Two of Penn State footballโs youngest running backs addressed their future plans Tuesday afternoon.
Playing behind two star tailbacks is often a contributing factor in an RB entering the transfer portal.
So is a position coach leaving.
PSU RBs Quinton Martin and Corey Smith are dealing with both of those situations. One of them was expected, the other wasnโt. When Martin and Smith arrived on campus in 2024, they knew Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen would be waiting for them. Singleton and Allen had already established themselves as possibly the best RB tandem in the country, so Martin and Smith knew playing time would be hard to come by.
What the didnโt know was that theyโd only have a season with the man who recruited them, JaโJuan Seider.
Seider, who had been Penn Stateโs running backs coach for seven years, is leaving for the same position at Notre Dame.ย
James Franklin Confirms, Comments on JaโJuan Seiderโs Departure
Despite this, Smith and Martin donโt plan on going anywhere.
THE SAME FOOTBALL
Penn State’s Quinton Martin
For Martin, at the end of the day, football is the same game it was before Seider left.
โWe’re still playing the same football, and although it’s not the same people and our family, we’re still gonna do our jobs,โ Martin told reporters at Tuesdayโs second-year player media availability.
Martin doesnโt plan to enter the transfer portal, nor does Smith.
โI didn’t have any thoughts on being in the portal,โ Smith said. โI mean me as a player, I feel like, regardless of the situation, I’m gonna ball out to my highest expectations, and I feel like it’s gonna be at Penn State.โ
SEIDER SURPRISE
Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: JaโJuan Seider
It was quite a surprise to just about everybody when Seider left, Smith and Martin included.
โWe didn’t know about it,โ Smith said. โWe didn’t say anything about it, and then we received a call.โ
โAt the end of the day, itโs a business and people got to do whatโs best for yourself,โ Smith said. โI know he recruited us. I appreciate him for the recruiting stuff, but at the end of the day he got to do what he got to.โ
โHe called us, he let us know the whole situation,โ Martin said. โHe let us know thatโs whatโs best for him, and he just ended terms on the best terms he can.โ
Although he wishes it lasted longer, Martin is grateful for the time he had working with Seider,
โObviously, I was hurt,โ Martin said. โMe and Coach Seider built an incredible bond this season. He taught me a lot about the running back position, about the game as a whole. But at the end of the day, he had to do whatโs best for himself and his family, and I completely respect his decision.
Penn State opens the 2025 season against Nevada Aug. 30.
