Does Penn State Have the 'Most Attractive' Coaching Vacancy in the Country?

STATE COLLEGE | Two of Penn State's biggest post-Orange Bowl surprises involved the running backs. First, 1,000-yard rushers Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen announced within hours of each other that they would return in 2025. But less than a month later, their position coach is leaving. So now, Penn State football coach James Franklin is pitching the changes as a choice opportunity for a new running backs coach.

"I would make the argument with [Singleton] and [Allen] and the rest of the room coming back, and what we've recruited and who's committed to us out there, it's arguably the most attractive running back job in the country," Franklin said Tuesday.

In his first media session since Penn State lost to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, Franklin dissected a whirlwind few weeks during which he hired Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator but lost Ja'Juan Seider as assistant head coach and running backs coach. Though Notre Dame has not announced Seider's hiring, Franklin has pivoted to his second major hire of the offseason. This one will be as coveted as the defensive coordinator position, considering the talent with whom the new coach will work. According to On3, one of the candidates is Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray, who played for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

Even Franklin was surprised that both Singleton and Allen decided to return for their fourth seasons. The backs have shared carries as co-starters for three seasons, but that could have grown old in Year 4. In addition, Singleton and Allen had agents providing draft input and college coaches back-channeling to gauge their interest in transferring. Which has happened several times before.

"I wasn't sure how it was going to play out, because obviously it's not just us talking to them," Franklin said. "The agents are talking to them as well. Everybody's providing information from the NFL. So I wasn't really sure. I thought there was a good chance early on that we would get one of them back, very similar to the Tyler [Warren] and Theo [Johnson] situation last year. But then it started to look like we may be able to get them both back. With Nick, it was a little bit like an Olu [Fashanu] situation where [it was] getting his degree, finishing what he started, taking a few more steps. I think that was a factor for him.

"I think with Kaytron, to be honest with you, one of the most exciting things is Kaytron has never really had an offseason. Every offseason, he's had some injury that has really limited his offseason development. So with him, really having his first offseason where he's been healthy, I think he's really excited about what he can do, and I know we're really excited. But I didn't really know how it was going to go with either of those guys, but obviously it worked out to be a positive. I think they also now are at a point of their career that I think, early on, maybe they struggled splitting time. And I think now they understand the value of splitting time. It obviously helps that they both rushed for 1,000 yards."

Some of the returning running backs were taken aback as well. Among them was freshman Quinton Martin Jr., who played in six games last season and thought the room might look a little different in 2025.

"I was surprised, honestly," Martin said Tuesday during a media availability. "They’re both fantastic backs. I definitely thought one of them was going to end up going to the draft, but it is what it is. It happened. They decided to stay, they thought that was what’s best for them, so I’m going to be by their side."

Seider's departure caught the current backs off guard as well. Freshman Corey Smith, whose 78-yard run vs. Washington was Penn State's longest offensive play this season, said he learned the news scrolling Instagram before a flight. Both Martin and Smith said that Seider later called the backs to tell them personally, "and I respect that," Martin said. As for Singleton and Allen, they too were surprised.

"I can definitely say they were very caught off guard, because they've been with him for three years," Martin said. "Going into their last season without him could take a toll on them, but I think they’re going to try to keep their head off that the best they can."

With Singleton and Allen returning, Penn State could have as many as seven scholarship running backs on next year's roster. That includes two in the 2025 recruiting class. As a result, the new position coach will have plenty of traffic to direct. The coach also must fit a specific set of parameters Franklin has set.

"I'm not hiring anybody who I don't think [Singleton and Allen] will feel great about," Franklin said. "Now, I also don't include them in the process, just like I didn't include Drew [Allar] in the process of hiring an offensive coordinator, because I don't want them to go through the emotional rollercoaster. If I say, ‘OK, here are the guys I'm thinking about’, they get excited about somebody, and we don't get that guy and it goes in a different direction, I don't think that's the right thing to do."

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