Two of Penn State football’s 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 wasn’t. 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 didn’t know was that they’d only have a season with the man who recruited them, Ja’Juan Seider.
Seider, who had been Penn State’s running backs coach for seven years, is leaving for the same position at Notre Dame.
James Franklin Confirms, Comments on Ja’Juan Seider’s Departure
Despite this, Smith and Martin don’t 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.
“We’re still playing the same football, and although it’s not the same people and our family, we’re still gonna do our jobs,” Martin told reporters at Tuesday’s second-year player media availability.
Martin doesn’t plan to enter the transfer portal, nor does Smith.
“I didn’t have any thoughts on being in the portal,” Smith said. “I 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.”
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Photo by Matt Lynch, Nittany Sports Now: Ja’Juan Seider
It was quite a surprise to just about everybody when Seider left, Smith and Martin included.
“We didn’t know about it,” Smith said. “We didn’t say anything about it, and then we received a call.”
“At the end of the day, it’s a business and people got to do what’s best for yourself,” Smith said. “I 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.”
“He called us, he let us know the whole situation,” Martin said. “He let us know that’s what’s best for him, and he just ended terms on the best terms he can.”
Although he wishes it lasted longer, Martin is grateful for the time he had working with Seider,
“Obviously, I was hurt,” Martin said. “Me 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 what’s best for himself and his family, and I completely respect his decision.
Penn State opens the 2025 season against Nevada Aug. 30.
