In Wednesday's press conference, Penn State football head coach James Franklin gave a promising update on the return of running back Quinton Martin Jr., expecting his return in Week 3 against Villanova.
"For Week 1, [Martin Jr.] was banged up, so that's why he was not available, but we expect and anticipate, he's been part of that battle," Franklin said to reporters. "There's three guys battling for that No. 3 job. He's part of it, but wasn't part of the battle for a period of time there because of bumps and bruises."
The true freshman battled with injuries throughout his true freshman season in 2024, but was hoping to hop into the 2025 action healthy. Unfortunately, he missed much of the RB3 battle upfront, absent from multiple weeks of fall camp due to injury, and has to catch up now that he's back.
The running back room isn't weak, but Franklin wants to secure an RB3 as soon as possible. With seniors Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen leading the pack, he wants to determine who the Nittany Lions (2-0) can rely back on this season and lead beyond 2025.
In Week 1, Cam Wallace had an explosive performance that showed that it's not only Singleton and Allen that can make big plays out of the backfield. Wallace had five carries for 19 yards and one reception for 12 yards. While it doesn't sound like much production, it was enough to turn heads, especially for only playing in the fourth quarter.
Corey Smith is another running back vying for that third string role. He also logged playing time against Nevada with five carries for 13 yards.
After a flat offensive performance against Florida International in Week 2, all three running backs will hopefully get back onto the field against the upcoming FCS opponent. If there are no questions on game day, Martin Jr. will likely rally together a small sample size of snaps to compare all three equally.
"You'd like for somebody to take the job, right? But if not, we'll just keep rotating until somebody does," Franklin said on Wednesday.
In high school, Martin Jr. had 118 carries for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2023. He also had 53 receptions for 764 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. This Saturday will be the first true test in the Penn State RB3 battle for the redshirt freshman. Kickoff against Villanova is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET.