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Penn State trolls Adam Schefter after posting wrong photo with Nick Singleton injury update

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz04/17/26NickSchultz_7

Thursday night, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Nick Singleton was cleared to start running again as he recovers from injury. But he initially used the wrong photo, and the Penn State social media team saw an opportunity.

Penn State Football’s X account posted highlights after Schefter’s update. The video included former Nittany Lions running back Cordell Mitchell, who was in the photo Schefter used at first before editing and replacing it with one of Singleton.

Penn State’s admin cited a “scoop” that Singleton was back while posting the troll. The account called it one of its “favorite runs” from Singleton, leaning into the joke.

Mitchell played at Penn State from 1996-99 and totaled 998 yards during his career, along with four touchdowns. Although Schefter quickly changed the photo to the correct one of Singleton, the mistake made its way around social media.

Singleton suffered a foot injury during the Senior Bowl, which meant he could not participate in most of the pre-draft process. However, Schefter reported he is now cleared to start running again. The news came exactly one week before the 2026 NFL Draft officially gets underway from Pittsburgh. Singleton currently projects as a mid-round pick.

Singleton had two 1,000-yard seasons at Penn State as he formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with Kaytron Allen in the backfield. He burst onto the college football scene as a freshman in 2022 when he ran for 1,061 yards and 12 touchdowns, but turned in his best year as a junior in 2024. That’s when he ran for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns while adding 375 receiving yards and five touchdown receptions.

All told, Nick Singleton recorded 3,461 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns at Penn State to go with 987 receiving yards and nine scores in the passing game. As he gets ready to head to the NFL, evaluators also noted his kick return ability, which also make him an interesting prospect.

“Well-built back with explosive speed whose 2025 season was flat after a strong 2024,” wrote NFL.com’s 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.”