Penn State football running back Quinton Martin Jr. hasn't had the easiest start to his collegiate career after spending time in the backseat behind new NFL rookies Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. In addition to his supporting role next to Singleton and Allen, Martin hasn't remained entirely healthy throughout his first two seasons.
His consistent injury bug, in part, was due to his inability to maintain weight. Martin joined the Nittany Lions in 2024 as a four-star recruit and top 10 running back, weighing in at 205 pounds for his true freshman and redshirt freshman seasons.
After 2025, head coach Matt Campbell said that Martin then weighed in at 195 pounds. A few months later, the running back's weight jumped back up to his original range at 204 pounds.
Over the offseason, gaining and holding a steady weight was one of his priorities. Ahead of fall camp, Martin now weighs in at 212 pounds.
"He's incrementally making better eating choices, and his habits have been really, really good over the course of spring," running backs coach Savon Huggins said mid-April. "It's been encouraging to see where he started to where he's at in his level of consistency in his preparation."
Putting on this weight and maintaining it should improve Martin's health in terms of consistency. He has struggled with soft-tissue injuries and other undisclosed injuries that prevented him from becoming the solid No. 3 behind Singleton and Allen over the past two seasons.
Martin preserved his redshirt in 2024 as a true freshman and played in just four regular season games. Including his stats in the Big Ten Championship versus Oregon and Fiesta Bowl versus SMU, he totaled 32 yards on 13 carries.
With the dynamic duo gone and Campbell hoping to take Penn State to the next level, Martin's role will be critical. The Nittany Lions' running back room includes Martin, redshirt junior Cam Wallace, Ohio State transfer and junior James Peoples, Iowa State transfer and senior Carson Hansen, and freshman D'Antae Sheffey.
In 2025, his biggest competition for No. 1 and No. 2 are Hansen, Peoples, and Wallace. The former Cyclone will more than likely be Campbell's top rusher, so that No. 2 spot will be a battle that Martin can seriously compete for. He now weighs in as the third-heaviest running back behind Hansen and Peoples.
"I think I'm going to be aggressive now," Martin told Lions247 in April. "I feel like I was more of a quick, flashy back trying to get around the edge, but, man, I'm gonna put my shoulder down and get what I can. Tough, aggressive, downhill football, and that's Penn State's running back culture — [Singleton], [Allen], even Saquon [Barkley]."
If he doesn't make his way into one of the two running back spots, Martin will be essential for depth. He should reap the benefits of his dedication to his personal offseason plan and Penn State holistically.
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