There was no shortage of options in the backfield as Florida State entered its first matchup last weekend, and FSU's running back room shined in Saturday's 34-17 victory over New Mexico State.
With all the attention focused on sophomore Ousmane Kromah, who was named PFF's highest-graded rusher in Week 0, one player who emerged in the spotlight was senior running back Sam Singleton, Jr.
Singleton amassed 164 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in the victory, contributing as a runner, receiver, and kickoff returner.
That performance earned him ACC Receiver of the Week honors, but it hardly surprised running backs coach Kam Martin, who saw the breakout coming before Singleton ever took the field.
Florida State Seminoles running back Samuel Singleton Jr. (3) is tackled from behind. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Singleton's breakout game drew praise across social media platforms with lofty comparisons to some of the great running backs that have walked through the doors at the Moore Athletic Center.
Martin himself said that he reminds him of one of his old running backs that he coached at UCF, R.J. Harvey.
Harvey earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2024 after leading the conference with 1,577 rushing yards and scoring 25 total touchdowns. The Denver Broncos selected him with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Harvey led all rookies with 12 total touchdowns
"Man, a guy like Sammy, he's fun to coach," Martin said. "He reminds me of a guy that I coached at UCF, R.J. Harvey."
Martin also believes Singleton shares more than Harvey's versatility.
"Sam's a guy that's in the building all the time," Martin continued. "Yesterday was an off day, and he came up and said, 'Coach, how can I get better? What are some things I can work on?'"
Florida State Seminoles running back Samuel Singleton Jr. (3) dodges a tackle as he runs towards the end zone. The Florida State Seminoles defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 34-17 at Doak Campbell Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Singleton's teammate wasn't surprised either and gave him the moniker "Sweet Feet"
"Sweet Feet, I'm telling you, that boy is nice. He's the truth," Kromah said. "Since Kam got here, we knew we were going to have a running back room. I've been preaching and telling y'all about that. Just seeing how each and every one of us can go and get after it whenever we need to is exciting. I was happy for my dog."
Kromah, Singleton and Quintrevion Wisner combined for 191 rushing yards on 27 carries against New Mexico State. According to Kromah, the Seminoles did not enter the opener with a predetermined number of carries for each player. The plan was simply to continue feeding whichever running back had established the hot hand.
When asked what would happen if all three were having a good night, Kromah offered a warning to future opponents.
"Somebody is in trouble, bro."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/fsu as FSU Football Standout Compared to Denver Broncos Running Back .
