redshirt junior long snapper Tyler Duzansky was tabbed to the Patrick Mannelly Award Watch List.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the College Player of the Year since 1937 and is named in honor of Robert "Tiny" Maxwell who was a former standout at the Swarthmore College and a renowned sportswriter and football official.
The Mannelly Award, created in 2019, benefits Bernie's Book Bank, a non-profit organization located in Lake Bluff. The award is named after Patrick Mannelly, a long snapper at Duke, who played 16 years in the NFL (1998-2013) with the Chicago Bears.
Drew Allar · Jr. · QB · 6-5 · 238 · Medina, Ohio · Medina
- Earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media in 2023.
- Enters 2024 season ranked first in school history in career interception percentage (0.45), third in completion percentage (59.7), seventh in touchdown pass percentage (6.49) and eighth in passing efficiency (129.3).
- Started all 13 games last season.
- Was a member of the Danny O’Brien Award Class of 2023.
- Completed 59.9 percent of his passes for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns (two interceptions), while rushing for four scores.
- Set Penn State season record for lowest interception percentage (0.51) and became the first quarterback in school history to throw for 10+ touchdowns before throwing an interception in a season.
- His 25 touchdown passes were tied third in a season at Penn State, while he ranked fifth in touchdowns responsible for (29), sixth in completions (233), seventh in attempts (389), ninth in completion percentage (59.9) and tied-ninth in 200+ yard passing games (7).
- Finished second in the nation in touchdown-to-interception ratio (12.5-to-1).
- Tied for the Big Ten lead in passing touchdowns (25; T-18th nationally) and finished second in points responsible for (176; T-26th), fourth in passing efficiency (136.9) and passing yards (2,631) and fifth in yards per pass attempt (6.76).
- Joined Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker (2022) as the only FBS quarterbacks ever to throw 25+ touchdown passes and 2 or less interceptions in a season.
- Began 2023 season with 251 pass attempts without an interception, the sixth-most to start a season since 2000, trailing only Louisiana Tech’s Colby Cameron (428; 2012), Oregon’s Marcus Mariota (285; 2013), Western Kentucky’s Tyrrell Pigrome (278; 2020), NC State’s Ryan Finley (274; 2017) and West Virginia’s Geno Smith (273; 2012).
- Opened career with 311 passing attempts without an interception, shattering the FBS record held by Baylor’s Robert Griffin III (209 attempts in 2008).
- In his first career start, Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns against West Virginia to earn Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.
- The Ohio native set a career high with four passing touchdowns against Indiana and tallied a passing and rushing touchdown at Northwestern.
- Collected three passing touchdowns and a rushing score against UMass and tossed three touchdowns against Indiana.
- Threw for 240 yards and four touchdowns at Maryland and ended the regular season throwing for 292 yards and two scores at Michigan State.
- Threw for 295 yards and two touchdowns against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.
Nicholas Singleton · Jr. · RB · 6-0 · 227 · Shillington, Pa. · Governor Mifflin
- Earned third-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and media as a running back and honorable mention honors from the coaches and media as a return specialist.
- Named Penn State’s Offensive MVP along with Kaytron Allen.
- Was an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
- Voted All-Big Ten third team by the coaches and media in 2022.
- Owns 1,813 career rushing yards and 20 career rushing touchdowns, ranking 20th all-time at Penn State in both categories.
- Singleton has 16 career runs of 20+ yards and 2,782 career all-purpose yards.
- Has five career 100-yard rushing games and six career games with multiple rushing touchdowns.
- The Pennsylvania native ranks 10th all-time at Penn State with a 24.5 kick return average and has a 100-yard kick return touchdown.
- Finished 2023 season with 171 rushes for 752 yards and eight touchdowns. Added 26 catches for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Tallied 13 kick returns or 313 yards (24.1 average) with a long return of 51 yards.
- Ranked third in the Big Ten in all-purpose yards per game (105.6) and tied-fifth in rushing touchdowns (8).
- Started the 2023 season with 70 rushing yards and a 2-yard touchdown against West Virginia.
- Against Delaware, scored a career-high three rushing touchdowns.
- At Illinois, scored on a 16-yard run in the fourth quarter, while totaling 140 all-purpose yards.
- Tallied a team-high 21 carries and 80 rushing yards at Northwestern, adding a career-best six receptions for 39 yards. Scored on a 1-yard run in the fourth quarter and a 2-yard reception in the third quarter.
- Notched 50 rushing yards and a 2-yard score against Indiana and ran for 61 yards against Rutgers.
- Tallied 118 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries against Michigan State, including runs of 20 and 24 yards. Set a career high with 68 receiving yards, including a 53-yard reception.
- Had a 51-yard kick return at Maryland and a 50-yard return against Indiana.
Tyler Duzansky · R-Jr. · LS · 6-4 · 217 · Glen Ellyn, Ill. · St. Francis Prep
- Has appeared in 20 career games.
- Earned Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2022 and 2023.
- Is a three-time Dean’s List selection.
- Appeared in all 13 games as the team’s primary long snapper in 2023.
- Recorded six tackles (5 solo) on special teams.
- Led the nation in tackles by a long snapper (6).
- Penn State’s punt unit ranked second in the Big Ten and sixth in the country in net punting (42.9).
- Helped Riley Thompson to average 45.8 yards per punt, including 15 punts of 50+ yards and 17 punt inside the 20.
- Also helped Alex Felkins to convert eight field goals of 40+ yards and all 47 extra point attempts.
The Maxwell Football Club has once again partnered with Pro Football Focus (PFF) and Phil Steele Publications as selection committee partners. PFF provides detailed metrics and performance-based assessments to selection committee staff, with several senior PFF analysts as members of the selection committee.
Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced November 12, while the three finalists for the Maxwell Award will be unveiled November 26. The winners of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show held on December 12. The formal presentations of the Maxwell Award will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards on Friday March 14 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ten semifinalists for the Mannelly Award will be announced on November 11. Those names will be narrowed to three finalists announced on November 25and the winner selected at the live Mannelly Award ceremony in Lake Bluff on December 14.
Penn State Football Recognized On Preseason Watch Lists:
Drew Allar – Maxwell Award
Tyler Duzansky – Mannelly Award
Nicholas Singleton – Maxwell Award
Penn State's season opener at West Virginia on Aug. 31 will kick at noon on FOX. The Nittany Lions return 42 lettermen from last year’s squad – 17 on offense, 22 on defense and three on special teams and bring back 16 starters – seven on offense, seven on defense and two on special teams.
For club and ticket information for the 2024 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, or call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.