STATE COLLEGE — For quite some time, Penn State football coach James Franklin didn’t know whether running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen would stay in his program or go to the NFL.
“It was a scramble,” Franklin said Tuesday. “I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out. It wasn’t just us talking to them. The agents were talking to them as well. Everyone was providing information about 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. But then it started to look like we may be able to get both of them back.”
Singleton and Allen announced within hours last month that they would play for the Nittany Lions in 2025, bolstering their championship hopes. Both players had 1,000-yard rushing seasons in 2024 and helped lead Penn State to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl.
They made their decisions expecting Ja’Juan Seider, their position coach during their Penn State careers, also would be returning. But news broke earlier this week that Seider, who had the second-longest tenure on the staff, is leaving to become the running backs coach at Notre Dame.
“Ja’Juan Seider did a great job for us,” Franklin said in his first media availability since the 27-24 CFP semifinal loss to the Fighting Irish. “I’m very appreciative of Ja’Juan and his family. His son (Jaden) played for us. We wish him nothing but the best.
“In some ways it’s a shame that in college football seven years is a long time. He gave our program and our community seven years. He did a really good job for us.”
Seider was instrumental in recruiting and developing Singleton and Allen.
Allen rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns this past season and Singleton ran for 1,099 yards and 12 TDs. In addition, Singleton was Penn State’s third-leading receiver with 41 catches for 375 yards and five scores. In three years, they’ve combined to rush for 5,189 yards and 56 touchdowns.
“With Nick, it was a little bit like the Olu (former offensive tackle Olu Fashanu) situation,” Franklin said, “where getting his degree, finishing what he started and taking a few more steps was a factor for him.
“One of the most exciting things about Kaytron is that he’s never really had an offseason. Every offseason he’s had some injury that has really limited his development. With him really having his first offseason where he’s healthy, I think he’s really excited about what he could do.”
Replacing Seider will be challenging because of his accomplishments and because of the timing. At Notre Dame, he’s replacing Deland McCullough, who recently left to join the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff.
“It’s very detrimental to lose people in the organization this late in the process,” Franklin said. “When you talk about the qualities you’re looking for in a running backs coach, it’s the same for all of the positions. We have to go out and get the very best candidate we can.”
Running back Quinton Martin Jr., one of the top recruits in Penn State’s 2024 class, described Seider as “very committed to his job.”
“He’s very caring,” Martin added. “He cares about his guys so much. He’s going to do everything he can to help them. He loves them. He wants to build a relationship with you. He doesn’t want anything but for you to be great.”
Franklin said he will try to hire a new running backs coach who he believes will mesh with Singleton and Allen.
“At this point it makes no sense to hire somebody who doesn’t fit our program and doesn’t fit our personnel,” he said. “We’re not at the point where we’re going to start over. We’re going to continue to build.
“I would make the argument with Nick and (Allen) and the rest of the room coming back, and what we’ve recruited and who’s committed to us, it’s arguably the most attractive running back job in the country.”
