How Penn State Football can replace Noah Cain, after running back transfers to LSU

Penn State Football running back Noah Cain entered his name into the transfer portal on Wednesday, leaving room for some younger running backs to step up and take some of his carries.

Noah Cain’s career in a Penn State Football uniform was a roller coaster.

Cain broke Saquon Barkley’s freshman touchdown record in 2019, and was expected to be part of a dominant 1-2 punch at running back with Journey Brown in 2020.

After Brown was forced to medically retire, and Cain suffered a season-ending injury on the first drive of the season, young guys such as Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford, and Caziah Holmes had to step up in 2020.

Cain returned to the field in 2021, and while he showed some flashes of his former self in the second half at Wisconsin, as well as being the team leader in rushing touchdowns, he could not get back to the 2019 version of himself.

Noah Cain will finish his Penn State Football career with 806 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and will receive his degree this spring.

Hopefully he can return to his former self, but it won’t be as a Nittany Lion. Cain announced Thursday that he has committed to LSU, via the transfer portal.

So, who will step up in place of him?

Well, the three guys who had to do it in 2020, Lee, Ford, and Holmes, as well as a pair of highly touted freshmen in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, make up a very deep running back room. But how might the carries be divided up?

Here is a look at what the running back depth chart for Penn State Football might look like to begin the season in 2022.

Keyvone Lee

Keyvone Lee averaged 4.9 yards per carry in 2021, which is solid, and actually relatively impressive given the abysmal run-blocking by the offensive line.

His best game came against eventual Big 10 champion and national semifinalist Michigan, when he rushed for 88 yards on 20 carries against a very good Wolverine defensive front.

In many games, especially Maryland and Arkansas, Lee would have a good series running the ball, and then wouldn’t see the field again for quite some time. His total rushing numbers on the season could have probably been much better, had he been given more carries and had an opportunity to get into a rhythm.

He does not possess the break-away speed and explosiveness as some former Nittany Lion backs, but he showed flashes at times to be able to make defenders miss in the open field.

At nearly 240 pounds, he is more of a downhill, powerful runner that is not going to gash a defense for a huge gain. This running style can be a nice change of pace and complement from the running style of Nicholas Singleton.

Keyvone Lee will likely finish the 2022 season in the top 2 on the team in terms of carries , and will begin the season as the ‘starter’, but he will have a freshman phenom hot on his tail, and will have to split carries with him atop the rotation.