How Penn State Remade Its Running Backs Room for 2026

The Nittany Lions look to rebuild following the departures of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples runs with the ball during the Blue-White spring practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State relied on basically two running backs for four years, to the point that they became almost inseperable. Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton were teammates, roommates and record-setters for the Nittany Lions until finally parting in the NFL: Allen to the Washington Commanders, and Singleton to the Tennessee Titans.

Which means that Penn State faced a running backs makeover even before Matt Campbell became head coach. So Campbell turned to the transfer portal, bringing in one back he knew and recruiting another back whose upside intrigued him.

Campbell also stuck with two backs from Penn State's 2025 roster who didn't get much opportunity behind Allen and Singleton. Now, the position is wide open, fronted primarily Carson Hansen, James Peoples and Quinton Martin Jr., who will continue to compete for snaps until (and likely after) the Sept. 5 season-opener against Marshall.

“That’s going to be great competition all the way through fall camp,” Campbell said. “All three have shown really great things.”

But where Penn State largely split carries between Allen and Singleton through four years, Campbell and position coach Savon Huggins will establish a hierarchy. They're likely to replace the even distribution of reps with a rotation that prioritizes each back's situational skills and effectiveness.

“Before I can teach them about the plays and the scheme, you have to really get to know them because I’m going to hold them accountable to a really high standard,” Huggins said during spring drills. “It’s not always something that’s going to feel good, right? And having those heart-to-heart conversations and telling the truth is really where you see incremental growth.” 

A look at Penn State’s running backs at practice. In order, Carson Hansen, Quinton Martin Jr., James Peoples and Cam Wallace. pic.twitter.com/ApIPklUEud

— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) March 26, 2026

Hansen, a senior transfer from Iowa State, leads the group and likely will start the opener. He led the Cyclones in rushing last season, rushing for 950 yards on 187 carries in a run-first offense. Hansen is a Big Ten-ready back, with leg drive at the line of scrimmage and the ability to churn for yards.

He's also durable, having missed just one game in three seasons at Iowa State. Campbell said this spring that Hansen (6-2, 221 pounds) is in the "best shape of his life," which Hansen said has been among Huggins' top priorities since joining Penn State's staff from Boston College.

“Coach Huggins has done a great job of pressing that in the running back room, we’re going to be the most conditioned team out there,” Hansen said. “The play never ends in practice. It’s like the guys are tackling you in the flood period, that’s just how it is so you have to be conditioned to the best of your ability.”

Peoples, who played the past two seasons at Ohio State, was among Campbell's top portal prizes. Peoples played in 14 games last season with the Buckeyes, averaging 5.6 per carry in limited action. He made some plays, though, including a hurdle over a UCLA defensive back in November.

Ohio State Buckeyes running back James Peoples hurdles over UCLA Bruins defensive back Cole Martin in a Big Ten football game at Ohio Stadium. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Peoples (5-10, 210) is the playmaker Penn State needs in its backfield. He possesses a burst that the Nittany Lions hope to use in multiple ways. That's who Campbell recruited out of the portal to form what he called a "one-two punch" with Hansen.

"He's a really impressive build but also has got that kind of ability to hit a home run anytime he touches the ball," Campbell said. "He's got great receiving ability. He's got the ability to be a great catcher out of the backfield. He is physical enough to block on third down, and he's also a guy that can run inside and outside and has the ability to do really special things."

Martin is the wild card. He was exceptional in Penn State's Pinstripe Bowl victory over Clemson, rushing for 101 yards on 20 carries in his first action of the season. Martin, a redshirt sophomore with two seasons of eligibility remaining, could have transferred but like Campbell's pitch about his future.

After choosing to stay at Penn State, Martin adopted a new approach to gaining weight, which Campbell made essential to the back's offseason plan. Martin, listed at 204 pounds on the depth chart, was weighing in at around 211 during stages of spring drills. He called Campbell and Huggins' plan "very disciplined and consistent."

“He’s incrementally making better eating choices, and his habits have been really, really good over the course of the spring,” Huggins said. “So it’s been encouraging to see where he started to where he’s at and his level of consistency in his preparation.”

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Quinton Martin Jr. (25) runs with the ball during the Blue-White spring practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State also landed a return decision from redshirt junior Cam Wallace, who played limited snaps after his devastating 2024 injury. Wallace sustained broken bones in both legs on the same play against Kent State in 2024, an injury that continued to impact him through 2025. But Campbell said he saw strong signs from Wallace this past spring.

“Cam has done a great job,” Campbell said. “He’s had a couple really good runs. I know his health has been a thing here in the past, and he looks healthy. He’s consistently been on the field. Even Saturday [during a scrimmage at Beaver Stadium], the one touchdown the offense scored was Cam. So it was great to see him show up and continue to make headway.”

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Cam Wallace runs with the ball during the Blue-White spring practice at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter and follow us on social media.