2024 • REDSHIRT SENIOR SEASON
Awards:Named to the Reese's Senior Bowl preseaosn watch list.
Season: Played in all 16 games.
at West Virginia (8/31): Penn State gained 457 yards on 60 plays (7.6 yards per play)...The Nittany Lions threw for 235 yards and rushed for 222 yards, while not allowing a sack...PSU tallied eight runs of 10+ yards. Bowling Green (9/7): Penn State had nine plays of 20+ yards (five passes, four rushes)...PSU collected 438 total yards, throwing for 204 yards and rushing for 234 yards... The Nittany Lions had two 100-yard rushers (Nicholas Singleton - 119; Kaytron Allen - 101). Kent State (9/21): Penn State had a school record 718 yards of offense and 40 first downs...Penn State’s 409 passing yards were the fifth highest total in school history. Illinois (9/28): Helped pave way for the offense to gain 239 yards on the ground with three rushing touchdowns...Kaytron Allen rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton added 94 yards and a score. at USC (10/12): Tight end Tyler Warren set a Penn State and Big Ten tight end record with 224 receiving yards (on 17 catches)...Warren’s 17 receptions were a Penn State record and tied an FBS tight end record...Penn State had six pass plays of 20+ yards...The Nittany Lions tallied 518 total yards and threw for 400 yards, while not allowing a sack. Ohio State (11/2): The Nittany Lions recorded four plays of 20+ yards, including three passing and one rushing. Washington (11/9): Penn State gained 486 total yards, including 266 rushing and four touchdowns on the ground...Corey Smith had a 78-yard rush in the fourth quarter, PSU's longest offensive play of the season...The offensive line did not allow a tackle for loss in the game. SMU (12/22): Penn State rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns in a controlling win over SMU, with Singleton (90, 1 TD) and Allen (70, 2TD) accounting for 160 yards and all three rushing scores against the fourth-ranked run defense in the FBS entering the game (93.4).
2023 • REDSHIRT JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Earned All-Big Ten honorable mention laurels from the coaches and media.
Season: Appeared in 11 games, making eight starts...Earned the coaching staff's Offensive Player of the Week (Iowa, 9/23).
West Virginia (9/2): Helped lead the Penn State offense to 478 total yards in the victory...Helped Drew Allar set career-high marks in touchdown passes (3), passing yards (325), completions (21) and attempts (29). Delaware (9/9): Penn State tallied 541 total yards on offense, including 315 yards on the ground...The Nittany Lions ran 91 offensive plays and held the ball for a time of possession of 42:22...Kaytron Allen rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries and touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton scored three touchdowns on the ground. at Illinois (9/16): Helped the Penn State offense score 20 points off turnovers...Allen and Singleton each accounted for rushing touchdowns, while Trey Potts threw a touchdown to Tyler Warren. Iowa (9/23): Helped Penn State scored on drives of 17, 10 15 and 12 plays...The Nittany Lions held the ball for 13:26 of the third quarter and finished the game with 45:27 of possession...Helped PSU rush for 215 yards. at Northwestern (9/30): Penn State threw totaled 353 yards of offense, including 219 yards through the air...Singleton accounted for 119 yards of offense. Indiana (10/28): Penn State posted 342 yards of offense in the win and Allar tossed three touchdowns, including the 57-yard game-winner to KeAndre Lambert-Smith with 1:46 remaining in regulation. at Maryland (11/4): Penn State scored 51 points and gained 404 yards in the win...Allar completed 25-of-34 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns...Allen rushed for a team-high 91 yards on 14 carries, including a touchdown. Michigan (11/11): Penn State averaged 4.7 yards per rush against the Wolverines, including 72 yards on 12 carries (6.0) from Allen. Rutgers (11/18): Rushed for 234 yards with all four touchdowns coming on runs...Beau Pribula (71 yards), Allen (69) and Singleton (71) paced an offense which averaged six yards per carry. at Michigan State (11/24): Helped Penn State post 10 offensive plays of 20+ yards in the game, including five passing plays and five rushing plays...The Nittany Lions had three plays of 50+ yards and four plays of 40+ yards...Allen (137) and Singleton (118) both went over 100 rushing yards. vs. Ole Miss (12/30): Helped Penn State tally 510 total yards...The Nittany Lions threw for 343 yards and went three-for-three in the red zone.
2022 • SOPHOMORE SEASON
Season: Appeared in four games on the offensive line.
at Indiana (11/5): Saw significant action, helping the Nittany Lion running backs record four rushing touchdowns on the day...Paved the way for the offense to put up 483 total yards.
2020-21 • LACKAWANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Started all 10 games during the 2021 fall campaign on the offensive line for Lackawanna head coach Mark Duda...Helped the Falcons to a 7-3 overall record...Lackawanna averaged 37.5 points per game, had 239 first downs on offense and put up 434.2 yards per game...The Falcons averaged 161.2 yards rushing on the season, including 4.7 per attempt, and scored 17 rushing touchdowns...Appeared in Lackawanna’s two games during a shortened 2021 spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic...Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals...Ranked as the No. 4 junior college player nationally, the No. 3 junior college offensive lineman overall and the No. 1 junior college player in Pennsylvania by 247Sports.
HIGH SCHOOL
Three-time letterman for head coach Bob Palko at Mount Lebanon High School...Started all three years in high school on the offensive and defensive line...Led his squad to the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals as a senior...Served as a two-time team captain...Earned Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fabulous 22 honors during his senior season at Mt. Lebanon...Was a two-time all-conference selection...Finished with 45 tackles and 10 tackles for loss while finishing tied for second on the team with four sacks his senior season.
PERSONAL
Full name is James Bradley Nelson...Son of Josie Nelson...Has a sister, Lisa...Majoring in recreation, park and tourism management.