First and foremost Penn State is known as Linebacker U, but on the other side of the ball, the Nittany Lions have nearly produced as many dominant running backs as linebackers. However, a huge key to that success in recent years could be taken away from the program ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Sunday morning that Notre Dame is looking to poach Ja’Juan Seider from James Franklin’s staff in Happy Valley.
Sources: Notre Dame is targeting Penn State’s Ja'Juan Seider as the school’s new running backs coach. He’s Penn State’s CO-OC, assistant head coach and running backs coach. pic.twitter.com/8HOkBIG16n
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) February 9, 2025
Seider has coached at Penn State for seven seasons after joining the Nittany Lions in 2018 as the program’s running backs coach. Since 2021, Seider has also served as the assistant head coach and co-offensive coordinator of the Penn State offense, but it appears that 2024 was his final season in blue and white. As Matt Zenitz CBS Sports followed up on Thamel’s reporting, Seider appears poised to accept the Fighting Irish’s offer and to join Marcus Freeman’s staff in South Bend.
Penn State’s Ja’Juan Seider is expected to accept the running backs coach job at Notre Dame, a source tells @CBSSports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) February 9, 2025
Seider, whom ESPN previously reported was being targeted by Notre Dame, has been a key part of Penn State’s staff since 2018.… pic.twitter.com/Yni8UXvNh8
It’s never a good time to lose such a key piece of the program, but luckily for Franklin, both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are returning for their senior seasons in 2025, which provides plenty of veteran experience and continuity to help overcome such a tectonic shift on the coaching staff. Singleton is the 10th leading rusher in program history, just 1,020 yards shy of Evan Royster’s rushing record, and Allen is 11th, just 35 yards shy of Singleton.
If Penn State makes a long run to and through the College Football Playoff again in 2025, both players, who were recruited by Seider and coached by him for nearly their entire careers could surpass Royster and an illustrious list that includes Saquon Barkley, Curt Warner, D.J. Dozier, Larry Johnson, and Lydell Mitchell.
In 2024, Singleton and Allen became the first duo in school history to both surpass 1,000 yards rushing, and in their final game as juniors combined for 166 yards on the ground and 3 touchdowns in Penn State’s Orange Bowl CFP semifinal loss to the Fighting Irish.
Under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who also stuck around for 2025 despite drawing attention for head coaching jobs, the Penn State run game should be fine, but Franklin’s hire will be crucial for the next crop of backs that take over for Singleton and Allen in 2026. Both Quinton Martin Jr. and Corey Smith flashed as freshmen in 2024, but without Seider’s tutelage, the run-game production could suffer in the future.